Costa Bella is one of Mizner’s earliest homes, designed for Elizabeth Hope Gammell Slater in 1920, built after the Everglades Club in 1918, and in 1919, his shops and apartments on Worth Avenue, Villa Yalta for Clarence Jones, El Mirasol for Edward T. Stotesbury, the Munn residences, Amado and Louwana, and Mizner’s own home, El Solano.

Elizabeth Hope Gammell was born Nov. 7, 1854, and died Aug. 22, 1944. Her father was Prof. William Gammell. Her grandfather was Robert Ives of the firm Brown and Ives and her mother is described in a New York Times story from 1882 as “reckoned  the richest woman in America,  her property placed at twenty millions or more.”

Elizabeth married John W. Slater ( son of William S. Slater, one of Rhode Island’s leading manufacturers and owner of the manufacturing village of Slaterville) on May 19, 1880. The marriage was on the rocks a couple of years later. Many details about that are in the 1882 New York Times story, but it’s hard to say if the marriage was on or off. Either way, she seems to have been known as Mrs. EHG Slater for the rest of her life.

In the early years of Palm Beach, Mrs. Slater is often mentioned, opening and closing her houses for the season, as well as hosting parties and prominent visitors.

She also built another grand house in 1902, Hopedene, in Newport, Rhode Island, designed by Peabody & Stearns, and, interestingly, it’s presently owned by Palm Beachers Craig and Michele Millard.

She was obviously a mover and a shaker, and her mansion, Bella Costa, ended up being a mover and probably had its fair share of shaking in the process.

Here’s that story: Palm Beach builder, Ed Cury, who bought the Dunbar property in 1999, planned to demolish the house, subdivide the land, and build two spec houses. But, instead, Benjamin and Elys Wohl bought the Mizner home from Cury, turned it 90 degrees, and moved it dozens of yards to the west. Cury later sold his oceanfront piece of the property to builder Bill Elias.

“We’ve always had an appreciation for architecture,” Elys  says.

“We had been looking for a house in Palm Beach, and we saw how many of the old houses were being destroyed. We started to read the demolition applications for ARCOM, and we saw that the Barton house had come up for demolition,” explains Benjamin.

“We drove by to look at it and we were dumbfounded that this house with its significance and architectural details was slated to be demolished.

“We asked Ed Cury if we could save it and move it, and he was happy to oblige,” Benjamin says.

“After we moved the home, we restored it,” Elys adds.

The exterior paint, for example, is its original shade of pink, the color they uncovered after scraping through layers of paint. They tried to determine the original colors inside, as well.

“We felt we were saving a piece of history,” Elys says. “It has a heavy wooden studded door, a chandelier, numerous lighting fixtures, and a gorgeous several-hundred-year-old Tunisian tile floor in the entrance foyer.”

She believes that the plasterwork in the dining room was replicated from photographs of the Alhambra that Mizner had taken during his travels.

In Mizner’s Florida, author and historian Donald W. Curl noted that “Mizner’s detailng included a ‘stalactite’ lighting fixture and Gothic tracery for the dining room ceiling.”

Curl also noted the home’s “massive carved stone staircase,” and that, although more formal than Mizner’s typical work, “the extensive fenestration created an open and light vacation house.”

Descending down that stone staircase is impressive, Benjamin says. The green coral floor and sink in the powder room are unique and he’s never seen anything quite as black as the pure Belgian black marble in the foyer.

Other Miznereque features include the pecky cypress beams in the entry and living room, hardwood floors, tile, wrought iron work, arches, decorative columns and corbels, stone carvings and stone-carved mantels. Another interesting feature in the dining room is the terrazzo floor with thin metal dividers to create a tile effect.

“I can’t help but feel the touch of Addison Mizner, as I walk the marble floors, or when I’m just sitting in the grand ballroom reading a book to my kids,” Benjamin says.

“Having Shabbas dinner in the dining room has been enjoyable, too.”

“We’ve hosted so many guests there. The dining room is so regal, so grand, it makes the food taste better,” Eyls adds.

Now, though, they and their children are renting a 700-year-old home in Jerusalem, and are thinking about finding a permanent home, there.

For information, call Wally Turner at 561-301-2060.

Slater’s Obit
Link to Goggle News Archive search:

More about the villa in Newport, RI, built  in 1897.

http://wikimapia.org/#lat=41.480363&lon=-71.297778&z=16&l=0&m=b&show=/5021821/Hopedene

And on page 39 and 56 of this 1908 Architectural Review:

http://books.google.com/books?id=u_lZAAAAYAAJ&lpg=PA39&ots=jZBp9cmxSi&dq=ehg%20slater%20newport&pg=PA39#v=onepage&q=slater&f=false

http://books.google.com/books?id=u_lZAAAAYAAJ&lpg=PA39&ots=jZBp9cmxSi&dq=ehg%20slater%20newport&pg=PA56#v=onepage&q=slater&f=false

It is among the most recognizable houses in Palm Beach, the Maurice Fatio-designed Italian-Romanesque-style house that faces the sea at 920 S. Ocean Blvd.

That’s because when Fatio designed it for its owners — investment banker Mortimer Schiff and his wife, Adele Neustadt Schiff — the society architect gave the 1928 house its distinctive façade that mimicked the red-and-gray horizontal-banding decoration found on some Italian buildings. Instead of marble and terracotta, however, Fatio substituted red brick and coral key stone, and the arrangement resulted in the mansion’s sandwich-inspired nickname: the “ham-and-cheese house.”

It goes by another name, too, the one with which it was christened: Casa Eleda, a moniker that just happens to be “Adele” spelled backward.

Mortimer Schiff died in 1931, and Adele a year later, so the couple didn’t get to enjoy their home for very long.

More than 80 years after it was built, the house today is owned by Charles “Chuck” Becker, who says it has served as a perfect vacation home for his family, which includes his wife, Michelle, and two children still at home — Charles 14, and Elizabeth, 8.

But the family wants to travel more, so the house is listed the house for sale with the Corcoran Group. It’s priced at $22.5 million.

Pristine condition

With 13,171 square feet of living space inside and out, the mansion has nine bedrooms, 11 bathrooms and three powder rooms. Distinctive features are much in evidence — hand-painted cypress-beamed ceilings, ornately carved stonework, five fireplaces and a 165-foot tunnel under South Ocean Boulevard that leads to the beach, to name only a few.

The Beckers are true longtime snowbirds, planning regular trips to Palm Beach from their home in Grosse Pointe, Mich.

“Before buying this house, I’d bring my boat to Admiral’s Cove in Jupiter. After I sold my business, I started looking for a house in Florida. But when we were in Jupiter, we ended up spending our time in Palm Beach, so we decided to look there,” he says.

He’d placed a couple of offers on other homes, but this one came through — and he says he is glad it did. He bought it in from owner and luxury home builder Robert Fessler, who, in turn, had purchased it from John Kent in 1991.

Before that, the mansion was owned for 10 years by James V. Sullivan, who is today serving a 2006 sentence of life without parole for his role in the murder of his wife, Lita McClinton Sullivan, killed at her suburban Atlanta home in 1987 by a hit man hired by Sullivan.

By the time that Becker bought the house, it was in pristine condition, thanks largely to Fessler’s tenure there.

“I love the house and its layout. Mr. Fessler brought the house back to its original beauty, as well as updating the plumbing and electricity.

“People always comment on the elaborate hand-painted ceilings. The rooms are large and have high ceilings, which give them a grand feeling.”

The beamed ceilings

One enters a foyer on the south side of the house by way of a distinctive front door embellished with carved stone. The foyer features a decorative painted coffered ceiling and a tile-and-coral-keystone floor. A connecting hallway, three steps up, has windows in three coral-keystone arches that offer views of the inner courtyard, pool, fountain and loggias.

To the west of the entry, the dining room features a large fireplace and a highly decorative, hand-painted pitched-and-beamed ceiling. A “breakfast porch” and a butler’s pantry connect the dining room to the kitchen, which has an area for staff dining, a staff bathroom, a pantry and laundry. In the basement below the kitchen are a game room and a temperature-controlled wine room.

To the east of the main entry is one of the home’s two main stair halls. This one has a beamed ceiling painted with geometric designs, French doors that open to the courtyard and a floor of Cuban tiles. Just beyond are two powder rooms with dressing areas as well as the doorway to the tunnel that leads to the beachfront cabana.

In the southeast corner of the house, a library is appointed with knotty-pine paneling, a fireplace and built-in bookcases. Just adjacent is the bar, which has a painted ceiling and decorative wainscoting and hand-painted tiles.

The living room can be accessed through the bar as well as through the north and south stair halls. As in the other rooms, Fatio’s love of painted beamed ceilings is in evidence, this one decorated with geometric designs. The floor is covered in wood planks, and the fireplace features a key stone mantel. On the ocean side, arched windows offer water views; and to the west, French doors — with clerestory windows above them — open to the covered dining loggia and central courtyard.

The guest suites

In the northeast corner of the house on the first floor are two guest bedroom suites and a sitting room off of the north stair hall.

Outside, running the length of the courtyard to the north, is a loggia that invites relaxation, with its bar and large fireplace.

On the second floor’s northeast corner, the master suite includes a bedroom with windows capturing water views and pairs of bathrooms and closets. There’s also a sitting room with a pitched ceiling, herringbone-patterned wood floors and a fireplace with ornate mantel.

In the opposite corner are two second-floor guest suites with fireplaces and a sitting room with a breakfast bar. A balcony connects the master-suite wing with the guest wing and is nicely positioned for sunbathing.

Back on the ground floor, the home has a gym and two offices and a three-car garage in the northwest corner. Above the garage is a staff apartment with a living room, two bedrooms and a bathroom.

User-friendly house

Although the rooms are beautiful — the Beckers worked with Smith Architectural Group on the interiors — it’s the home’s setting that they have especially enjoyed and will remember.

“This house has been a great family home and holiday house. It’s user-friendly,” Charles Becker says. “My older three daughters and five grandkids visit, and actually, one of my daughters was married here a few years ago. We had the ceremony on the ocean, and we ended up having the party in the house and courtyard. We covered the pool with a dance floor.

“We love the pool area and the loggias. We are not really sun-worshippers, but we use the pool a lot, and my wife and her friends and family walk the beach in the mornings.”

For more information about 920 S. Ocean Blvd., call listing agent Jim McCann at 307-1525.

Find this article at:

http://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/special-sections/home-loggia/on-the-market-maurice-fatio-chose-red-brick-1423494.html

 

Stephen Mooney's library, a book-lovers' visual delight

The bookcases are handsome, detailed, and although custom, were certainly affordable, he said — I want the name of his fine cabinetry maker!

I love bookshelves, and Stephen Mooney said they don't have to break your budget, either.

The room already had the nice wood floor, but Mooney added wainscotting, giving the room a traditional look, sheer drapery at the windows and good reading lights in intelligent places.

Wow, a reading lamp placed in just the right spot.

He covered the floor with a nice natural-fiber nubby-type rug, overlaid with a zebra skin.

Furnishings are simple, an unpretentious but quality antique desk and chair,

Simple, elegant and pretty

a mini-loveseat for one and comfy armchair with a variety of pillows and let’s not forget the ottoman!

Get back on those shelves, books. I want to put my feet up!

Just last week or so, I saw chairs stacked with books (on purpose), and alas, Stephen already knew about that little trick, and I love that he left the chair, as is.

A chair makes an extra spot to put an overflow of books, or are these Stephen's next reads?

Note the variety of textures, fabric mixes and silver accessories — especially that magnifying glass on the side table for reading that fine print, and is that a stuffed puppy-dog sitting in the armchair? Stephen? Did I get that wrong?

Note the magnifying glass, the variety of textures and fabrics, and the puppy.

]]> http://christineadavis.com/wordpress/palm-beach/i-want-one-of-these/feed/ 0 http://christineadavis.com/wordpress/palm-beach/take-it-up-a-notch/ http://christineadavis.com/wordpress/palm-beach/take-it-up-a-notch/#comments Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:40:20 +0000 Christine http://christineadavis.com/wordpress/?p=694 Yesterday, Palm Beach interior designer Joseph Pubillones was kind enough to allow me to take some before and after photos of one of his projects.

The question was, how can you create the most impact with a smallish budget?

Well, he told me, he had just finished such a project. His client has redone her apartment, and although it was pleasant, it was too “matchy matchy,” and she wasn’t happy with it.

Here's the definition of matchy matchy

With many windows, the unit does catch some lovely Intracoastal views. Furnishings are traditional and nice quality and the green and coral color palette are quite Florida. Pubillones, though, was asked to add some pizazz. So, he added pillows, put a huge floral arrangement on the sideboard, changed out a few accessories, placed a sculpture on the coffee table, and tilted a chair…

Make those colors pop!

He also changed out lampshades.

A taste of wine, and a new crisp, white lampshade!

Interestingly, Pubillones chose to add some pillows in a shade of wine, muting the color scheme, but adding some nice contrast at the same time.

Makes me want to take a closer look at my own home, for sure! I’d get rid of my granny collection of pillows, if I could, but i can’t…they are gifts, and what else would I do? Paint that darn table, for another thing! And would I really be able to add some plants  in those wonderful French wire antiques my mother gave me, and keep them alive? Perhaps I should try…

Jimmy Buffett sells his 1925 Palm Beach mansion at 540 S. Ocean Boulevard for $18.5 million. The priciest sale for 2010, it was not listed, sold to a Delaware company with offices in New York, Via Marina, and was appraised for $23.3 million… we wonder – are his stone parrots that top the gates to his drive included in the deal? And that little duplex that he owns on Root Trail? Renters were told the lease will not be renewed.

A UK business school is opening in Miami. Starting with 30 part-time students, it has plans to grow to 600 students over the next three years…

Green Now’s plans to build a recycling facility in Sunrise were voted down in February by commissioners who said it did not meet city code. It also was protested by residents, who cited traffic congestion, noise and pollution as reasons. Principals of Green Now have filed a lawsuit in an attempt to force the city to reconsider.

And a $6 million plan to expand the Delray Beach retreat center of Opus Dei is being opposed to residents who see that, down the road, it may well end up as a drug rehab center.

So, I see, I have not been the only one protesting.

for single-family homes, could be a good sign

Last January, the harbinger of a slow season, only one home sold in Palm Beach. It was priced for $2 million. This January, two single-family homes sold– for $3 million and $8 million – and nine homes went under contract, generating cautious optimism among local realtors and analysts, along with some misgivings.

“Some weakness still lies ahead for high-end properties, like those in Palm Beach,” said Brad Hunter, director of consulting for national housing data consulting firm, Metrostudy, South Florida Division. “That’s simply because of the poor performance for the economy in general.

“However, the rally in the stock market may provide a boost to the Palm Beach market. There are a lot of mixed indicators — some positive, some negative. But it’s encouraging that there’s a pipeline of pending sales.”

Overall, according to the National Association of Realtors and the Florida Association of Realtors, from December 2008 compared to December 2009, the number of home sales increased nationally (15 percent), for Florida (15.5 percent) and for Palm Beach County (33 percent).

For Palm Beach, on the other hand, the number of single-family home sales went down, from 104 in 2008 to 81 in 2009, according to Leslie Roberts Evans, a Palm Beach attorney who tracks and reports sales of single-family Palm Beach homes and condominiums in his Evans Report Analysis.

“The gains reported [by the Realtor associations] are due partially to the First-Time Homebuyer Credit and partially to the fact that home prices are down drastically because of foreclosures and short sales,” Evans said. “Neither of those applies to home sales in Palm Beach.

“November and December were slow in Palm Beach,” he added. “In January, there was a marked increase in activity, which will reflect an improved first quarter versus last year’s first quarter.” First quarter 2009, he reported, six homes sold in the $2 million to $6 million range.

Scott M. Gordon, an agent with Fite Shavell & Associates, represented the buyer in the first sale in January, an $8 million deal. “This January, compared to last January, it’s like night and day,” he said. “I’m showing every day. On my new listing, 14 people came through in a two-hour period.”

Gordon’s buyer, Campana PB Trust, a Southport, Conn., corporation, purchased 120 Canterbury Lane, owned by Bruce A., James M. and Robert S. Schwartz, represented by Ned Monell of Sotheby’s International Realty. The property, which closed on January 13, was listed for $9.9 million.

“A lot of people have been sitting on the sidelines,” Gordon said. “Now, they don’t think prices are going to go drastically down from here, and they see an upside in the values of properties, which are selling for a lot less even as late as September, 2008. There are a lot of good buys out there.”

January’s second sale, 146 Australian Avenue, owned and listed by Michael J. Flynn, sold on January 28 for $3 million. It was listed for $3.395 million. Michael Montgomery, an agent with Jeffrey A. Cloninger & Associates, Inc., represented the buyers, Patrick and Amber Turner.

“December and January are always slow times,” Jeffrey Cloninger said. “To have that number of sales pending is a great sign.

“We’ll have to see what happens this season, but my gut feeling is that we have hit bottom in Palm Beach. Prices have adjusted and 146 Australian is a good example of that – It was priced right and sold within 12 percent of the asking price. Buyers are pleasantly surprised at the values that are out there.”

Hunter notes that although buyers are not as adamant as they have been about getting a bargain, they are still looking for good value. “I think good value is going to be the watchword for Palm Beach for 2010.”

Jack McCabe, of McCabe Research & Consulting, LLC., is not enthusiastic. “Nine pending — one month does not a trend make,” he said.

He sees that big bonuses on Wall Street will translate to some real estate sales in Palm Beach and notes that some sellers are getting realistic. “Of course, Palm Beach has a mystique and it will always have that,” he adds.

“But this year, I’m predicting that ultra-luxury single-family homes are going to take the largest declines. We will see foreclosures on homes that are more than $750,000. They are over-leveraged and the owners have taken huge financial hits. When arms adjust and monthly payments go from $8,000 to $14,000 a month, they can’t do it and we’ll see price drops of 10 to 15 percent. What was $10 million this year will be $8 million next year.

“There have been a few foreclosures in Palm Beach, and people have been surprised. I think they will be more shocked to see how highly leveraged the property owners are.”

In addition to the foreclosures noted by Franks, RealtyTrac lists 6 more, bringing the total to 19.

“I’ve seen some foreclosures and short sales that you generally don’t see in Palm Beach,” she said. “There were foreclosures in the early 1990s and in the late 1990s when the dot-com era collapsed. There are pockets of times when you see foreclosures in Palm Beach, but generally speaking, you don’t see people having financial difficulties that would result in short sales or foreclosures in Palm Beach.”

The five properties sold include:

1. Short sale: 271 La Puerta Way was bought in April 2006 by 271 La Pueta LLC for $2.8 million. The property sold in September 2009 for $3,550,000.

2. Deed was given back: 264 Country Club Rd. was bought in October 2007 by 264 Country Club LLC for $1,650,000 and the deed was given back to Lydian Private Bank in June 2009 for $1,243,077 in lieu of foreclosure, and then sold in June 2009 for 1,180,000.

3. Auction: 269 Pendleton Avenue was bought in September 2004 for $3,100,000 and sold at auction in February 2009 for $3,550,000. (This house was owned by Thanos Papalexis, who was sentenced to life in jail in September by a British court for the murder of Charalambos Christodoulides,)

This home on Pendleton was sold at auction February 2009

4. Foreclosure: 1431 N. Ocean Way was sold in April 2009 for $900,100 to Waterfall Victoria REO LLC and then sold again in May 2009 for $1.5 million.

5. Foreclosure filed, but sold and auction canceled: 2 Via Las Incas – Richard W. and Marjorie Fuscone sold 2 Via Los Incas for $4,610,000 following a foreclosure action by Northern Trust Bank. The Fuscones bought it for $6,850,000 in January 2003. In February 2009, Northern Trust filed a judgment against the Fuscones scheduling a court-ordered auction for August 6. On July 24, the court cancelled the foreclosure auction.

In addition, homes sales, which numbered five closings in the first quarter, were off to a slow start in Palm Beach this year.

“Sales normally take place in the season, with some that go under contract at that time, closing in May, June or July,” Franks said. “But, this year, that didn’t happen. People weren’t even looking.”

The winter months are considered the height of Palm Beach’s season, when out-of-state “snowbirds” return to their Florida homes.

In the first part of 2009, “people were experiencing financial fears,” Franks said. “Financial institutions and insurance companies had problems and the government had to inject funds to keep them afloat. The stock market had a downturn and people lost money in 401Ks and IRAs. The auto industries had bankruptcy problems – some closed and some, the stocks were worthless – and the government had to intervene with funds.

“The fears were based on what they had lost and they were afraid of what else was going to happen.”

In the first quarter of 2009, 12 homes went under contract, with five closing in that time frame. By the end of the third quarter, according to Franks, there were a total of 48 single-family homes sold, and as of September 30, 427 single-family homes were listed for sale.

“We have not had a normal year since 2002 and 2003,” Franks said. “Last year, 2008, after three quarters, we had 410 homes on the market with 68 sold.”

Here are Frank’s numbers from earlier years for comparison:

2002 – 446 single-family homes were on the market with 112 sales.

2003 – 483 single-family homes on the market with 127 sales.

2004 – 449 single-family homes on the market with 188 sales.

In the first half of 2009, four single-family homes sold for less than the prior sales price, and, through September, three transactions were variations of trades. Franks also saw more financing with a purchase money mortgage.

The majority of this year’s sellers, excluding the foreclosures, were not in trouble, believes Franks. “Some people’s portfolios may have been hit. Others might be selling their second or third home. Some just wanted to move, from the Intracoastal Waterway to the ocean, for example, or downsize or upsize.”

This year’s buyers will reside in their new home, but they were looking for a good investment, Franks found. “In 2005, they were buying to flip, but that’s not who I see buying today. Buyers are looking at lower prices and not bashful in making what they consider realistic offers based on their assumption of what the current market is.

“When the buyer and the seller agree on a purchase price, that makes them the experts on the current market values.”

Franks anticipates an improvement in 4th quarter sales. “Last year, we had very weak seasonal rental activity with most people wanting one- to two-month rentals. This year, there have been many more calls in general and the people are looking for longer periods – 3 to 4 months, which is a more normal market.”

Find and buy your dream home?

You are not in your dream home. So. Should you sell your present home (and take the loss), in order to buy another home (taking advantage of today’s low prices) in a better neighborhood and better suited to your needs?

Miami Dade County Real Estate

“That’s the advice I gave my son,” said Oliver Ruiz, managing broker for Fortune International in Miami. “He wasn’t a parent when he purchased his small condo in the Brickell area. Now he has two small sons.” Although, the condo has dropped in value significantly (by $80,000), his son, Oliver A. Ruiz, can get a good deal on a single family home, now, Ruiz points out.

His son lives in an older building, which has some advantages: larger rooms and a strong association. But new condominiums are inexpensive and plentiful, have a modern flair and offer amenities. In a normal market and with a price $80,000 less than the purchase price of $267,000, his son’s unit would sell in less than 30 days, Ruiz said. “Now, it will take longer. He would have to be competitive, price it right and stay on his toes.”

Broward Real Estate

Jesse Acevedo, broker manager for ERA Ace Realty in Fort Lauderdale said, “Look around. See if a home you like in a better area is out there.”

For those with decent credit and equity, it’s a good choice to take the loss on a current home and use the money to purchase a better property, he advises. “When the market switches around, your new property will gain value a lot faster.”

Real estate has always been a long-term investment, he said. “At this point, it will take 10 years to break even. A lot of people don’t want to waste time building back equity in a house they don’t want.”

Buying a new home, while renting the old home and keeping it as an investment, is a more typical scenario, he said. But for those who want to downsize or trade up, it’s ok to sell, take the loss, and move the equity into a better home. “They will make it up on a new property. “It’s a swap. Even Stevens.”

Palm Beach County Real Estate

But, bear in mind, there’s no need to hurry, either.

Don’t make a hasty move, advises Christine Franks, owner broker of Wilshire International Realty Co. in Palm Beach.

The days of 20 percent increases a year on home values are over, she said, and once the market bottoms out, home values will go up the traditional 1 to 5 percentage points a year. “Even as prices bottom out and begin to go up again, it still will not be too late to take advantage of low home prices.

“Rushing is never good. That’s what happened in 2005,” she said. “But it’s good advice to start looking around.”

Stay informed and see what’s available. Look at the price of the home you are considering. Take into account how long the house has been on the market, the original asking price and the current asking price. “Do the legwork necessary to make an informed decision,” she advises.

A twist on the renting angle might be worth thinking about, too.

What about Oliver A.? Did he follow his father’s advice? Well, no, acknowledges the elder Oliver, and, in retrospect, he believes his son made the right decision. “My son has fine credit, but only put 20 or 30 percent down, so he’s a little under water. He will probably rent his condo and rent a house for his family for a little while, until he rebuilds some equity.”

Casa Juanita

Casa Juanita, a landmarked 1925 Spanish Mediterranean-style estate by society architect Marion Sims Wyeth, offers a true taste of the early grandeur and graciousness of Palm Beach’s resort lifestyle.

A showplace, it was built by yachtsman Sterling Postely of New York City and Oyster Bay, and his wife Jeanne, for whom their home was named.

The 8,000-square-foot estate includes spacious living and dining rooms, five fireplaces, eight bedrooms, six full and three half baths.

Entry to Casa Juanita

Textures and detailing of this home have endured beautifully. On the exterior, it boasts a cast-stone Romanesque portal and brightly colored tiled entrance passage. An interior arched doorway with a wrought-iron gate leads to a wide loggia that opens to the private courtyard, covered terrace, bubbling fountain, gardens and pool.

Gallery and Courtyard

Architectural features in the living room include an intricately detailed ceiling of Moorish pattern, massive stone mantel and French doors that offer views of the gardens. Just next to the living room, through a handsomely carved door, is an intimate library with a beamed ceiling.

Architectural features include the stenciled ceiling and stone mantel.

At the south end of the loggia is the dining room, which features mahogany shutters at the windows, a Cuban tile floor and a carved-stone fireplace.

Cuban tile floor, shuttered windows, massive stone fireplace

An enclosed circular staircase leads up to the wide second floor loggia that overlooks the courtyard and provides access to the master suite, guest rooms and staff rooms.

Cielito Lindo’s original owner, Jessie Woolworth Donahue, may have come from dime-store money, but she had lavish tastes. Her luxury home. completed in 1927, the 45,000-square-foot Cielito Lindo, was designed by Palm Beach architect Marion Sims Wyeth, and while not as large as Mar A Lago, it was palatial, with a four-story tower, 30-by-50-foot living room, six master bedrooms, 10 staff rooms above the garage, houses for the chauffeur and gardener and a tap room.

Cielito Lindo

The Mediterranean-style estate was built on a parcel of land stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Intracoastal Waterway, with orange groves, tennis courts, a tea pavilion, lily pond, boat hoses and extensive gardens.

Gardens and pool

Subdivided into five separate dwellings in 1947 when Jessie Woolworth Donahue downsized to another oceanfront estate also designed by Wyeth, her living room was demolished to make room for King’s Road and the two major wings of the main house became the largest residences on either side of the road.

The tower, on the south side, totally refurbished and on the market, is still a little bit of heaven priced at $8,750,000.

It’s a little smaller than its former self – 12,380 square feet, with five bedrooms – but it still has a jewel-like feel, an ivory façade with red tile bands, red barrel tile roof, and geometric interlaced wood details.

“Of all Wyeth’s work, this house was his largest and most impressive,” says historian Donald Curl. “It was also the most Moorish, especially the tower and the entrance way.

“Wyeth was rather proud of it. There’s no question.”

The entry to the house was originally on the south side of the tower, and on a lower floor. “As you can imagine, it was quite impressive.”

One came through gates that led to a courtyard, with a pond and fountain directly opposite the front door, Curl says.

Foyer today

“When you entered on the lower floor, there was a grand set of stairs that took you up to the foyer, which then led to the cloister,” he describes.

The cloister, delineated by a U-shaped series of columns, surrounded the main rooms of the house. “It started on both sides on the west end, and went across the living room, and partially, it provided a walkway around the house, but it also provided shelter from the western sun,” Curl says.

Now one enters the main foyer from the north side of the tower, through glass and iron doors. With stenciled ceilings, impressive columns and marble floors, it was at one time the landing of the main stairway and overlooked the living room, Curl says.

Taproom

“The entire floor on that level was the stairway, a foyer, a taproom and a library, which has been used as a living room over the years.”

The present living room, to the south of the foyer, overlooks the pool and gardens. This room used to be the stairway, Curl says. The kitchen and dining room are to the south of the foyer and living room, along with a guest bedroom suite.

Living room

Dining room

To the east of the foyer are the taproom, library, a powder room, elevator and stairwell to the tower rooms.

The hallway to the powder room features a tromp l’oeil tile mural in blue and white as well as a red tile floor with painted tile insets. The library has pecky cypress paneling and a fireplace. The taproom features a stenciled ceiling and paneled bar, tile floor, painted tile bar and patterned tile chair rail. All of these rooms open to a terrace that wraps around the rear of the house.

On next floor are two bedroom suites and on the top floor is a lookout room.

The master bedroom has French doors that offer gorgeous views. Architectural features in the bedroom include layers of molding and a fireplace. Other rooms in the suite include two bathrooms and closets, an office, a balcony terrace and a covered terrace. The second master suite opens to a terrace, as well. Also on the second floor, and accessed from another stairway are two bedrooms and a bathroom.

Crowning the tower is the lookout, which features a stenciled ceiling, tile floor with painted tile insets, a fireplace and multiple French doors that open to small balconies to the east and south and a large terrace on the west, all offering spectacular views.