The Key Largo continues a family legacy
Along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, Lifestyle Homes is building a new neighborhood in Aripeka. The community is designed to celebrate and preserve the area’s native landscape while delivering on the best aspects of modern home design. The builders celebrate the efforts and collaboration of their in-house team to create the model home, The Key Largo.
A Family Affair
Lifestyle Homes was founded in 1984, by two former school teachers John Luhn and Larry Hufford. Their first project, Challenger, a 1,360 square-foot model home in Palm Bay, Florida was said at the time to be too large for the market. Despite these odds, LifeStyle Homes recently celebrated 40 years of building. In early 2011, they were featured on ABC’s “EXTREME MAKEOVER: Home Edition.” Now, Lifestyle Homes is run and owned by the founders’ children, Jordan Luhn, the CEO and Karen Kicinski, the Marketing Director.
In-House Collaboration
The model home for Key Largo at Aripeka was completed September 2024. “It is the result of in-house collaboration between the design, drafting and construction teams, ” said Karen Kicinski, Marketing Director of Lifestyle Homes. “From concept to completion, every detail was thoughtfully crafted through close teamwork to bring this modern home to life.” Even the interiors were curated by their in-house interior design team allowing for all finish selections, materials, furnishings and soft goods to ensure a cohesive executed final product. An in-house design team allows for consistent communication and the maximization of personalizable options for clients. At Aripeka, eight customizable home plans are available with up to five-bedrooms and four-bathrooms. The model home, The Key Largo contains four-bedrooms, with a study/ bonus room, four-bathrooms and a three-car-garage over 5,358 square ft.
Balancing Resilience with Efficiency
Florida is a hurricane-prone area, the homes in Aripeka are equipped to stay strong throughout storms. They are built on stemwalls when necessary and have impact-rated PGT windows and sliding-glass doors, as well as superior roofing systems. The build does not sacrifice quality nor efficient energy or air quality aspects. A tankless Rinnai hot water heater, high-performance Goodman Daiken HVAC and pressure-tested certified-tight air ducts contribute to the energy efficiency. The integration of deluxe EnergyStar®-certified Dacor appliances and high-ambiance LED lighting contributes to efficiency as well. The home is RESNET-tested and certified to achieve a HERS Index score lower than 60.
The interior wall insulations are Double-furred, R-7.1, featuring R-24 open-cell spray foam, ZIP System Exterior Sheathing with leak and pest control in mind when sealing of all wall and ceiling penetrations. A smart home automation system features a Wi-Fi-enabled thermostat. Especially important in the Florida climate, humidity-sensing fans are present in all bathrooms and laundry rooms.
A Modern Marvel
The build team described the greatest challenge in designing this home was achieving a modern, grand aesthetic while honoring the community’s strict guidelines to preserve the home site’s natural landscape and vegetation as much as possible. Despite this, the home immediately exudes clean and contemporary craftsmanship. Looking at the entrance, the siding plays off the protected live oaks, palms and pines on each homesite. The clean lines extend to the stylish three-lite pivot front door with clear impact glass by Handcrafted Iron Doors.
In the living area, a three-sided fireplace by Napoleon Clearion Elite features see-through glass. While a beautiful feature, it is also designed to act as a room divider between the living and dining rooms. The surround is finished with a three-sided waterfall of Cambria Quartz Luxury Berkshire Brass.
In the kitchen, the pop of color island is topped with Cambria quartz in Luxury Ivybridge. The hidden pantry is fitted with custom cabinetry by Bad Wood stained in the color woodsmoke with Cambria Quartz Luxury Berkshire Brass countertop. The rear lanai features a pool, summer kitchen and turf putting green.
The Key Largo is a testament to achievements of a family owned builder and in-house team. Building modern, without disturbing nature.
This feature appears in our October issue