Ocean Views, Inspired Design & Sweet Solitude: A Rare Find in Florida’s St. Augustine Beach

By David Hay It’s no secret that what the wealthy buyer always wants, even if they don’t come out and say it directly, is something truly unique. In Florida that means ocean frontage, a well-designed home—and this is the hard, if not impossible, part—privacy. But where are you going to find such sought-after isolation? Not Palm Beach or elsewhere in South Florida or even the Gulf Coast. That’s why the Lastinger residence , on lovely, tranquil St. Augustine Beach, is such a treasure. With views across the white sand to the Atlantic, the nearly-10,000-square-foot, four-bedroom Spanish-style home and 1,636-square-foot, two-bedroom guest house comprise a truly iconic property. Appropriately named Villa Vistas, the home is in part an homage to the historic, Spanish Revival architecture of neighboring St. Augustine, where the Lightner Museum (formerly the renowned Hotel Alcazar, built in 1887) is a classic example. Sited 23 feet above sea level, Villa Vistas not only looks out over the Atlantic but also has stunning views of the Matanzas River and in the distance the Matanzas Fort, built in 1742. And as anyone who’s had the good fortune to visit St. Augustine Beach can attest to, this beach community is as sparsely developed as anywhere in the state. All of which adds up to luxurious living in an authentic and rarely interrupted ocean-front setting. To call that a rarity in today’s Florida would be an understatement. St. Augustine, Florida. (Photo by SeanPavonePhoto via Adobe Stock Images) Lightner Museum (Photo by David Matthew Lyons via Adobe Stock Images) A North Florida Love Story But its coveted site isn’t the only thing that makes this house so special. The home, thanks to the sophisticated taste and intelligence of Allen and Delores Lastinger, is a love affair with this region’s unique landscape and history. St. Augustine, founded in 1556 (yes, it’s the oldest city in U.S.) is bursting with Spanish Revival masterpieces. The Lastinger house respects this tradition with it curved windows and extraordinary ceiling treatments. But crucially, it combines this with a prototypically Modern way of living that invites the outside in. From anywhere inside the home, the seemingly endless horizon of the Atlantic Ocean is visible. “Standing in my kitchen, I can look out through the living room window and see waves crashing in the distance,” Delores Lastinger told me. The second, truly novel approach taken in the design of the house is that, wherever possible, the architects chose materials made from this region. “Other than 45 tons of steel rebar, everything in this house comes from near here,” Lastinger added. You can see the native Florida materials in the coral stone around the fireplaces and the local pecky cypress in the magnificent ceilings in the living and dining rooms. This highly sensitive design intent reflects the couple’s deep affection for North Florida and St. Augustine Beach in particular. In the mid-1960s, as students at the University of Florida in Gainesville, they made it their magic getaway. Forty years later, when he and Delores were living in Jacksonville, Allen Lastinger decided to retire as president of Barnett Banks Inc. (now Bank of America). He and Delores had always nurtured the dream of returning. As luck would have it, a parcel of land right on the beach came up for sale, followed by an adjoining one. The couple bought both, guaranteeing them 210 feet of beach frontage, and the vision for Villa Vistas was born. In the two decades since they moved in, with much of Florida now seemingly overwhelmed by development, Villa Vista has become even more of a treasure. But the Lastingers, as delightful and imaginative couple as you could hope to meet, are nothing if not practical. Now in their early 80s, they plan to retire properly in Jacksonville. Will they miss their “special place?” I was too hesitant to ask. But the design and siting of Villa Vistas stands as evidence of an examined—and most fulfilling—life in North Florida. What they leave behind in Villa Vistas, however, is a rare opportunity for new dreamers to experience the magic of luxury living on a grand scale, surrounded by nature and tranquil white sand beach. David Hay is a well-known architectural writer and playwright. His stories have been featured in The New York Times , Dwell and New York .