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Van Wezel Estate

VAN WEZEL ESTATE

Summer 2023 | Lido Key, FL

DURATION
Ryan Gamma
SIZE
3,880 sq ft
ARCHITECT
Cooper Johnson Smith Peterson Architects
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
Michael A. Gilkey, Inc.
RECOGNITION
SRQ Home of the Year, 2025
Sarasota County Heritage Award, 2025
Aurora Awards, 2024 and 2021
Best in American Living, 2023
SCOPE
Historic Restoration
STYLE
primary
INTERIOR DESIGNER
HSH Collective
Aerial view of the Van Wezel Estate's red barrel-tile roofs, palms and gardens on Lido Key

When the historic estate of one of Sarasota’s most iconic families is renovated, the job is simple to state and hard to do: restore the home to its heyday while taking full advantage of today’s materials and technology. Working with Cooper Johnson Smith Peterson Architects and HSH Collective, Ross Built brought the Van Wezel Estate back to life inside and out.

The Mediterranean Revival character was preserved and refined: white stucco, barrel-tile roofs, arched openings, and a courtyard framed by royal palms. Inside, richly stained beamed ceilings, brass chandeliers, terracotta and patterned tile floors, a navy-blue bar, and marble baths honor the original spirit of the house, while everything behind the walls is new.

The exterior experience was restored with the same care: gardens, pool, and outdoor rooms rebuilt so the estate lives as gracefully today as it did in its heyday.

Recognition: SRQ Home of the Year 2025, Silver (Landscape, Pool and Outdoors). Sarasota County Heritage Awards 2025, Historic Preservation and Adaptive Use Award. Aurora Awards 2024, Grand (Renovated or Restored House, Kitchen Design) and Silver (Interior Detailing). Best in American Living Awards 2023, Platinum (Historic Preservation and Restoration, Kitchen). Aurora Awards 2021, Silver (On-the-Boards).

Pool terrace and lounge chairs at sunset, looking out to the bay

“They didn’t just renovate the home; they brought it back to life in a way that makes it look and feel exactly as it did a hundred years ago.”

Barrel-tile roofs and white stucco of the estate behind palms at dusk
Courtyard entry with a cupola and a garden path
Garden courtyard leading to an open loggia with a barrel-tile roof
Great room with a stained beamed ceiling, brass chandelier and fireplace
Living room under a vaulted wood ceiling with a ring chandelier
Sitting area with paired armchairs under a beamed wood ceiling
Dining room with a brass chandelier and terracotta tile floor
Navy bar with glass-front cabinets and brass stools
Navy bar and wood-paneled lounge with a pendant light
Kitchen with a butcher-block island and plaster range hood
Kitchen islands with wood tops and a blue range under a plaster hood
Kitchen island with a brass faucet and herbs, blue range beyond
Kitchen seen across the island toward the windows
Dining table and kitchen island under a painted wood ceiling
Kitchen and dining area opening to the patio through wood doors
Kitchen and breakfast room with terracotta floors and wrought-iron chandeliers
Breakfast nook with a window seat and patterned cabinet doors
Breakfast room with a chandelier and a green painted ceiling
Bedroom with a navy upholstered bed seen through wood French doors
Arched pass-through with a wood counter between kitchen and dining
Butler's pantry with a wine fridge and runner rug
Bedroom with a navy headboard, round mirror and ceiling fan
Bedroom opening through wood doors to a covered patio
Bedroom with a wood door, round mirror and terracotta floor
Guest bedroom with a navy headboard and bench
Bedroom niche with a wood dresser and round mirror
Freestanding tub under a blue patterned tile wall and gold chandelier
Bath with a navy vanity, stone walls and an arched mirror
Window seat nook with wood shutters and a painted ceiling
Bath vanity in wood with an arched mirror and patterned tile floor
Shower with green glazed tile and a patterned floor
Bedroom with a Dutch door and a vintage rug
Bedroom with French doors to the courtyard
Bedroom with a beamed ceiling, ceiling fan and Dutch door
Wood double vanity with brass mirrors and marble counters
Marble bath with a wood vanity and arched shower
Arched marble shower with brass fixtures
Bedroom with a black four-poster bed under a beamed ceiling
Four-poster bed beside a window with a woven basket
Covered loggia dining table with an outdoor kitchen and garden view
Marble shower and an antique wood vanity with a brass mirror
Powder room with blue scallop tile and a shell sink
Loggia dining table framed by wood French doors and lanterns
Outdoor kitchen and dining table under a beamed loggia ceiling
Outdoor pizza oven under an arched opening on the loggia
Covered porch seating overlooking the lawn and bay
Pool and lounge chairs along the white stucco wings of the estate
Pool and covered loggia under a sunset sky
Pool terrace and lounge chairs at sunset, looking out to the bay
Pool reflecting a sunset sky, with palms and umbrellas at the water's edge
Garden path and fire pit on the lawn of the Van Wezel Estate
Lit dock leading to the estate and its palms at dusk
Van Wezel Estate from the water at dusk, with the dock and pool

Have a historic home worth restoring?

Restoration takes patience and the right trades. Walk the house with us and we’ll tell you what it will take.

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