Watch the show!

Brad and Jeff, from HSDPros, who helped us furnish and decorate the Retreat, have put together a little show about the villa.  Please click on the link to watch it.  You're going to love it.

http://www.realestateshows.com/show.php?mls=basic&id=551342

Please feel free to share the link with anyone whom you think may be interested.  They can contact us through   http://www.theretreatbythelake.com/

Our first review

The Retreat is now "up and running", so to speak.  It hosted our first guests earlier in the month and they very kindly posted this review on HomeAway, where we advertise the villa.  We are so very pleased they enjoyed their vacation.

Great Vacation Home

Rating:

5 out of 5

Carolyn Scott      Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Review Submitted February 17, 2011      Date of Stay February 2011

The Retreat was a home away from home. It has a beautiful location on the Lake and the development itself is in an ideal location; close to all the amenities and attractions. The interior of the home has been beautifully updated with all the modern amenities (i.e. WiFi, digital cable, and the internet radio) and the extras provided by the hosts (i.e. books, games, DVD's and Playstation) helped to ensure you're always entertained even on the rare rainy day. We had a great vacation at the Retreat and would return in the future with no hesitation.

Visit our website for availability and rates:   http://www.theretreatbythelake.com/

Welcome to the renovated Retreat by the Lake

The renovation is now complete and the villa is accepting rentals.  Many, many thanks to Rachel Whited for the beautiful photos she has taken.  Please go to our website where we have posted the full suite of pictures:  http://www.theretreatbythelake.com/

There are many lovely photos, but here is our hands down favorite/favourite.  Wish we were there.  

We're going scent-free

When we were looking for a villa to purchase last August, our realtor Dan Palmer of Team Donovan, shepherded us through 17 vacation homes in two days.  We noticed that in many of those houses there were strong scents from cleaning products and room fresheners.
We've decided that The Retreat will be scent-free as much as possible because there are many people who have environmental sensitivities and we want them to feel welcome in our villa.

All cleaning products used in the villa will be scent free and the linens will be laundered using scent free laundry detergent.  And, we are currently looking for a supply of non-scented guest soaps to provide for our guests.  

http://www.theretreatbythelake.com/

Decisions... decisions

Rachel Whited, the photographer who took the professional pictures of the villa last Sunday, has sent us the proofs to review.  It's a bit overwhelming... she took so many.... so many, in fact, that she had to send them to us in 4 separate emails.  We are finding it rather difficult to make our selections because they are all so wonderful.  However, we want to publish the pictures on our website and here on the blog, so tomorrow is our self-imposed deadline for letting Rachel know which ones want.  After that, she'll do whatever photographers do and then deliver the final pictures to us so we can share them with everyone.  I've added a link to her website on the left.

We've got pictures!

At long last, here are pictures of the Retreat.  They're not the professional ones.... Rachel was in yesterday to do the photo shoot and we'll have them in about a week or so.  In the meantime, here are some of Mike's pictures.

We'd love to know what you think... feel free to post a comment.


living area



dining room




 

master bedroom -  King



master bedroom - Queen



twin bedroom

Option 1: Mickey theme

Option 2: mature theme



second bathroom - 2 vanities



ensuite bathroom

The special things

We are putting the final touches on the Retreat..... so we can start listing the amenities that make this villa one of the very nicest in Orlando.  It's a long list.  Here goes:

4 bedrooms, 2 full baths
breath taking lake view with no rear neighbours
private pool - south facing with sun all day
covered lanai with ceiling fan
located close to the theme parks and golf courses
on a quiet cul de sac with no through traffic
fully renovated
professionally decorated with gorgeous original art
fully equipped modern kitchen
welcome package of coffee, tea and herbal tea
radio controlled solar clock
secure wireless internet access ... WiFi
flat screen TVs in all bedrooms and living room
Blu-ray in living room
DVD players in all bedrooms
PS2 + games in twin bedroom
internet radio
ipod dock/speakers
library of "vacation reads" including Rick Mofina's thrillers
board games
selection of family-oriented DVD movies
optional Mickey Mouse themed room (optional bedding)
new comfy beds
ceiling fans in all bedrooms
clock radios in all bedrooms
Egyptian cotton sheets on queen and king beds
selection of pillows
lots of soft fluffy towels
pool towels provided
deep soaker tub in master ensuite bath
tiled showers
make-up mirror in ensuite
hair dryers in bathrooms
green energy saving technologies
scent free
the very best professional property management team avalaible 24/7
and.....
really super owners who love the Retreat and don't want to leave....

We're absolutely delighted - some pictures

Here are some preliminary pictures, courtesy of Mike, of the master bedroom and the new hall bath.  We hope this will give you an idea of the quality of the renovation.  A suite of professional pictures providing a  full tour of this impressive place will be posted next week.

master bedroom - 32" HD TV

master bedroom - love the lamps!



hall bath



what we woke up to yesterday

We also want to share with you the view we had yesterday morning ... it was breathtaking.

Reminder:  any bookings made before January 15th will qualify for our special "take a chance on me" rates.  Please check the website and contact us at  theretreatbythelake01@gmail.com

website:  http://www.theretreatbythelake.com/

Blown away!

Mike and I travelled down to Florida on New Year's Eve for the "big reveal" and we were blown away.  This place is even more spectacular than we anticipated.  The work has been first class and the decorating is absolutely gorgeous.  There is still a little bit of tweaking to do, e.g., installation of new blinds and a new bookcase.  Photos will be done probably on the weekend for posting on the website next week, but we'll see if we can post some preliminary ones here on the blog in a day or so.

We've been running around all over Orlando picking up all the special extras for the villa:  internet radio (we're listening to Ottawa Morning on CBC right now), Ipod dock/speakers, kitchen equipment, Disney dinnerware for kids, etc.  We will be posting a full list of all the amenities as soon as I'm finished the shopping.

We hope to have all the work done by the weekend to ready the villa for rentals.... so, we can sit back, relax and enjoy this wonderful place ourselves.  The weather has been absolutely wonderful here... we are taking credit for it  :-)

New additions

Here are some photos of the latest additions to the villa.  First, we have the microwave.  It was a challenge to find one that fit the space but the All-In Construction guys saved the day and found us the perfect one.



And then we have the safe.  It has been installed in the master bedroom closet and is big enough to hold laptops and any other electronics that you wouldn't want to leave behind unprotected while you're away at the theme parks or playing golf.   It's the same style of safe that hotels use... very easy to operate.  Another "extra" that is offered at The Retreat!

Sneak peek at bedroom furniture

Twin bedroom #1

All-In Construction have now pretty much finished their work at the villa.... they've just been doing some last touch-ups... they call it a "bump out" (another new term for us).

New blinds were installed last week and now the furniture is being delivered and set up by Brad and Jeff of Home Staging and Design Pros.  Here's a sneak peak at the furniture we've chosen for the twin bedrooms.

Being green

I was going to title this post "Retreat extras 4", but changed my mind because the "green" aspects of the villa are not really extras... they're just what you should do from our perspective.

Everyone knows that Florida gets hot.... that's one of the key reasons we go there, right?  That means a lot of electricity gets used.  We decided that we would go green as much as possible in the villa. Here's some of the things we're doing with respect to energy conservation.

First, we've installed a programmable thermostat that monitors the temperatures with minimums and maximums and will shut off the air conditioning if patio doors get inadvertently left open.... no one should try to cool global warming with air conditioning...  :-). 

We've also installed a hot water tank controller that will make sure that the system is working only when it's needed... that is, when people are staying at the villa. Of course, we hope that the Retreat will always be full, with lots of guests when we are unable to be there.  But, we know that there will be times when the place will be vacant for a bit... so no need to heat water when there's no one there to use it.  Our property manager always visits the villa just prior to the arrival of a guest to make sure that everything is perfect.  They'll make sure the system is operational upon the arrival of a guest... so no worries about there being no hot water when you arrive.

All of the new appliances we've installed are energy star rated.  And, lastly, there will be low energy use compact fluorescent light bulbs in all light fixtures that will take them.

So not only is the Retreat going to be a luxury place to stay, it is modern in all senses of the word, including being energy efficient.

It's getting there....



oohh.....

 Looks like all of the construction work on the villa is going to wind up this week.... right on schedule.  The kitchen's all in except for the installation of the microwave.  That should be done in the next day or two.




.....ahhh














And the bathrooms are awaiting the installation of mirrors and glass shower enclosures.  

It's really just the finishing touches this week.  Then, between Christmas and New Year's, Brad and Jeff of Home Staging and Design Pros will be installing the furniture, art and all of the other wonderful accessories that will make the Retreat something special indeed.

Retreat extras 3 - sleeping with Mickey

Option 1

Because our villa is in the Orlando area, we expect that many of our guests will be visiting for the "Disney experience" and will be travelling with children.  An extra at the Retreat is the option of having one of the two twin-bedded bedrooms done in Disney themed linens.

Option 2

The other option is for those who don't care to sleep with the mouse.  All a guest will have to do is let us know in advance and the property management team will make sure the room is fitted out as requested.

There or here?

Where would you rather be?

This is there:

This is here:

Light fixtures and fans



here we have them in their boxes

 Here is a sneak peak at the fixtures in the villa.

There will be all new lighting fixtures and ceiling fans.

Another "extra" is ceiling fans in every bedroom.... for those times when it's not too hot and you just want to open the windows and have fresh air. 






bedroom fan



fan in master bedroom



Retreat extras 2 - fine linens

Time to talk about the linens at the Retreat.


When you rent our villa,  you are getting a lot for your money.  You are getting a superior location that provides fast and easy access to the theme parks and golf courses.  You are also getting 1733 sq ft of modern, luxury accommodation with your own pool and a breathtaking lakeview.  These are things you cannot get from a hotel or even from the premium Disney resorts. 



Master bedroom linen collection



Moreover, it is important to note that you are also getting all of the fine touches that premium hotels provide:  lots of soft, fluffy, white towels and silky, smooth Egyptian cotton sheets in the King and Queen bedrooms.  All the beds are comfy and new.  There are also 100% cotton blankets in all the bedrooms and allergy-free duvets.  You can be assured that with duvets, the covers will be freshly laundered and you won't have to worry about how many people have slept with those unwashable  "comforters" which most vacation rentals provide. 



And, on top of all of that.... there will be large, absorbent pool towels available for your use!





Lots of painting going on

Now that the cabinets are in, All-In Construction is moving at lightening speed to paint the interior of the villa.  The ceiling's been painted, the walls are almost done and the new baseboards have been painted too.  I think they must have been working all weekend.

Brad and Jeff of Home Staging Design Pros picked the interior color/colour for us .... I think it complements both the tile and the cabinets very nicely.  The contractor has used Sherwin Williams paint for both the exterior and interior.... seems to be very popular in Florida... good thing, too.... it's an excellent quality paint.

I think the electricals (lighting and fans) are next.

new cabinets are well protected

new electrical fixtures to be installed

Retreat extras 1 - games/books

There will be lots of "extras" for our guests at the Retreat.  Vacations are excellent opportunities for some special family time and board/card games are wonderful for that.  At the Retreat you will find Monopoly, Sorry, Clue, Uno, etc., .... all of the classics and more.

There will also be a library of books for those times when you want to kick back, ignore the world, and relax out on the pool deck with a good book.  A favorite/favourite author of ours is Rick Mofina ... one of the best writers of thrillers.  Once you pick up one of his books, you're hooked... there's no putting it down until you're finished...it's such a great escape!.  Among the collection, we'll have his entire series at the Retreat for our guests' enjoyment.

I love this kitchen!

love the glass block feature

And the kitchen cabinets are now in....they look so nice!  We never had a chance to see the cabinets in a showroom....we relied upon Kenny's recommendation and, wow, was he right.  They're perfect.

awaiting the sink and new faucet

Brad, of Home Staging Design Pros, recommended the countertop....what a great choice.  It goes perfectly with the cabinets, don't you think? The counters have a beautiful bevelled edge and all the corners are clipped... as I mentioned in an earlier post, this house is all about angles and the countertops are in keeping with this theme.

lots and lots of cupboard space

All of the cabinet pulls are stainless steel and will match the new appliances that will be installed later.  Joe told me today that we're one cabinet pull short... my mistake, because I ordered them.  Oh well, there's another one on its way ... unfortunately the shipping costs are more than the price of that one piece of hardware  :(

The kitchen has arrived

boxes....

The kitchen cabinets and countertops have been delivered and are awaiting installation.  The living room and dining room are full of boxes.  I wonder if it's going to be like that reality TV show, Survivor, where the people have to unpack things and put together a giant puzzle?  Just kidding...it will all go according to the very detailed CAD (computer-aided design) plans that All-In Construction had prepared.

... and boxes....

... and countertops

                           

Our first booking

We are happy to announce that, thanks to this little blog, the Retreat has received its first booking.  A lovely family has taken advantage of our "take a chance on me" (for all you Abba fans) introductory rates and booked a week in February.

We advertise on a number of sites and have received a lot of enquiries about the availability of the Retreat, but understand that people are reluctant because they want to see pictures of the interior with furniture, etc.  We, therefore, especially appreciate that this family has confidence in us.  We know that they will not be disappointed.

Changing colors/colours

The Retreat is changing colors/colours.  The villa needed to be re-painted, but we had a very limited selection of paint colors/colours from which to choose.  The Home Owners Association (HOA) in Sunset Lakes strives for a "common look and feel" for the community and, therefore, has a color/colour palette of paint colors/colours for homeowners who wish to paint their homes.  There's not a lot of variety, but at least it prevents the purple and lime green eyesores (no offence to those who like purple or lime green!).  We picked "Anew Gray" for the walls and "Aleutian" (deep blue/gray) for the front door.  It's a nice combination.

We've gone from this:                                                             to this:

 

                                                                   

Plumbing basics

Things are moving along really quickly with the renovation.  Looks like all the plumbing basics are now in.  The big walk-in shower in the ensuite bath has been framed and is now ready to be tiled.

The new valves for the shower in the second bathroom are installed.

The framing for the tub surround in the ensuite is completed and the big new soaker tub has been delivered.

I guess some people may not find plumbing the most exciting thing in the world, but for me it's all about knowing the basics are in and that the really fun stuff is about to begin.  The tile supplier prepared a gorgeous tile design for the two showers and the tub surround, with a mosaic listello accent [listello was a new word for me too!....it means a tile border]. I'm so looking forward to actually seeing it.

Next up, we'll be checking in on the exterior painting.

website:  http://www.theretreatbythelake.com/