A new private residence in Talis Park is quickly capturing the attention of not just its new homeowners, but of golfers, residents and passersby who are in awe of its stunning design and statement-making style by London Bay Homes.

“We constantly get comments from golfers telling us our home is just beautiful from the 18th hole,” said homeowner Mark Gudelski. “People come in and can’t say enough about it, that it’s one of the finest homes they’ve seen.”

With London Bay Homes and its veteran team, the owners found a partner for every step of their homebuilding journey. They were impressed with the attention to detail, personalized service and the ability to grant every request.

“London Bay Homes listens. We told them what we wanted, and they never said something was not going to work. The answer was always, ‘Yes, we’ll do it,’” said Gudelski. “They’re very client driven. They would explain things, offer suggestions, and were willing to make changes as building progressed. Because of London Bay’s size and structure as a company, all changes were quick to happen.”

Since building its first luxury home in Naples more than 30 years ago, London Bay Homes has garnered more than 450 industry awards for homebuilding excellence. Its commitment to customer service, continued innovation and quality are represented by custom homes in the area’s most revered communities and neighborhoods.

“By staying ahead of the trends in building, design and real estate – and often establishing them – London Bay Homes has set new standards for luxury living in Southwest Florida,” said Mark Wilson, President and CEO. “Our refined building process is engaging and customer friendly. Our know-how comes only with decades of experience, listening to and learning from every client.”

Gudelski and his partner, J.P. Mulholland, discovered London Bay’s sole Talis Park homesite after deciding they needed a large home to accommodate their love of entertaining.

“We previously had a home in Talis Park and were looking for more space and design opportunities in a home,” said Gudelski. “We chose London Bay Homes because of their reputation, the other work they’ve done, and the quality, detail and craftsmanship we saw in other homes. They were innovative. We trusted and liked them the most.”

Building with London Bay Homes, as the couple soon discovered, gave them complete customization from concept to completion by an in-house team of architects, space planners, interior designers at Romanza Interior Design, and attentive supervisors.

“We liked the collaborative approach at London Bay,” Gudelski said. “They paid more attention than we anticipated. There were so many details we weren’t always tuned into. J.P.’s sister builds and designs homes and says the detail, paint and finishes are excellent.”

The home is loosely based on another London Bay floor plan. The master suite occupies an entire wing, has a private study and an elegant bathroom with an outdoor shower. They expanded the original footprint, separated a VIP guest suite from the main home, and carved out space for an oversized game room. During the planning process, London Bay Homes modeled the expansive outdoor living spaces, simulating in three dimensions the position of the sun throughout the year.

“In our old home, we quickly found out at our first party it was too small,” said Mulholland. “Everyone hangs out in the middle of the house, at the bar or kitchen.”

The couple’s fondness for entertaining is realized in the elegant great room which flows into a bar, the kitchen and dining area – a space that easily hosts 30 comfortably and effortlessly expands outside to the pool area, covered living area, outdoor kitchen and a bocce court. Inside, transitions from room to room are defined by rift-sawn oak which provides visual separation and scales down each space to an intimate setting.

“As a custom homebuilder, we offer the entire realm of options,” said Wilson. “Clients can select one of our floor plans, use a floor plan as a springboard for their ideas as well as work with their own architect. Every home should reflect the homeowners and their lifestyle.”

Gudelski and Mulholland said the London Bay team’s recommendations were always spot-on, like the multiple metal framed double glass doors along the back of the home showcasing wide-open golf course views, a frosted glass backsplash at the bar for additional natural light, and the manufactured wood plank cladding outdoor ceilings that looks like natural wood but tolerates moisture.

“They were always bringing ideas to us,” said Gudelski.

The clients worked closely with Romanza Interior Design’s Melissa Allen to create a home reflecting their style – “not overly formal but more casual, open and inviting,” said Gudelski. Allen spent a lot of time with the owners to determine furnishes, finishes and selections that would complement their lifestyle.

She also suggested they consider a new-to-the-market single-bottle chiller to rapidly cool down champagne, wine and other beverages. Set into the bar countertop, its lighted rim can be set to different colors – another unique and innovative feature to take their entertaining lifestyle to the next level.

Sometimes, London Bay’s innovation and attention to detail is purposely hidden. Air conditioning vents and electric outlets aren’t visible. Neither is the drainage for two balconies off guestrooms and a loft on the second floor. London Bay’s approach creates a seamless setting to ensure nothing distracts from the beauty and elegance of the home’s personalized custom finishes.

Within its 8,000 square feet, the Gudelski-Mulholland residence impresses from room to room and offers an element of surprise around practically every corner; an expansive game room with a shuffleboard table, a full-size arcade game, card and billiards tables, and woodwork worthy of a proper European library; and a bar banquette complete with transcalent built-in side tables that channel a posh nightclub. The latter was influenced by the lobby of London Bay’s Vanderbilt Beach Road office.  

During construction, London Bay also provided peace of mind, sending progress photos and reports and outlining expectations for the following week, which was particularly helpful when Gudelski and Mulholland were out of town.

“The whole process was pretty easy,” said Mulholland. “The attention to detail is amazing.”

“We’re extremely happy,” adds Gudelski.