Home Sweet Dream Home

By Sue Cullen

One of the benefits of reaching a certain age is the certain knowledge of what it takes to go beyond creating a life “style” to making a life that is uniquely pleasurable and satisfying. Living that kind of life on a daily basis requires the right environment, and Danny and Patricia Woodson have achieved that with their new home on a spectacularly beautiful stretch of Sarasota Bay.

The one-acre property has been in the Woodson family since 1969 when Danny’s parents bought it and built the family homestead. It’s in the area known to local commercial fishermen as “The Kitchen” because of its teeming sea life and is a perfect location for the Woodsons. The couple stays busy with work and family and especially loves spending time on the water. Danny grew up commercial fishing from his backyard and is CEO for a seafood company in Tampa. Patricia is a marine biologist who came to the U.S. from Mexico City in 1989 and now owns Pet’s Life Naturally in Palmetto.

Being right on the water, the family home was an ideal place for them. However, development of the surrounding area created serious flooding problems, so the Woodsons decided to build a new home on the property, honoring his parents’ wish that it remain in the family. The result is a harmonious fusion of sleek modern style with the inviting warmth and comfort of coastal design in a home that fits compatibly with the lush tropical setting.

“We saw how we could enjoy life here and had a complete design on the computer,” Danny says. “When we showed it to Jonas Yoder, our builder, he said we couldn’t build it because we are in a velocity zone and the house has to be on pilings.” Yoder and Jon Coulthurst of JC Drafting and Design incorporated the Woodsons’ design ideas into a plan for a three-story home with two wings adjoining a central entrance tower. Alan Gravley of Beginning to End Interiors also was on board from the start to consult on colors, finishes and design elements.

Gravley was tasked with ensuring seamless flow through the house’s three distinct “cubes”. On one side of the entrance tower is a wing with the master bedroom, living areas and kitchen. The other side is a separate wing for guests with two bedrooms, two baths, a living area with outside deck, and an efficiency kitchen. “The home is coastal modern, which means it’s very modern but not a cold cube,” Gravley said. “This house has extraordinary views, and we kept the interior neutral because we wanted all of the outside to come in. You feel like you’re up in the sky with the views of the sky and the water.”

Luxury vinyl flooring serves as a unifying backdrop throughout, and its durability was a must with the Woodsons’ two large Rhodesian ridgeback dogs and leisure time spent on the water—including the dogs. Muted gray walls along with soft blue and green create the neutral background for contemporary artwork, sleek furnishings and accessories that emphasize the home’s clean lines and foster a soothing environment. The central staircase serves as a focal point throughout the house with floating wooden stairs and cable railings.

An elevator was another must-have alternative to climbing 40 stairs. It makes five stops including the ground floor garage, front door, second floor master bedroom level, and the guest wing. The last stop is to the kitchen and great room on the top floor, which is an aerie with sweeping views of sky and water.

The Woodsons spend a lot of time in the kitchen, cooking at home six nights a week often with produce picked from their garden. They searched extensively for the right piece of countertop granite. “Years ago I saw granite that looked like ocean waves. We searched and searched for something like it,” Patricia says. “There was a piece in Naples we went to see, and I fell in love with it. It looks like waves in different tones.” Another special touch highlighting the marine theme is pendant lighting that resembles sea anemones.

The master bath also is distinctive with a “wet space” housing a shower and sculptural freestanding tub overlooking Longboat Key bridge. “It’s like a room within the room,” Gravley says. “When I saw the tile, I knew the blues were right for the bath with the backdrop of the sky.” Patricia, who had prior experience with renovations, commends Gravley for making the process easy and efficient. “Alan worked hard on all the choices, and people who come here are impressed with how harmonious it is,” she says. “He made our lives much easier by picking up on our taste right away and bringing choices we liked and that worked well with the house.”

After living in their new home for a little over a year, there are no regrets. “Pat says most people are downsizing at our stage of life, but I hope to finish my last day here, and she feels the same way,” Danny says. Patricia sums it up, “It’s an eternal vacation.”