February 2017 | 49
A Diamond
Destination
story by
Liesel Schmidt
|
photos by
Angeline Ross and Deanna Hebert
T
o call the nearly 9,000 square
foot home that has been fi ttingly
crowned with the name Destin
Jewel “breathtaking” would be
nothing short of an understatement. True,
it claims 100 feet of private beach frontage
that offers million dollar views of the Gulf of
Mexico; but no thousandth of a millimeter
of space in this massive home has not been
fi nished to the highest degree of luxury, no
detail overlooked in its undeniably opulent
and magnifi cent design. It is easily a home
that could stand up well to those found in the
Hollywood Hills or on South Beach, in those
enclave communities so grand in their estates
that price tags command numbers well into
the six-fi gure mark. But for Julie and David
Schnieder, Destin was the perfect place to
build their manse; and now they’re polishing
up this jewel to sparkle unlike anything else
that can be found along the Gulf Coast.
Since its completion in 2016, the home
has been used as a rental property, the
perfect space to hold an event that truly
demands attention. On its three levels
of living space, there are multiple master
suites and additional bedrooms, offering
accommodations fi t for a king (or queen)
along with an entire royal court. In such a
home as this, it stands to reason that each
master suite be given a name to fi t the
theme; and so the Schneiders used priceless
gemstones as an inspiration, from diamonds
to rubies and sapphires to citrines and
amethysts. To further refi ne their vision,
each master suite claims its own unique
fl ooring, the epoxied surfaces of the concrete
fi nished to a shine that shows off the richly
hued colors of these stones at their most
fl awless level. “The house truly is the newest
jewel on the coast, and we really wanted to
highlight that fact in every way possible. It’s
one-of-a-kind, just like each gem stone,”
says Julie, who has spent more than three
decades in the luxury development and
design industry.
Her experience undeniably shines through,
refl ected in every facet of this priceless
property. Aside from those stunningly
colored fl oors, the house is a study in white,
with curved white walls and surfaces from
top to bottom that are pristine in their pure
whiteness, neatly balancing sleek modernity
with almost unspeakable luxury in a way
that still allows a sense of comfort. It’s a
triple-threat, to be sure; and for that reason
alone it demands respect. But to stop there
would do it a disservice, as the home stakes
a claim to a piece of paradise, affording it
panoramic views that are without parallel.
Every curved wall, every window and
balcony, every square inch of every square
foot has been plotted and planned down to
the fi nest detail to showcase the very feature
that makes Destin Jewel worth setting in
platinum: “Our vision here was to maximize
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