Old Florida Meets New in This Emerald Coast Equestrian Estate

This 10-acre estate a few miles from the sugar-white beaches of Florida’s Emerald Coast offers a classic old-style Florida cottage along with a new horse barn and a full range of equestrian facilities.

“It’s the only equestrian estate in south Walton County,” said listing agent Jonathan Spears, of the Spears Group at Compass. “To have 10 acres so close to the beaches is a rarity.”

“You’re just a few miles from the beach,” he said. “It’s a five- to seven-minute drive.”

The owners bought a rather run-down farm during the pandemic and then set about redoing the house and barn, he said. “There was a structure there. They built a new barn around the old one.”

The main living space is an open-plan living room with a fireplace and a piano along with a dining area and an open kitchen.

Other architectural and design details include a new metal roof and Hardie siding, shiplap cathedral ceilings, designer light fixtures and engineered wide-plank hardwood floors.

The kitchen features upscale white appliances and cabinetry with gold hardware, quartz countertops, a custom vented hood, open shelving, a large island with seating and a breakfast banquette. 

“They created a coastal contemporary farmhouse,” Mr. Spears said of the home, which went into contract shortly after listing last month. “It was always kind of a diamond. It had good bones.”

“They went in and made it cute,” he continued. “It was certainly not the welcoming cottage it is now. They made it very, very desirable.”

The primary bedroom suite has a walk-in closet and a bathroom with a double vanity, a claw-foot soaking tub and a spa shower. A former attached garage is now a bunk room for the owners’ young children.

Many buyers in this area of Florida are from Southern cities that have good equestrian facilities, Mr. Spears said. “When people are down here at their vacation homes, they want a place to ride, and there is not really a facility to cater to that demand. They have ample room to board horses there.” 

The 6,500-square-foot barn offers 21 European-style stalls, pavers, an automatic watering system and a tack room, and there are also six paddocks, a riding arena and a new round pen.

The property offers “tons of privacy,” Mr. Spears said. “You’ve got almost half a football field between this house and the main road.” 

Source: Mansion Global