The Killara III:
A Taste of Old Florida

   An Old Florida setting, a dash of Key West style and the exquisite attention to detail for which John Cannon Homes has become known – mix it all together, and you’ll find the award winning Killara III. Garnering five top honors in the 2005 Parade of Homes, included Best Overall in its category, this exceptional home achieves an exceptional balance between refinement and ease.  
   The distinctive Florida style of this 3,360-square-foot home is a perfect fit for the 1,400-acre River Wilderness, a private country community nestled along the scenic Manatee River. This gated neighborhood features a top-40 championship golf course, 27,000-square-foot clubhouse complex, racquet and fitness club as well as direct boating access to the Gulf of Mexico.
   The Killara III evokes the sun-struck architecture of the Caribbean with its hip roofs, square columns and cantilevered shutters. A bank of tall, transom windows and a white-railed front porch invite visitors through the home’s French doors, where an inlaid travertine and marble floor defines the foyer.
   Handsomely trimmed pilasters flank the foyer, framing the view into the spacious living room and its wall of glass overlooking the covered lanai. Throughout the home, exceptional architectural features can be found, such as the elegantly arched recess in the living room, with its subtle lighting, and the stepped ceiling, with its broad white apron. Indeed, the Killara III earned top Parade of Homes honors in its class for architectural detail.
   In the adjoining dining room, a crisp white, elaborately trimmed built-in offers intriguing space for display and storage. Mirrored walls behind lend a glamorous touch to this room. A double-stepped ceiling is painted a creamy peach and trimmed in white. This refined ceiling treatment, along with the pair of exceptionally tall windows, draw the eye upward, giving the space a cool and airy feel.
   From the living room, double doors lead to a den with tailored, built-in bookcases and boxed, cornice frame, floor-to-ceiling windows.
   Throughout the Killara III’s living areas, bamboo floors offer the ideal tropical elegance – at once casual and exotic. These floors flow with the home’s open plan,
sweeping into the heart of the home, the family room and kitchen. Banquette seating is surrounded by mitered aquarium glass in the casual dining area overlooking the pool and the lanai.
   In the gourmet kitchen, also a Parade of Homes winner in its category, polished black granite tops antique-glazed cabinetry embellished with roped columns, bun feet and carved flourishes. A mosaic of dove-gray tile graces the backsplash adding to the Old World ambiance of this inviting space. Top-of-the-line appliances make this an Old World kitchen with state-of-the-art functionality.
   With plenty of room for casual communication, a raised bar separates the open kitchen from its adjoining family room. A wall-to-wall, built-in entertainment center is in the same antique-patina cabinetry of the kitchen and features room for a large-screen TV, along with elegant display space and lots of storage. Tucked into an alcove, a matching bar is ideally situated for entertaining.
   Two walls in this spacious family room offer disappearing corner sliders for an indoor space that flows seamlessly to this home’s equally refined outdoor living environs. A covered verandah features a fully equipped summer kitchen with warm pine cabinets, tile counters and a bank of plantation-shuttered windows. Gracious cast columns and arched soffits separate the verandah from the curving pool and spa.
   Also overlooking the verandah, and just off the kitchen, a bonus room creates the perfect space for a game room, a hobby center or home office.
   The home’s two guest bedrooms offer more than just a place to sleep. In one, a bay window creates space for cozy seating, and the second bedroom features a built-in window seat, perfect for daydreaming.
   Little touches, like the tidy open niches just inside the garage door offering handy (and neat) storage for coats, backpacks and muddy boots, and the nearby planning desk make the Killara III a thoughtful plan for active families.
   And when it comes time for seclusion and pampering relaxation, this home doesn’t disappoint. An octagonal tray ceiling defines the gracious space that is the master bedroom. A huge bay of windows at one end gives views of the pool and provides ample room for casual
seating and lounging. His and her dual closets also offer more than ample space.
   The master bath has a fairytale feel, with a turret window encircling the jetted garden tub. The same antique-glazed cabinets of the kitchen are repeated in this refined space. An oversized shower is framed in glass, and creamy tiled floors, granite counters and undermount sinks complete the spa-like ambiance of this private retreat.
   From its casually sophisticated exteriors to its luxuriously appointed, flowing interiors, the Killara III is the essence of Old Florida elegance.

Courtesy of John Cannon Homes
941 924-5935
www.johncannonhomes.com

Written by Kelly McCall Branson

Photography by Gene Pollux Photography