Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Only style is rooted in past at Las Olas Isles estate
The Old World meets the 21st century at a waterfront mansion in Fort Lauderdale’s Las Olas Isles neighborhood.
Designed by renowned architect Robert A.M. Stern, the Mediterranean Revival estate and guesthouse at 615 Lido Drive elegantly blend vintage style with modern technology.
The home boasts a romantic and whimsical feel with its construction. Everything is built on an angle or curve, and there are no squared walls.
A three-story rotunda with a spiral staircase and hand-forged bronze railing make for a striking focal point once guests step through the front door.
The intricate details and customization, which took more than two years to complete, can be seen throughout the property.
There are five fountains, three of which are antique. All were imported from France. Two guest bathrooms feature hand-painted murals on the walls. In addition, limestone flooring in the home’s entryway was hand-chiseled and brought in specifically for the property.
The library, made entirely from knotty wood, has a solid wood door that opens to a hidden storage area that can be used as a printer room. A brass light fixture from Holland hangs above the room and is believed to be more than 100 years old.
The most outstanding highlight, however, might be the home’s handmade, clay barrel roof. The centuryold tiles were hand-picked from six different structures in Italy for color and variety before they were shipped to the United States.
“The amount of detail that went into this home is amazing,” said DND Associates Estate agent Dale Atkins, who along with Dennis Stevick and Jill Johns is part of the Fort Lauderdale-based luxury real estate team affiliated with ONE Sotheby’s International Realty. “Every time I come through this property there is something else.”
But don’t be overwhelmed by the home’s historical timepieces; it also has plenty of new-age features.
A 65-inch TV that rises from within a credenza occupies the theater room, as well as a 9-foot projection screen that can be lowered and used for movies. Surroundsound speakers camouflaged as artwork adorn both sides of the TV.
In fact, several pieces of artwork throughout the home either retract or slide away on a track at the touch of a button to reveal hidden TVs.
The fitness center, equipped with a variety of exercise machines and speakers in the ceiling to play music, has a massage room with backlit onyx walls and a custom table with built-in Bose speaker system.
With 15,930 square feet of living space, the estate has four bedrooms in the main house (VIP suite, master suite and two guest bedrooms) and two bedrooms in the guesthouse.
The master suite boasts a morning bar complete with microwave, refrigerator and coffee/espresso station; hand-carved marble tub; and a full steam shower with the capability to fog the glass for privacy.
Even the toilet, which includes a bidet and dryer, contains a motion sensor that prompts the lid to raise.
The third floor includes a rooftop retreat for the master suite, complete with a hot tub, full bar, TV and picturesque views of the water.
Other features inside include five fireplaces, a custom-built wine cabinet that can store 500-plus bottles and a yacht captain’s chart room. A two-car garage is attached to the main house, while the guesthouse contains a four-car stall with lifts that can accommodate two additional vehicles.
Outside, there is a luxury spa with a full bathroom and sauna, outdoor living room, summer kitchen and an infinity pool. A concrete dock is perched next to 625 feet of deep waterfront, a perfect parking spot for a mega yacht.
The home is being sold fully furnished and has been reduced to $23 million from its initial $40 million asking price. At the time of its original listing, the estate was one of the most expensive homes on the market in Fort Lauderdale, according to Atkins.
Prospective buyers have the option of purchasing a 230-foot lot adjacent to the property for an additional $4 million.