November 2018   |   XX 

“We moved to Destin in 1995, when 

the original owners had just finished 

construction of the home,” recalls Sylvia, 

a former nurse who currently spends 

much of her time pursuing a degree in a 

Public Health Specialists and passionately 

promoting vaccine safety awareness and 

research. “It’s an impressive home, and 

we always admired its large columns 

and architecture—kind of Southern 

plantation-style home with European 

influence.” And 23 years later when 

the Williamses toured the home after it 

spent years on the market, the couple 

finally had the chance to make it their 

own—though most of those unique 

touches that, perhaps, made it unsellable 

in some regards, so specific a buyer did 

they require—signing the papers to take 

possession of a gem that they knew just 

how to polish.

The bulk of it was already there—

sprawling gardens with statues from 

the Palace of Versailles, huge urns at 

the massive front gates used in the ’92 

Barcelona Olympics and believed to be 

from the 1800’s, lampposts surrounding 

the property that once illuminated the 

streets of Italy. But the aforementioned 

mural that graces the foyer ceiling is a 

new addition executed by the talented 

brushstrokes of faux artist Myra 

Langhram, as is the marbleized look of the 

once-white columns in the living room. 

Even so, their existence seems natural, so 

seamlessly do they marry with the rest of 

the details that comprise the home, each 

with their long history and impressive 

pedigrees boasting lineage from Italy, 

Spain, and France, countries travelled 

often by the home’s original owners, who 

shipped their fantastic finds home and 

seemingly built the estate around them. 

The task at hand for the Williamses 

when they took over ownership was to 

update the things that needed updating 

without compromising the integrity of 

the home, each task completed under the 

watchful eye of Joel, whose experience 

in development has given him a great 

deal of expertise in renovations. “Joel is 

a perfectionist and is extremely detail-

oriented in all of his development 

projects,” Sylvia notes. And so they set 

about their work, ripping out carpets, 

removing wallpaper, overhauling the 

kitchen and the guest suite above the 

garage. Naturally, the marble in the 

kitchen, living room, dining room, 

39-43 DestinQuarters.indd   3

3/5/19   7:33 PM