Cinematic beauty inside and out make this charming estate the toast of Sarasota.Ryan Gamma PhotographyThe client’s instructions were simple. “Transform the property into a Palm Beach estate that takes advantage of those views,” recalls John Cooney, co-founder and partner at Stofft & Stofft Cooney Architectural Group, the Naples-based practice enlisted to make this Sarasota residence a waterfront masterpiece. And with John’s deft hand and detailed eye? Brief achieved. “When I first saw the property, there was an existing home on an overgrown, sloped plot with mature trees hiding multiple secrets, including a tennis court. As I walked towards the water, an incredible view of the bay opened up in front of me.” And what a view, set across nearly three acres of shoreline on Siesta Key, where it’s nigh-on impossible to see where the vanishing-edge saltwater pool ends and the turquoise waters of the Florida Gulf begin. With its tennis court, private pavilion, club room, gym and waterfront entertaining spaces, the estate follows the logic of a private club—minus the members list.Ryan Gamma PhotographyThe wooden dock that stretches 90 feet into the distance extends your gaze even further towards the other side of the bay where neighbors live out equally charmed lives. With cinematic beauty and lashings of drama, it’s not a stretch to imagine this as the coastal setting of a Nicole Kidman series about power, privilege and panoramas… Indeed, the new iteration of the property’s main residence, guest house and tennis pavilion certainly play a starring role in the estate known as Crystal Waters—arguably the most exclusive private estate in an already exclusive enclave. As keen tennis players, the clients wanted the court amidst the winding paths to maximize the breeze as well as the views. The jewel in the crown of this secret garden, though? The main house, of course, enveloped by towering palms and lush tropical foliage. A procession of palms frames the entrance. How else would a grand Florida estate announce its arrival?Ryan Gamma Photography“It’s a classic West Indies style of architecture that’s tropical but very sophisticated in nature,” Cooney explains, adding that the location simply begged for a timeless style of home.” Like a five-star Caribbean resort—all cedar shingle roof, smooth stucco, blue shutters and natural limestone cladding—Crystal Waters is an exemplar of exquisite craftsmanship, with prestigious builder Chris Jorgensen brought in to elegantly execute the architectural vision. For the gardens, Cooney reveals that the renowned landscape architect Keith Williams “was brought on early because the existing vegetation—including the enormous protected oak trees—were an integral part of the design.”Indicative of the home’s broader design language, the staircase is restrained in form yet unmistakable in effect.Ryan Gamma PhotographyOnce you pass the porte-cochère and open the mahogany doors, the interiors are courtesy of designer and author Phoebe Howard. “Keep it pretty,” is her mantra, and that she certainly did, with a coastal palette that ushers you into a foyer where travertine floors ask you to slip off your shoes and feel their texture under sandy, bare feet. The handcrafted Chippendale railings that act as classic jewelry for the sweeping staircase? Yet another cinematic moment—talk about making an entrance. Beyond the windows, Florida is all blue water and saturated green. Inside, the palette turns softer.Ryan Gamma PhotographyIntricate details hide in plain sight, their presence whispered rather than shouted.Ryan Gamma Photography“The rooms are on such a grand scale, from the two-story foyer to the double-height living room, which is always a challenge when you’re decorating,” Howard explains. “The interior needed architectural detailing to bring everything down to a human scale and give [the rooms] a traditional feel, so we layered on additional interest in features like the trellis in the dining room, arches throughout and paneling in the club room.” Texture was also key in adding visual interest in an otherwise calming space, so Howard and her team used grasscloth on the walls and natural-fiber rugs for tactility. “I wanted everything to be pretty to reflect the client—gracious, elegant, delicate and, above all, welcoming.”Generous in scale and glossy in design, the kitchen brings form and function into easy balance.Ryan Gamma PhotographyThe ocean may claim the grandest views, but sights of the estate's composed grounds are a spectacle in their own right.Ryan Gamma PhotographyThe same effortless charm extends beyond the foyer to a stylish kitchen that plays ‘host with the most’ with two islands designed for gathering around. Then there’s the breakfast bay for morning coffees and croissants with the best views in the house. And the glamorous dining room where the French doors can be thrown open after dessert for another glass of Chardonnay on the sweeping terrace where only the cicadas are privy to your late-night conversations. If Florida’s best-kept secrets can’t be spilled here, where can they? Anchored by a bar and billiards table, the clubroom is devoted to leisure without surrendering its style.Ryan Gamma PhotographyHoward adds: “This house is all about indoor-outdoor living, with porches and glass everywhere that take in the sunset and pools while filling the space with ever-changing light.” Bringing the outdoors in and vice versa continues with a sanctuary-like primary suite on the ground level with similar access to the poolside terrace.An impressive combination of architecture, acreage and amenities commands attention, but Crystal Waters place on the Siesta Key shoreline is the luxury that cannot be replicated.Ryan Gamma PhotographyBringing together the kind of architectural and natural beauty so often seen on the screen, this charming Sarasota estate provides a cinematic setting for your own mini drama. A spot of tennis in the morning, a leisurely swim in the afternoon and a sultry evening dinner on the terrace? This is a series of many seasons… 8501 Midnight Pass Road is on the market for 29,995,000 with listing agents Kim Ogilvie and Lynn Morris of Michael Saunders & Company. Michael Saunders & Company is a member of Forbes Global Properties, the invitation-only network of top-tier brokerages worldwide and the exclusive real estate partner of Forbes.