A Windermere home feels like it’s on Italy’s Lake Como instead of Lake Tibet.
“The sellers’ dedication for authenticity really made a difference. Most of the materials were brought in from Europe and Italy, specifically from places that they loved and traveled,” said Alison Mosley, who is listing the home with Frank Mosley, both with Premier Sotheby’s International Realty’s Winter Park office. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen any property quite like this.”
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Listed for $15.9 million, the home was inspired by the works of Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio, who designed dozens of structures including the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore and Il Redentore in Venice.
According to public records reviewed by GrowthSpotter, the home’s owner is Shannon Bello, who is the co-creator of Vintage Italia Pasta Chips. She is married to Jerry Bello, who invented Veggie Straws and other snack foods.
“The house is genuine of who they are, and they really were steadfast about bringing their vision to life,” Mosley told GrowthSpotter, adding they worked with their architects and Goehring & Morgan “to bring what they love to life in such a comprehensive way.”
The home was built in 2014 and has 14,068 square feet of living space spread across several attached structures.
“When you walk the house, it feels like you’re in the middle of Italy. You know, so it’s fun and refreshing to see something different,” Mosley said, adding the Italian touches like frescoed ceilings, Venetian plaster, and hand-painted wood beams are classy and not theme-like.
“In the Windermere market, there is different architecture throughout the area, and I think where it falls off is it’s not [always] consistent throughout the house, like people get inspired by whatever they love, and it’s here and there so it doesn’t feel as seamless as this house does. This house feels like it’s in harmony.”
One of her favorite spaces is the wine cellar, which transports you across the ocean.
“When I travel to Italy, it is the intimacy of spaces, and where you’re eating and where you’re drinking a glass of wine, there’s so much beauty in it. I think [this house] really captures those feelings in that wine room really well.”
Another favorite space is a bricked area in a tower at the back of the house.
“I think it’s neat to sit up there and it’s open and to have views over to the water, which is nice.”
The theater is also a classic space.
“It’s well-detailed, but it’s timeless. It feels like an old theater in any major city that’s been there for a long time,” she said, adding it doesn’t feel kitschy and forced. “It’s just very elegant.”
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The same can be said for the library with its dark wood details and fireplace.
“It’s a very refined home.”
In addition to the public living areas, there are eight full bathrooms and seven bedrooms, including two in an apartment above the six-car garage. Even with the large size, Mosely said everything is to scale.
“I feel like the rooms are not oversized. Sometimes with the larger homes, architects don’t get that right and it feels echoey and you have a sort of a loss of comfortability and I do feel like these rooms live very comfortably.”
Part of the home’s appeal is the elevation.
“There are so many backs of houses in town that feel like the back of the house. Where this [home] is meant to be inspired by the Amalfi Coast, where views from the water look like a front of the house. It’s that pretty,” she explained, adding builders usually don’t invest equally in the looks and elevation of both the front and back.
“If you look at the back of this house, it feels like a front of the house. They both feel like front of houses. It has elements to make it equally balanced and pleasing.”
The home sits on 4.23 acres in Keene’s Pointe, with 132 feet of lake frontage and ample outdoor space between the house and the lake.
“It’s a really generous size pool, and it feels very resort-like,” she explained. The dock is large enough to handle personal watercraft and a boat but doesn’t spoil the views.
“Sometimes, the linear footage on the lake gets tight, and you’re staring out to your boathouse and not getting the lake views like you hope to have when you’re on the water. I think this gives you the best of both worlds.”
Mosley said the buyer will likely be a full-time resident and “someone who has an appreciation for Italy and Europe and is looking for something unique,” she said, adding the neighborhood also has lots of appeal with the nearby amenities like the Golden Bear Club. “The location is really great. You’ve got pretty easy access to everything.”
Have a tip about Central Florida development? Contact me at [email protected] or (407) 420-6261. Follow GrowthSpotter on Facebook and LinkedIn.
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