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Reunion Resort: A Runaway Best Seller

If a development named Reunion Resort offers both relaxation and an instant connection with friends and family, maybe you can judge a book by its cover.

Mike and Beverly Bruno were introduced to this Orlando community by their in-laws who had already discovered its charming potential. Built on 2,300 acres, just 10 minutes from Disney World, Reunion Resort is a destination unto itself. In addition to the fabulous homes and first-class accommodations, there are walking trails, water parks, and equestrian center, and swimming pools all surrounded by gentle hills.

But, most importantly, there is golf. “Three championship golf courses. That sold me,” explains Mike. Today, he can enjoy the game, and he can also enjoy the view because his newly constructed 3,700 square-foot, five-bedroom custom home overlooks the tee box of the second hole.

“It wasn’t hard for us to make a decision,” say the Baltimore native of his move to Reunion. But what was difficult was making design decisions from hundreds of miles away. For help, they turned to the expertise of interior designer Suzanne Nichols of Suzanne Nichols Design Group, Inc. Under a very broad mandate in which the Brunos requested a house with island influences and at least one golf room Nichols set to work on a project that would essentially be turnkey to the new owners.

Her clients had already settled on a paint scheme, which combined bright colors with a more traditional fare. Their daughters each chose whimsical shades – one pink and one coral – for their bedrooms, while the rest of the home played off the warm bisque ceramic tile flooring, precision trim work, coffered ceilings, granite countertops, and other architectural finishes. Sage green walls in the kitchen and breakfast nook and buttery yellows in the family room complete the palette.

Throughout the building and furnishing of the home, the family relied on e-mails and digital photos to keep abreast of the project. Mike says they were in good hands all they way – from the lot salesman to the builders at Vallery Custom Homes to the interior design group. And while it certainly extended the time frame to be several states away during the process, they kept it in perspective. “A lot of people in this community are from England, or Europe. Imagine building a home from that distance,” he says.

Nichols’ company employs whichever contractor is appropriate for the project from an in-house team of craftsmen and artists. They offer help with selections on paints, wallpaper, carpet, faux finishes, murals, window treatments, and bedding, as well as the actual furnishings. “Every job is different. We call in the contractors we have need for at the time of that current project,” she explains.

She travels to market at least four times a year and tries to “select dynamic pieces that make each project pop.” For the Brunos, she wanted a tropical influence in natural tones. “The whole house is very casual, yet the elements carry a sophistication, a well,” says the designer. In the family room, for example, the structured ceiling lines play off the delicate beauty of the changing landscape just beyond the French doors. Natural light pours in and illuminates lustrous built-in bookcases, which Nichols has accessorized with unique pieces. “There is so much more to that room than what your eye can see,” says Nichols mysteriously.

But when the Bruno family first opened the door to their newly built, newly furnished home, they did so with their eyes wide open. “I’ll never forget,” says Mike. Catching a late flight, he and Beverly and their daughters drove to their Florida home full of anticipation for the finished project. “We hadn’t seen it fully decorated yet,” says Mike. “We were like little kids going from room to room to see how they had transformed this home. It was nice to just give somebody your thoughts and have them run with them.”

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In The News House to Home Reunion Resort: A Runaway Best Seller If a development named Reunion Resort offers both relaxation and an instant connection with friends and family, maybe you can judge a book by its cover. Mike and Beverly Bruno were introduced to this Orlando community by their in-laws who had already discovered its charming potential. Built on 2,300 acres, just 10 minutes from Disney World, Reunion Resort is a destination unto itself. In addition to the fabulous homes and first-class accommodations, there are walking trails, water parks, and equestrian center, and swimming pools all surrounded by gentle hills. But, most importantly, there is golf. “Three championship golf courses. That sold me,” explains Mike. Today, he can enjoy the game, and he can also enjoy the view because his newly constructed 3,700 square-foot, five-bedroom custom home overlooks the tee box of the second hole. “It wasn’t hard for us to make a decision,” say the Baltimore native of his move to Reunion. But what was difficult was making design decisions from hundreds of miles away. For help, they turned to the expertise of interior designer Suzanne Nichols of Suzanne Nichols Design Group, Inc. Under a very broad mandate in which the Brunos requested a house with island influences and at least one golf room Nichols set to work on a project that would essentially be turnkey to the new owners. Her clients had already settled on a paint scheme, which combined bright colors with a more traditional fare. Their daughters each chose whimsical shades – one pink and one coral – for their bedrooms, while the rest of the home played off the warm bisque ceramic tile flooring, precision trim work, coffered ceilings, granite countertops, and other architectural finishes. Sage green walls in the kitchen and breakfast nook and buttery yellows in the family room complete the palette. Throughout the building and furnishing of the home, the family relied on e-mails and digital photos to keep abreast of the project. Mike says they were in good hands all they way – from the lot salesman to the builders at Vallery Custom Homes to the interior design group. And while it certainly extended the time frame to be several states away during the process, they kept it in perspective. “A lot of people in this community are from England, or Europe. Imagine building a home from that distance,” he says. Nichols’ company employs whichever contractor is appropriate for the project from an in-house team of craftsmen and artists. They offer help with selections on paints, wallpaper, carpet, faux finishes, murals, window treatments, and bedding, as well as the actual furnishings. “Every job is different. We call in the contractors we have need for at the time of that current project,” she explains. She travels to market at least four times a year and tries to “select dynamic pieces that make each project pop.” For the Brunos, she wanted a tropical influence in natural tones. “The whole house is very casual, yet the elements carry a sophistication, a well,” says the designer. In the family room, for example, the structured ceiling lines play off the delicate beauty of the changing landscape just beyond the French doors. Natural light pours in and illuminates lustrous built-in bookcases, which Nichols has accessorized with unique pieces. “There is so much more to that room than what your eye can see,” says Nichols mysteriously. But when the Bruno family first opened the door to their newly built, newly furnished home, they did so with their eyes wide open. “I’ll never forget,” says Mike. Catching a late flight, he and Beverly and their daughters drove to their Florida home full of anticipation for the finished project. “We hadn’t seen it fully decorated yet,” says Mike. “We were like little kids going from room to room to see how they had transformed this home. It was nice to just give somebody your thoughts and have them run with them.” view magazine article
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