Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
A seaside beauty
$7.2M Highland Beach home has ocean chic.
HIGHLAND BEACH — The large, double iron doors of this Key West-style home on the Intracoastal Waterway in Highland Beach give a hint that there’s something special behind the estate’s pale blue exterior.
The two-story, ocean chic mansion, located at 4308 Intracoastal Drive, spans more than 10,400 square feet and features seven bedrooms, seven bathrooms, an outdoor kitchen and a pool and Jacuzzi that overlook the water.
The fully-furnished estate is in the Bel Lido Isle neighborhood and carries a $7.2 million price tag. Michael Prettitore of The Carroll Team at Douglas Elliman Real Estate, holds the listing.
Mary Widmer, developer and creative director of JMW Florida Properties, carefully crafted every detail. From start to finish, she designed, developed and decorated the estate.
Widmer is no stranger to the Highland Beach area. She developed other homes on the block, including the house next door.
Widmer is the focus of “Behind the Gates Boca,” a new series on BYL Network that follows the developer through the entire process of building her next mansion masterpiece, 899 Enfield Street in Boca Raton.
“When I’m developing a home, I like think about what I’d want in it,” Widmer said. “I don’t want the owners to want for anything and I want to exceed their expectations.”
Entering the foyer at 4308 Intracoastal Drive, visitors are greeted by tall white columns and a 38-foot ceiling with chandelier. Each column has an intricate design at its base and wood accents at the top. A VIP bedroom suite is located on the first floor, with the master suite and five additional bedrooms on the second floor. Each floor has a laundry room.
The downstairs laundry room is outfitted with a drip/dry and wash area for when the children or grandchildren come home covered in sand from the beach. It can double as a dog wash station. Form and function are fundamental themes. The kitchen is built with entertainment in mind. It boasts all-white cabinetry, a large island with high-top seating and quartz countertops and ample storage space. There are two pantry closets, abundant shelving, display spaces and cases, temperature-controlled wine storage, two refrigerators and four freezer drawers.
There is a hidden butler kitchen with a prep area and two dishwashers for catering and cleanup.
The formal dining room, which seats 10 people, boasts a painting of the ocean on one wall and a strategically placed mirror on the other. The reflection from the mirror gives diners an equal opportunity to enjoy an ocean view.
It would be easy for a designer to quickly go overboard with the nautical theme: sea shells stuffed in jars, fishing nets hanging on the walls and lighthouses galore. Ocean/nautical accents are sprinkled throughout the home including splashes of blue and green colors, wood accents and sophisticated decor.
All of the entertainment areas have a refrigerator and ice maker. The home is decked out with smart home automation to easily control daily functions such as the air conditioner, lights and opening the numerous sun shades.
An added perk to living in Belido Isle is that homeowners get a key to private beach access.
“There are almost zero communities [in Highland Beach] where you can live in a residential neighborhood ... and walk across the street to the beach,” Widmer said.