Bird Key Waterfront Dream Home
Steve Murray of Murray Homes takes great pride in building incredible luxury homes and estates that are individual and unique to each client, homeowner or investor.
This stunning 5,700 square foot waterfront Bird Key home, the 40th project built by Murray on this key alone, was originally commissioned as a “spec” home, meaning that it would be designed, built and resold as an investment. When you are not building for a specific buyer, the ‘what’ and ‘how big’ become complex, almost scientific questions because the possibilities are endless and often difficult to calculate. The investor’s challenge to Murray was to build a luxury home with wow factor that would achieve optimum investment return and sell quickly on the open market. Murray was charged with overseeing all aspects from design to build, including interior finishes, landscaping and hardscaping.
Before commencing the project, the Murray team researched and considered highest and best use for the 15,000 square foot parcel of land using in-depth knowledge and expertise to understand lot limitations, create the perfect aesthetic, and optimize design flow and curb appeal. They assessed Bird Key, the street and the lot, its views and the surrounding homes before assembling a group of the best professionals including Shawn Ambrose as lead designer, Carrie Riley, interior designer and Michael Gilkey, landscaping and outdoor spacial design. Together they crafted an exceptional, modern living experience from the ground up; one that would achieve the trifecta of architectural longevity, sensitivity to the local environment, and most importantly, instantaneous and enduring appeal to the most discerning buyer.
"Sarasota is a wonderful place to live and it needs beautiful, thoughtful modern architecture"
Ordinarily, a home design project begins with a general idea of size, style, desired number of bedrooms, garages, etc. However, in this instance the initial concept was crafted with no preconceived boundaries for these elements, supporting the Murray’s ethos that scale is not always relative or relevant to design integrity, vision MH and the quality of craftmanship. In fact, the home was designed entirely around the outdoor living space. As the project moved into its construction phase and the home began to take shape, a unique twist came about. The investor, who already lived on in a stunning bayfront home built by Murray Homes in 2010, started to fall in love with the new project. Steve Murray commented, “We were probably about halfway into construction when the clients shared how excited they were by it and, while they acknowledged that their home is larger and has more expansive views, they were bowled over by the design, the finishes and the aesthetic of this investment project. They ultimately decided to move in and put their own home on the market, which really is the best compliment to our team and vision!”
Murray is consummately proud of the end result – a beautiful, luxurious, California-contemporary residence designed completely from the outdoors in. It features a living room on each floor, four bedrooms, a den complemented by a spectacular 250 bottle wine wall, and an innovative 5 car garage. The property is engineered and built to the latest FEMA 2018 codes, and is effectively maintenance free. Although Murray was intrigued to see how the market would react to this innovative design when it was completed, he admits that the fact that they didn’t get to bring it to the open market is a direct reflection of the success of the project. He adds, “Sarasota is a wonderful place to live and it needs beautiful, thoughtful modern architecture. It’s our job to inspire this kind of passion in our clients. We have a desire to leave our city and environment in a better state than we found it; it’s about where we live and about where my kids will grow up.”
“We consistently strive to guide and advise our clients throughout the entire design and build process, and we don’t walk away once it’s done. We provide ongoing support with our post-construction comprehensive maintenance program” Steve commented. “It’s caring and sharing. That’s who we are — we’re a family business grounded in family values.” In the aftermath of devastating storms such as Irma, Murray and his team went around to 42 of their clients’ homes to personally assess any damage for repair, which was expectedly minimal, but gave absentee owners peace of mind. This is one aspect that what sets Murray Homes apart, the desire to understand their client’s DNA, to take their passions, their interests and their inspirations
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