AN AWARD-WINNING COMBO OF CLASSIC AND COOL

For years, custom builder Bill Silliman of Silliman Homes had been pondering how to design a home that would happily marry the classic and the cool.

The Mediterranean-style elevation would incorporate delicate details while the outdoor living areas would accommodate cooking, entertaining and relaxing in Florida’s beautiful year-round weather.

The interior, however, would reflect the stylishly contemporary vibe of a downtown high-rise. The flexible living spaces would be defined by their use at any given time. At its vibrant heart would be a state-of-the-art kitchen that would be both sleek and inviting.

Silliman knew, of course, that such an unusual home would require a very special home-site. He found it in Windermere, overlooking pristine Lake Butler, and realized that the time had come to turn his concept into a reality.

Tony Weremeichik, principal, Architecture Design Studio at Canin Associaties, took Silliman’s vision and rendered a set of plans. Christy Scanlon, president and co-owner of Masterpiece Design Group, began work on the interior design elements.

The result, Palazzo Lago was the Custom Home Award winner in the $1 million and up price range in the Home Builders Association of Metro Orlando’s 2013 Parade of Homes. It was also the parade’s Grand Award winner, which is the equivalent of “best of show.”

Did Silliman’s vision also include a shimmering trophy? You can bet on it.

The 7,628-square-foot Palazzo Lago encompasses six bedrooms, six full baths and two half-baths and a gourmet kitchen as well as a four-car garage. Inside is an everyday living room with a dining area, a formal dining room and a butler’s pantry. The formal living room includes 14-foot ceilings, six pairs of French doors and half-round windows with breathtaking views of the lake. The outdoor living areas include four covered porches including a 1,540-square-foot living space, a swimming pool with travertine decking, two spas and a fire pit.