The Crown Jewel of St Petersburg and a home with distinction and pedigree is awaiting your arrival. This gated waterfront estate is an immersive experience that begins with a dramatic first impression of open water lifestyle living. While the overall mood is one of subdued sophistication-the setting itself provides for splendor aplenty.This home is a delicate balancing act while weighing the push of historical preservation against the pull of contemporary inspiration. The Rutland-Farley estate pays homage to the home’s period roots. The current family has restored this home to its original purpose as a single family home, replete with its original grandeur. Throughout the home, decorative flourishes both playful and glamorous, and an incredible ever evolving art collection, leaven the seriousness to he architecture, conjuring an environment anchored in the past. The entry hall, along with its baronial staircase, establishes a sense of arrival and decompression before one moves into the main living areas where the glorious waterfront views unfold. The grand salon is tempered with the formality of its architectural backdrop and vistas. The dining room is positioned off-center of grand foyer. The regal library, adjacent to the grand salon, is paneled in oak to give it a moodier effect & has one of the six fireplaces in the home. The library also has custom hand carved moldings, tromp l’oiel and is clad in braided leather panels set into hand carved and chiseled wood work of a by gone era. The continental sensibility expands into the main social spaces on the ground floor which includes a gym, screened porch, a rear staircase adjacent to the butlers pantry, a fabulous gourmet kitchen, a mud room and an informal dining area complete with a vaulted brick ceiling, and additional office spaces are reminiscent of an era gone by. On the upper floors, variations in color and style, conspire to the individual family members distinctive identities. The five gracious bedrooms are all ensuite with an additional 2 bathrooms in the home for guests. The textural variety of the fabrics and other materials in the home add to the richness and warmth to the classic architecture. The primary bedroom has quiet tones that extend into the ensuite bath and walk in closet. The oversized covered rear veranda offers awe-inspiring waterfront panoramas across the expansive vistas of this waterfront estate that nestled into the landscape. Ultimately, the interiors defer to dazzling scenery that surrounds the home, which no amount of decorative bravado can hope to surpass. Although the architectural pedigree of this St Petersburg waterfront estate dates back to the early 1920’s, the invitational tone of the pool home and olympic size pool are far beyond the scale typical of this period. The pool terrace incorporates an outdoor kitchen with a pizza oven and a fireplace for those cozy evenings, two additional bathrooms, dog wash and ample sitting areas around the fire pit. The magnificent grounds also incorporate a bocce ball court and a putting green. The cloister walkway connects the main residence to a separate guest suite or staff residence. The very ample dock accommodates a 50K lb. lift to gain access via deep water to Tampa Bay. This amazing location allows for easy access and close proximity to some of the finest restaurants, shopping, airports and entertainment in all of the Tampa Bay Area. This estate is truly St Petersburg luxury living at its absolute finest.