With the current love affair with all things gray, white and greige, I had forgotten the warmth of gleaming mahogany. While considered dated by the moment's modern, minimalist design standards, wood is a rich marker of this home. Built by Mel Miller, a Mennonite carpenter, the 5,000-square-foot home is filled with arched windows and glass doors. The ceramic Spanish tile, detailed molding work and oak wood floors have the same warm, Old World effect—which I'm betting the new homeowners will immediately replace with current cooler trends of hard surfaces and white color schemes. As of now, it's hard to tell. The deal is still recent, and the buyers haven't yet been registered on the Manatee County appraisal website.

The location on north Longboat Key is unbeatable and offers celebrity name-dropping opportunities. Just a few doors down, clothing designer Michael Kors bought a two-acre, double lot in 2013 for $6 million and built a sleek, modern home that looks like a hip, tropical resort. It was featured in Vogue and other high-profile publications.

The home, originally listed for $10.88 million in November of last year, has the same private beach access, plus Gulf of Mexico views. On almost an acre, it has an elevator and circular staircase that lead to a guest wing on the third floor that has two bedrooms and a sitting area overlooking the main living room. There are five en-suite bedrooms in all and an en-suite, two-story library and office. The home at 6211 Gulf of Mexico Drive also offers 6,000 square feet of outdoor covered spaces that include a heated pool and spa. The lower level can store up to seven cars and is a large flex room that can be used as a game room or home gym.

The previous owner of the Mediterranean-style mansion, Ronald Thomas George Platt, was ​​a resident of Longboat Key for 30 years and passed away in June at age 94. His five children aren't local and chose to sell. Platt bought the site, where an old cottage once stood, in 1989, for $400,000 and built his home from the ground up.

Those who toured it during open houses "liked the size, the view and the privacy most," says Judy Kepecz-Hays, the Coldwell Banker Realty agent who represented both the buyer and the seller. "The Gulf of Mexico is your backyard, after all."