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Homes

Turning their castle into a home

The Zimmermanns, from Germany, made their Spanish-looking house into their own style.

By ELIZABETH BETTENDORF
Published July 29, 2005

Ingrid Zimmermann says her goodbyes with a fistful of rosemary.

Plucked fresh from her garden, knotted with a wisp of sheer lavender ribbon, it fills a room with its restful scent.

"For memory," she says.

For memory.

Her house in Lake Heather Oaks in north Tampa is one of those a visitor can't forget, drenched with spirit and style, color and grace.

Zimmermann, 54, and her husband, Heinz, 56, an electrical engineer, bought the house on a lakefront acre 20 years ago because it was a fair price and they were drawn to the look of the land.

True, the gentle waterfront view, framed by live oaks and long tendrils of moss, was stunning. But the rest of the 2,600-square-foot "builder" home wasn't exactly what the couple, both from Germany, would have chosen.

Over the years, Zimmermann, a floral and landscape designer with a powerful visual sense and a knack for interior design, transformed the inside and out into a place that reflects who they are as a family.

"It was totally different; I changed a lot," she explains of the house that once wore an old Spanish castle look with heavy beams and a fortress style front doors.

Now it's a sanctuary of light, art and modern flair.

The feeling hits before the front door opens: Outside, it's pale, lemony yellow with a green slate roof and winding brick-paver paths. Gentle, white industrial exterior lights curved like swan necks, oversized steel wind chimes and wicker-and-steel chairs lend the exterior a sophisticated cottage look.

"I don't like cute, I like stylish things," says Zimmermann, silver-haired, tan, youthful in a long floral skirt, an amethyst glinting off her black shirt.

A fan of lively color, she painted the interior walls off-shades of lavender, yellow and red. A ceiling rail holds art-glass pendant lights and winds through the entire house.

Throughout, old and new mingle with abandon: An antique Spanish table from an estate in South Tampa is flanked by mismatched, aged chairs including a $20 Hepplewhite armchair purchased from the front yard of an antiques dealer along Busch Boulevard.

On the table's surface, a still life: unpolished silver candlesticks, a turquoise silk scarf recycled as a table runner and tangerine pottery. The living room offers a view of an azure-blue swimming pool, terra cotta colored concrete and a dining table draped in the unexpected: shiny, orange vinyl. The look is softened by wicker (including an antique piece from Germany) generous pots of greenery and brightly colored candle lanterns.

Back inside, a leather sofa mixes with wicker chairs and unusual tropical fabrics draped on the windows.

The leaded-glass front doors were made by a friend, a Colombian artist. A massive Pennsylvania Dutch reproduction bench with a carved back and storage drawers underneath (bought "on time" years ago from Annabelle's) is softened by throw pillows and a painting by another artist friend on Anna Maria Island.

"We won't like anything frou-frou," she explains of their industrial-meets-cozy style that, although filled with objects d'art, books, glass and pottery, never looks cluttered.

"I really use my stuff and change everything constantly," she explains. "The colors work together and everything is interchangeable. Nothing is static and everything is always moving. It's okay to take something from the porch and move it into the bedroom."

In the master bedroom, the couple capitalized on the meandering view of lake and trees and Zimmermann's gardens (outside she's created sitting areas, thriving, sweet-smelling herbs, and a lovely lily-pad covered fish pond edged by a leggy cypress plant and purple Mexican petunias. She wasn't afraid to position the bed in the middle of the room facing the window and cover it with more of the unexpected: a summer hippie throw that she picked up on a recent trip to Germany paired with formal white pillow shams.

They opened the kitchen up, ridding it of cabinetry and installing glass shelves for display. Ingrid designed the large, moveable kitchen island; Heinz designed the solid oak, enormous farm table where they eat.

With its book-filled shelves, old advertising posters for House and Garden magazine, and restaurant quality Cappuccino maker always primed to brew a quick cup, the kitchen-living area is ideal for lingering with friends, something they savor. Next to it, a guest wing with its own access to the pool and garden sitting area.

"People love to come and stay for a long time," Zimmermann says with a smile.

[Last modified July 28, 2005, 08:19:13]