A stunning $4 million custom home in Bay Hill's prestigious neighborhood has captured the attention of architecture enthusiasts and potential buyers alike, earning first place in this year's annual Parade of Homes Orlando contest in the custom home category. The 3,987-square-foot residence has become the most photographed home in the 2025 Parade of Homes, drawing crowds with its innovative use of shutters as a central design element rather than mere hurricane protection.
The home's most striking feature is its sophisticated shutter system, which transforms both the exterior appearance and interior lighting throughout the day. According to listing agent Mark Anthony with ROI Ave., the black, wood-grained panels create an ever-changing light show inside the house. "Depending on the time of day and how the sun's rays hit the house, if you have some of the shutters closed, it creates a little light design of the sun's rays coming through," Anthony explained. "It changes the atmosphere and the mood of the whole entire home."
The unique lighting effects have earned the property a memorable nickname among locals. "People are calling it the '50 Shades of Grey House Orlando,' and it has nothing to do with a movie, by the way," Anthony said with a laugh. "Instead, it is about those shutters that can seem to gray out the house and the light from the windows." The home features an abundance of windows that provide transparency from front to back, creating a spectacular visual experience, especially when illuminated at night.
The architectural concept centers on bringing sensuality into residential design through thoughtful details and materials. "The idea with the house is pretty much how do you bring a concept of sexy into architecture and bring it into a home's structure?" Anthony noted. The designers achieved this vision by incorporating soft textures and curved elements throughout the house, from countertops to mirrors, while maintaining an edgy contemporary aesthetic. The home's exterior is clad in aluminum slatted panels designed to mimic wood grain, with gray slatted shutters that echo the finish on the garage door.
Inside, wall-to-wall sliding glass doors flood the living spaces with natural light, creating seamless indoor-outdoor flow. The primary bathroom showcases the home's sensual design philosophy with curved counters and mirrors specifically shaped to echo feminine forms. The master bedroom suite, which Anthony identifies as his favorite space in the house, overlooks the pool area and creates what he describes as a "Zen feeling" enhanced by generous closet space.
The backyard serves as the home's crown jewel, featuring a nearly 100-foot-long swimming pool crafted entirely from imported Brazilian marble that spans the length of the house. This extraordinary water feature, combined with the home's dramatic lighting effects and architectural details, creates what Anthony describes as a "piece of art" that should appeal to buyers interested in art, design, and fashion.
Currently listed at $3,999,995, the home has been reduced by $200,000 from its original asking price approximately six months ago, reflecting current market conditions. At $1,003 per square foot, the pricing acknowledges the home's unique features and high-quality construction. "The developer said, 'Hey, let's reduce the price a little bit to gain a little bit of traction on the home,'" Anthony explained. "They understand it's a unique house and the price per square foot is a bit higher compared to other homes out there."
The four-bedroom, four-bathroom house sits on a substantial 0.42-acre lot in Bay Hill, a location Anthony describes as "where you have old money and new money all blended together." While the property doesn't front water or the golf course, it's situated in the highly desirable Dr. Phillips area, home to the PGA golf tournament and known as a luxurious and prestigious neighborhood.
ROI Ave. built the house on speculation before entering it in the Parade of Homes, with Anthony handling marketing and sales from the project's inception. The company's goal was to "bring something different to Orlando" with a truly one-of-a-kind design. The home comes with an unusual stipulation: buyers must promise not to replicate the design, ensuring its exclusivity in the market.
The ideal purchaser, according to Anthony, would be someone seeking a distinctive property that reflects their lifestyle and status. "The ideal buyers are people who want something that is one-of-a-kind, that is not cookie-cutter and kind of reflects their lifestyle and their status of life and something that no one really has out there," he said. The home represents a bold experiment in residential architecture, proving that luxury housing can push creative boundaries while maintaining practical livability.
