A spectacular home in The Lake Club defines the ultimate in Florida living

There’s an undeniable thrill to touring the home of a prominent local builder. After all, he knows how to get the best of everything. The premium location. The perfect floorplan. The crucial bells and whistles. The best craftsmanship. And when all the details are perfectly blended, the results can be spectacular.

Take the home of Derek and Kelly Nelson in The Lake Club. Derek was, until recently, owner and president of the local division of Arthur Rutenberg, a company famous for decades for its sophisticated designs and quality products. The Nelson home was built in 2019 and contains all the lessons Derek has learned during his 36-year career.

“Location is critical,” Derek says. For a luxury home, this means, “Do you want to be on a lake or a preserve?” The Nelsons chose a lake. Their home overlooks a particularly long view across water, with virtually all the interior spaces connected to the outdoors. But there’s a twist. Directly across the street is a mini-preserve, offering a rare, two-sided connection to nature that enhances the home’s tranquil setting.

Size is also an important factor. “You will find when you move to Florida you will have more frequent guests,” Derek states, a fact he knows first-hand, for Kelly has nine siblings. “A larger home is always better.” The Nelson home comes in at 5,292 square feet. Another tip: “You can never have too much garage space. After all, in Florida you won’t have a basement for storage.”

The Nelson home is a custom design. The couple worked with the Arthur Rutenberg corporate architect to come up with a unique plan for their family and lifestyle that includes four bedrooms and five-and-a-half baths. The style of the home might be described as “Caribbean coastal,” with a traditional underpinning that gives it a timeless look. The first impression is imposing: you enter the motor court through a motorized privacy gate, just one of the many security features built into the home.

The interior of the home is lofty and elegant, with high ceilings throughout. It’s designed around a perfectly proportioned grid system of verticals and horizontals. The result is a calm and peaceful environment.

Image courtesy of Shanahan Luxury Group

The main living area has an open plan, featuring a spacious seating area with a fireplace; adjacent to it is the kitchen, outfitted with professional-grade appliances by Wolf and Sub-Zero. The design is centered by an impressive stainless steel stove hood and features various unique details — check out the hidden pantry. There are two main dining areas, an informal one at the center island and a larger, more formal one a few steps away.

Derek credits wife, Kelly, for the home’s understated elegance. “She has a keen eye for decorating and had worked on some of our showcase homes,” Derek states. Kelly journeyed to High Point, North Carolina, to select the furnishings. The result is a simple, modern look, with neutral colors, beiges and cremes, which are contrasted with blue accents — complementing the blue of the lake visible through the windows, along with strategic doses of wood to warm the atmosphere.

The most unusual of the interior spaces is the unique club room. Designed as a deluxe mancave, it features a full-scale bar and several mounted TV’s. “This is where I display some of my favorite sports memorabilia,” Derek says, “along with some signed baseballs from players I have built homes for.” There’s even a coffee table shaped like a football and another table perfect for snacking — or a poker game.

Image courtesy of Shanahan Luxury Group

But the adult atmosphere of the club room is an anomaly in what is overwhelmingly a family home. “Kelly and I have a blended family of four kids,” Derek says. Their children live all over the country but come to visit often, along with a slew of grandkids. “We have many visitors from up north. We’re entertaining family and friends throughout the year.” That’s where the outdoor living area comes into play.

“The outdoor space becomes an important part of your Florida living,” says Derek. “Customize it to meet your needs.” 

The Nelsons did just that. Their backyard feels like a private resort, complete with a pool and swim-up bar, fountains and dramatic fire features that come alive after dark. A state-of-the-art outdoor kitchen anchors the space, while sliding doors open the great room and dining area to the pool, blurring the line between indoors and out. It’s ideal for family time — and made for a crowd. The Nelsons have hosted company Christmas parties here, with live music and more than 60 guests.

Image courtesy of Shanahan Luxury Group

But the home’s private spaces are also noteworthy. Each of the guest suites features its own bath — each with exquisite custom tile work — and the primary suite is Zen-like in its elegant simplicity. To add to the spa-like ambiance there’s an outdoor courtyard with shower and full breakfast bar.

Derek grew up in Sarasota and has spent his entire career here. Now he and Kelly look forward to some travel and spending more time at their other home in Sedona, Arizona. 

“I’ve enjoyed my work here immensely,” he says. “I love taking a piece of land and building a home for a family that allows them to create a lifetime of memories.” But his masterpiece will remain the home he and Kelly built for their own brood, the special place where vision, craftsmanship and the pursuit of perfection all comes together in a spectacular way.