The Ritz Cracker

What do you call a home that combines leading-edge luxury with a distinctly Old Florida ambience? According to builder Rick Dye, "Ritz Cracker" pretty well sums it up. So that's the whimsical name attached to the 2004 New Southern Home, a traditionally styled charmer overlooking Lake Conway in south Orlando.

The New Southern Home is a highlight of the 2004 Southeast Building Conference, the region's largest construction industry trade show, held Aug. 5-7 at the Orlando" target="_blank">Orange County Convention Center. The home will be open to the public Aug. 11-29.

"The name 'Ritz Cracker' signifies an upscale, Florida Cracker-style home," says Dye, president and chief executive officer of The Dye Companies. "It has the latest and most innovative must-have products available."

Without question, the New Southern Home is the creation of a dream team that knows something about Florida lifestyles.

Dye's homebuilding subsidiary, Bel-Aire Homes, is celebrating its 40th year in Orlando. Architect Don Evans, founder and president of the Evans Group, and interior designer Betsy Godfrey, founder and president of Godfrey Design Consultants, have each spent at least three decades in the local market.

The New Southern Home is always a draw because it showcases the latest in interior design, energy efficiency and construction techniques. Industry professionals get a tutorial on trends while consumers get a sneak peek at all the latest high-tech bells and whistles.

Plus, it's all for a good cause. This year, proceeds from public tours of the New Southern Home will benefit the House of Hope, a residential treatment facility that helps children from the ages of 12 to 17 whose lives have been impacted by abuse, drugs and crime.

As for the Ritz Cracker-let's just say that early Florida pioneers never had it quite this easy. The 10,000-square-foot, seven-bedroom, seven-and-a-half-bathroom home features a pool, boathouse, game room, summer kitchen and his-and-hers double garages. Expansive rear porches overlook 1,700-acre Lake Conway.

"There are more new things in this home than in any custom home I've ever seen," notes Dye.

And that's saying something, since Dye also built a much-publicized New Southern Home last year in Reunion Resort & Club. That home, the Royal Troon, featured traditional architecture-again by The Evans Group-and such amenities as an "oasis room," which extended onto a covered balcony overlooking a golf course.

This year, Dye was particularly intrigued by the possibilities inherent in the homesite he discovered-a wooded, two-acre parcel on the water. "To find a site like that is difficult, almost impossible," says Dye, who razed an existing home to make room for the Ritz Cracker.

Visitors are certain to be wowed by the results. Upon entering the home, the most instantly noticeable feature is a "bridge" over the foyer connecting the east and west wings. Four skylights in the 35-foot-high ceiling allow natural light to flood the foyer and the parlor just beyond.

Outside the west wing's billiard room is a lakefront summer kitchen boasting a woodburning fireplace as well as top-of-the-line appliances. The island kitchen is also in the west wing, as is the dining area, a gathering room and a guest suite off the garage.

The expansive master suite, located in the east wing, opens onto a poolside lanai. Also in the east wing is a separate Internet alcove ideal for use as a home office or as a retreat for easily distractible kids who need to finish their homework.

Upstairs are guest suites, an exercise room and a "children's oasis room" with a built-in theater stage. "My six kids love to put on shows and stuff," says Dye. "They'd love a room like this. In fact, this house is really designed for a big family."

A large second-floor porch, accessible from two guest suits and the children's oasis room, overlooks the pool and offers stunning lake views.

The Ritz Cracker is impeccably detailed. Ceilings, both inside and out, are made of Florida cypress while wood interior doors are crafted in South Africa and detailed in Spain. Flooring combines areas of natural stone and plush carpet while custom molding and stylized cabinetry add drama in the kitchen.

Equally impressive are the details you don't see. The home is constructed with a poured, pre-cast concrete wall system that protects against winds of more than 150 miles per hour. The wiring accommodates state-of-the-art technology while the mechanical systems, such as air conditioning and water systems, are state-of-the-art.

In addition, the home meets or exceeds the American Lung Association's Healthy Home Standards and is certified by the U.S. Department of Energy's Building American Program and the EPA's Energy Star as a durable, resource-efficient home that promotes healthy indoor air quality. The Florida Green Building Coalition has also certified the home as economically and environmentally efficient.

In fact, Dye likes the Ritz Cracker so well that he and his brood may move in. If he decides to sell, however, the price tag will be somewhere in the $3 million range.

FACT SHEET

What: The 2004 New Southern Home

Where: 4626 Conway Gardens Road, Orlando

When: Open to the public Aug. 11-29, Wednesday-Sunday, from 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Admission: Minimum $5 donation

Builder: Rick Dye, The Dye Companies/Bel-Aire Homes

Architects: Don Evans, AIA, The Evans Group; James LaPiana, The Evans Group

Interior Designers: Betsy Godfrey, Godfrey Design Consultants; Lauri Godfrey, Godfrey Design Consultants

Sponsor: The Southeast Building Conference and the Florida Home Builders Association

Beneficiary: The House of Hope