An exclusive party and presentation was hosted yesterday evening, by/at Pansy Bayou Design Studio to spotlight the portfolio of founding principal Max Strang of STRANG Design. Meanwhile, Strang displayed his two published opuses Rockhouse and Environmental Modernism for purchase and book signing. Packing in to the studio, Sea Grape Wine Company provided the wine, while new mobile bar The Wandering Whale bartended outside. Graphic artist John Pirman, designer Charlotte Osterman, SAF Chairman of the Board Christopher Wilson, Umbrella House owner Anne Essner, international developers and more were amongst the crowd mingling over the shared passion for mindful, modern design.

“We’re pleased to welcome our new neighbor in the hood and happy to have him here to represent in the home design community,” says Ellen Hanson, Owner of Pansy Bayou Design Studio. Hanson met with Strang over coffee upon his move to Sarasota and loved his old-fashioned tactics and vernacular style—nodding particularly to the fact that he is one of the few architects who still sketches out his designs entirely by hand, before digitizing them into a computer-aided 3D program. “I love when I actually get onto the paper—it’s not all about the fancy computer stuff," he says. "The art part of architecture is really important to me and the art of drawing is something that should not be lost.” A recent gallery showcased STRANG’s intricate sketches and photography, which are now found through his books.

Strang’s candid presentation clicked through aerial and interior shots of the house he designed and raised his children in Coconut Grove—made famous as “the drug lord’s house” in the film Miami Vice. Further renderings of past projects displayed STRANG’s journey—beginning in Miami, expanding to Fort Lauderdale and most recently, opening a satellite office in Rosemary’s newly-developed BOTA center. When asked by the audience how he ended up from the east coast of Florida to the gulfside, he shared stories and photos of his relationship/inspiration of Sarasota School of Architecture (SSA) founder, family-friend and mentor Gene Leedy. “When I was a kid, I was hearing about people like Paul Rudolph, and when most kids my age at 10 or 12 had posters of sports teams or Farrah Fawcett hanging on their walls, I had a Syd Soloman poster,” he laughs. “So Sarasota has always been a respectable and special place for me.”

Strang ended the presentation with an announcement of his current and most proud project—spearheading the purchase and restoration of the late Gene Leedy’s iconic mid-century modern house. “We’re going to try and bring it back to life,” he says. “We’re going to make it look like you’re stepping back in time.” 

Photo of Sarasota local and principal Max Strang inside Pansy Bayou's downtown studio, courtesy of Wyatt Kostygan.

Rockhouse and Environmental Modernism books found here.

Former interior design student at Ringling School of Art & Design, now local entrepreneur, Jill Martini is a jane of all trades. While an established interior designer for many years, she decided to be her own boss and currently dabbles as an independent fashioner—creating customizable apparel and totes for her seaside-inspired line Avenue Blue—showcased and sold from her Etsy shop.

“I have always been an artist at heart and love to create things,” she says. And now keeping herself on her own toes, she decided to “put her design skills to the test.” Martini opted to convert an old, dilapidated trailer and dive into the events industry—with a cocktail in hand. She had an aquaholic vision for a boutique bartending service on wheels and utilized her ingrained skills as a designer—sketching up the mobile bar design, then calling upon master carpenter 4 Elements Industries to bring "the whale" to life.

Hitting the streets of Sarasota for the first time yesterday, The Wandering Whale is officially opened for bubbly business, and certainly turning heads with its retrofitted 1978 vintage horse trailer-turned modern mobile boutique bar. 

The Wandering Whale is available to bartend for any occassion, from weddings, birthdays, holidays, engagement parties and corporate events, to showers and graduations. Realtors, planning an open house? Simply provide the alcohol, and Martini will be able to mix up a refreshing lavender lemonade for your attendees to keep cool on a hot Florida day. Want to throw a Cinco De Mayo house party and have margaritas handled so you can salsa, or throw the coolest baby shower anyone's seen with a full-service outdoor mimosa bar? This wayfaring dive ensures everything goes swimmingly by bringing the party curbside and blowing your guests’ expectations out of the water.

Two options for booking include:

Mobile Bar Rental Only — Option to rent just the trailer and have your catering company as the bartender.

Mobile Bar + Bartender — Book the trailer and Wandering Whale bartender as a package deal. 

Photo by Wyatt Kostygan.

The Wandering Whale, 941-650-9950, hello@thewanderingwhale.com

Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation has appointed Robert (Bobby) Pettit as Vice President, Finance & Operations. Pettit will manage all finance and operational functions at the Healthcare Foundation. Previously, he held the position of Assistant Director, Corporate Finance for Memorial Healthcare System in Hollywood, FL, and Senior Financial Auditor at Baptist Health South Florida, in Miami. He began his career at Ernst & Young, LLP as a senior auditor. A CPA, Bobby graduated from University of Miami with a BBA in accounting, and holds an MBA in Finance from Nova Southeastern University. 

Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation

Realtor Audrey Smith of RE/MAX Alliance Group has earned the Real Estate Negotiation Expert (RENE) certification from the National Association of Realtors. The two-day interactive course gives realtors the tips and tools to be successful advocates for their clients, including sharpening their negotiation skills, dealing with behind-the-scenes issues, sorting out competing objectives and handling a wide range of personalities and situations.

Smith is the team leader of the Audrey Smith Group, assisting buyers and sellers from Bradenton to Punta Gorda, with primary emphasis on the Venice and North Port markets. She has 12 years of local real estate experience. Her commitment to professionalism is reflected in her award-winning customer service and numerous designations, including Accredited Buyer's Representative (ABR), Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) and Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist (CLHMS). 

RE/MAX Alliance Group

The Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee has released its monthly report. In March of 2019, inventory continues to rise in the Sarasota and Manatee housing market. As for sales, single-family homes increased, while condo sales decreased. The two counties differ in prices with a median price increase in Manatee County and a decrease in Sarasota County. Following the same trend as February’s report, closed sales increased for single-family homes but decreased for condos in March. Single-family sales increased by 8.4 percent to 629 in Manatee County and increased by 1.4 percent to 778 in Sarasota. Manatee condo sales decreased by 2.8 percent to 276 and Sarasota condo sales decreased by 13.6 percent to 393. Pending sales, or the number of properties that went under contract during the month, decreased by 0.3 percent in the two-county area. Single-family pending sales increased by 0.2 percent in Sarasota County and increased by 5.7 percent in Manatee County. Condo pending sales decreased by 0.6 percent in Manatee. As for Sarasota, condo pending sales decreased by 6.4 percent.

More details can be found at the website below. 

RASM March 2019 Statistics