Frank Lloyd Wright protege and prominent Central Florida architect Nils M. Schweizer designed the home located at 1602 Cottagewood Dr. in Brandon. The home was designed and completed by Schweizer in 1969 for Bill and Trudy Carey, of the Carey Cattle Company, and has remained in the family since its completion.
“I was 7; my brother, Billy; was 5; and my sister, Jill, was 1 when we moved into the home,” said Amy Carey Lee. “We loved having friends over to play. We even had a playroom in the attic space with a chalkboard wall. There are so many memories of celebrating holidays in the sunken living room and singing along with the piano player. The pool and sport court were added later for the grandkids.”
The Carey home is currently on the market, and Steven Moran of Keller Williams Suburban Tampa is the real estate agent.
“It is definitely an honor to represent the Carey family in helping with the sale,” Moran said. “This house was a rare 5,200 sq. ft. house on an acre that was the place to be in the ’70s and ’80s. I have personal memories of the house since myself and a lot of my classmates used to hang out here after football games almost 40 years ago. It has definitely come full circle for me personally when former classmates call me to represent the sale of their childhood home.”
Like his mentor, Schweizer was known for his use of concrete blocks, horizontal overhangs and floor-to-ceiling window walls to help blur the line between indoor and outdoor spaces. He was also known for a belief he called “build to heal,” which involved designing spaces to capture as much sunlight as possible.
“Bill and Trudy Carey were originally from Wisconsin and loved the work of architect Frank Lloyd Wright,” Carey Lee said. “A student of Wright’s, Nils Schweizer, was sent to Florida to supervise the building of Florida Southern College. In 1969, Schweizer designed the home for the Carey family over many kitchen table discussions. The Careys entertained a lot with family, friends and business associates from all over the world, so they wanted a unique and memorable home. As you enter the home through band-sawed cedar block double doors, there is a 2-story rock waterfall and pond with a spiral staircase. Some other mid-century modern features include a sunken living room, full bar, wood ceilings, a laundry chute, balconies, custom built-in cabinetry and floor to ceiling windows.”
The home has caused some major buzz since being placed on the market.
“In less than two weeks, we’ve had tremendous activity, and we are already under contract with a buyer that wants to keep the architecture and layout the same with some updating,” Moran said. “The new buyer has also expressed interest in putting a stone or monument to honor the Carey family.”
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