Light scatters through a leafy canopy that is woven from live oaks, laurel oaks, mango and palm trees and onto a seashell-and-gravel path off of Tropical Trail. Nestled along this Merritt Island road lies a 3.41-acre lot that contains a 3,700-square-foot sanctuary framed by a maze of trees and greenery; the Banana River lies on one side and the Indian River on the other.
In 2001, when custom home builder David Charroux built the house, and award-winning Palm Beach architect Raphael Saladrigas set to work decorating, their aim was to complement its rich natural setting without daring to compete with it.
The home’s covered porch and large lanai, as well as its balcony off of the master bedroom, invite people to live their lives outside. But if you must go inside, the breathtaking Florida landscape is never out of sight or mind, with every room in the house offering views of the water. Surfaces and mediums like granite countertops, sapele mahogany paneling, maple cabinetry, bamboo floors and vaulted wooden ceilings call to mind the warmth and beauty of a West Indies paradise.
Like the land it was built on, this house will serve as a home for generations to come. As it changes hands, its owners are faced with two questions: ‘How do you show a house like this, which is just as much a work of art as it is a home?’ and, ‘How do you make sure its integrity and warmth are preserved?’
Melbourne-based real estate agency Ellingson Properties has been perfecting the answer to those questions since 2007. The Tropical Trail property, while one of a kind, is in good company in the firm’s portfolio. At their 15,000-square-foot Space Coast Business Realty Center, Ellingson Properties’ real estate agents and partners, Echelon Title Services and Echelon Builders, make up a trifecta that boasts decorators, mortgage lenders and real estate legal services all in one location.
According to Ellingson, remarkable properties require remarkable service, and streamlining the process of residential and commercial transactions — including property management and renovations — is made easier with the agency’s model.
In an interview with SpaceCoast Business, Ellingson Properties’ founder Greg Ellingson shared, “Our rallying cry is, ‘Exceptional service yields exceptional results!’” The agency’s “white glove experience” for clients means leveraging the world-class knowledge of partners who can readily provide assistance with anything, from financing and insurance questions, to renovation and redecoration advice.
Ellingson’s forward-thinking technology and marketing services include high-definition 3D virtual tours and even drone footage of the agency’s listings, as well as a thorough overview of every home for sale, including floor plans and homeowners association information.
Homes like the one at South Tropical Trail showcase the best of the Space Coast’s beauty, talent and lifestyle. Most important for Ellingson, though, is helping the perfect owners find it — to have breakfast on the porch each morning, kayak the rivers in the summers, and race down the stairs on sunny and warm Florida Christmas mornings in moments that will become irreplaceable memories for generations to come. Ellingson Properties has become a home for the exceptional, helping to create homes where memories are made.
