Favoring
the Forum
Visitors to The Forum in Fort Myers have the
opportunity to visit a succession of model homes built by Ryland Homes.
The builder, who entered the Southwest Florida market in 2003, is the
exclusive single family homebuilder in the 706-acre mixed-use community,
which is circled by commercial, retail and office enterprises. Ryland’s
402 single-family homes are located in The Promenade East and West, with
many homesites located along quiet cul-de-sac streets and bordered by
large lakes and preserves.
Residents can conceivably live, work, shop and play at The Forum, which is intersected by Six Mile Cypress Slough, sprinkled with large nature preserves and lakes, and is the future home of a YMCA and a five-acre park. The community’s master plan calls for 856,000 square feet of office space, 552 rooms of hotels, and more than 400,000 square feet of neighborhood retail and entertainment space that will fulfill the needs of future residents.
Ryland Homes, which has built more than 250,000 homes since 1967, offers some of its popular floor plans at The Forum. Its six furnished model homes feature interior design by Mary DeWalt Design Group out of Austin, Texas, and provide the opportunity to explore and experience Ryland’s three collections of homes – the Castillo, Chateau and Palazzo series – which differ by lot size, square footage, and, of course, price.
Three Castillo Series homes are shown as models – the Barcelona, Santiago and Mirador. The family room is the focal point of the three bedroom, two-bath Barcelona; all rooms radiate from this large space that flows into the adjoining kitchen and breakfast room and out sliding glass doors to a covered lanai. It lives large, offering a formal dining room and access to the lanai from the breakfast room and the master suite. Guest rooms are located in a separate wing, and one room has a large bay window. The master suite overlooks the pool and offers luxurious appointments such as dual sinks, a decorative plant shelf in the water closet and a large walk-in closet that incorporates a linen closet.
The Santiago is even larger, offering three bedrooms and two baths and a second-floor bonus room. It has a combined formal living room and dining room, a den and a family room and features decorative touches throughout, including a niche in the dining room and a shelf in the master suite’s water closet. Sliding glass doors in the family room and den open onto the covered lanai. The den is positioned next to the master suite, convenient for night owls who won’t have to traipse through the house in search of their bed.
The two-story Mirador, the largest home in this series, has four bedrooms and two and one-half baths. A traditionally designed floor plan places all bedrooms on the second floor, including the master suite, where it rightfully occupies almost half of the space and has a decorative tray ceiling. There’s also a second-floor bonus room above the three-car garage and what amounts to pure stroke of genius – a second-floor utility room. The den, formal living and dining rooms, kitchen and family room are on the ground level and present a bright disposition with walls the color of sunshine, subtle tropical accents, dark woods and touches of greens and brighter yellows. A desk finds a perfect spot between family room and kitchen, which has stainless steel appliances, a walk-in pantry and mullion-glass doors.
A graceful arched entry supported by columns accents the 4 architecture of the Marseilles, a Chateau Series model offering three bedrooms, two full baths and a half bath. Inside, the open floor plan unfolds from the foyer peering into many of the home’s main rooms – the dining room off to the side, the family room ahead and the kitchen and breakfast room. The view also continues out the family room’s sliding glass doors to the covered lanai and pool. The den enjoys a quiet spot off of the foyer and gazes out to the front gardens. The master suite is also secluded, and true to the Chateau name offers his-and-her sinks divided by a dressing table, a separate garden tub and shower, and an extra-large walk-in closet. Sliding glass doors lead out to the lanai. Tray ceilings add drama to the dining room and master suite. Each of the guest suites has a walk-in closet.
Luxury is stressed in the two models of the Palazzo Series, translated into larger floor plans, tray ceilings, niches and gourmet kitchens with center islands and walk-in pantries. The Palermo has four bedrooms, three baths, a living room, dining room and den. Decorative touches include a niche in the foyer, a tray ceiling above the master suite and living room and columns throughout. The master suite provides the ultimate in convenience, with private direct access to the den and the single-car garage. On the opposite end of the suite, it opens to a private corner of the lanai.
Many of the rooms on the ground floor of the two-story Costa Verde flow out to two lanais – through sliding glass doors, including pocketing doors that occupy an entire wall of the family room. The five-bedroom, three-bath model has a bonus room off of the family room and a second lanai, the site of the summer kitchen. Most first-floor rooms boast 10-foot ceilings accented with trays and crown moulding. The family room gets added “oomph” with a nine-section tray ceiling. The master suite, located on the ground floor, gets the luxury treatment, offering a large sitting area and his-and-her walk-in closets and a well-appointed bath with dual vanities, a soaking tub and separate shower. A second bonus room upstairs functions as a second family room and has a media niche.
The Forum is located on the northeast corner of the Colonial Boulevard and Interstate 75 intersection, placing it close to shopping, the international airport and the amenities of a growing Fort Myers area.
For more information, contact:
Ryland Homes
6831 Palisades Park Court, Suite 6,
Ft. Myers, FL 33912
239 768-8700
Written by Nanci Theoret
Photography Courtesy of Ryland Homes
