particularly when home for the week happens to be a lovely Florida-style house with a private pool, located just a few blocks from the Gulf of Mexico in Naples. While I love the cottage-charm of our 1960's rambler back in Ohio, what great fun it is to temporarily inhabit a house that is totally different in style, and one with many spectacular features that our own home completely lacks.
Months back, in planning our annual beach vacation, we decided to splurge this year and began looking for a house to rent, in order to get the space and privacy not provided by a hotel room or small condo. We found a large Mediterranean-style home online that was in a great location near the beach, and which looked good in the website photos. Even better, we were amazed to discover that renting the house for a week would cost just slightly more than staying at any hotel nearby. We quickly made the rental arrangements and then crossed our fingers that the house would not disappoint.
Upon arriving a few days ago, we were delighted to find that the house was all that we had hoped for, and then some. It has great curb appeal, with a coral-colored stucco exterior, tile roof and tropical landscaping. Out back, there is a totally private fenced yard, complete with a heated pool and screened-in lanai.
The interior space is equally fantastic. The open floor plan is light, bright and airy with soaring ceilings, lots of windows, arched doorways, and tile floors. The decor is perfect for the home's Florida location, done up simply in shades of white, cream and sand, with an occasional splash of color thrown in to liven up the neutral tones. The fully equipped, spacious white kitchen with its huge island is a joy to cook in, and the painted wood furniture and large leather couches in the dining and living areas are equally stylish and comfortable. Three big bedrooms, a den and two like-new full baths give the two of us way more space than we possibly need, but it sure is nice to have, and it definitely beats camping in cramped quarters at a hotel for a week.
So while it's true that home ultimately is where the heart is, and for me that is back in Ohio on Bunker Drive in our semi-rehabbed ranch, it is nonetheless wonderful to experience the laid-back Florida lifestyle in this great house that we're lucky enough to call home for a week. Having said that, I do believe it's time to walk three steps to the pool, where my chaise lounge awaits.
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