A new $9.5 million waterfront listing in Fort Lauderdale comes with an interesting design connection to Palm Beach.
The architect behind 121 Nurmi Drive is Daniel Kahan of Smith & Moore Architects, the same designer responsible for Tom Ford’s former estate at 241 Jungle Road.
Only here, Kahan traded Palm Beach formality for a distinctly tropical-modern approach.
Set in Las Olas Isles, the four-bedroom residence spans approximately 4,878 square feet and sits on 0.28 acres with 100 feet of deep-water frontage, a private dock and unrestricted ocean access.
Christina Freedman of Douglas Elliman holds the listing.
Built in 2020, the house was designed to make the water visible almost immediately.
Fourteen-foot ceilings give the primary living spaces a gallery-like scale, while large expanses of glass frame the canal outside.
That emphasis on openness continues in the kitchen, where fully retractable glass walls can effectively erase the boundary between the interior and outdoor entertaining areas.
The kitchen itself is finished with leathered quartzite countertops, custom cabinetry and a separate chef’s pantry.
Rather than packing every amenity onto the main level, one of the home’s most distinctive choices happens upstairs.
An entire floor is devoted to the primary suite.
The oversized private level includes two spa-style bathrooms, two walk-in closets, its own fitness room, a dedicated laundry area and a library with a wet bar.
It also opens onto a waterfront terrace positioned for sunset views.
The scale makes the primary suite feel less like a conventional bedroom and more like a private apartment within the house.
Three additional bedrooms bring the total to four, while the home has five full bathrooms and one half-bath.
Outside, tropical landscaping surrounds a heated saltwater pool, creating a much more secluded atmosphere than the central Fort Lauderdale location might suggest.
A covered dining loggia, outdoor kitchen and gas fireplace extend the entertaining setup into the backyard, with the water just beyond.
For boat owners, the 100 feet of deep-water frontage is arguably as important as anything inside the house.
The private dock offers unrestricted ocean access, putting the property in a particularly appealing position within Las Olas Isles.
That combination of serious boating infrastructure and architectural pedigree gives the home a slightly different angle from the usual South Florida waterfront listing.
There are also several features designed to make the house easier to live with day to day.
A private elevator connects the levels, while smart-home automation, integrated art lighting, motorized shades and multi-zone air conditioning handle many of the home’s systems.
There’s also a whole-house generator, water filtration system with leak detection and a two-car garage.
The location keeps the house close to Las Olas Boulevard’s dining and shopping, as well as Fort Lauderdale Beach, without sacrificing the quieter residential feel of the surrounding waterfront streets.
But the design pedigree may be what gives 121 Nurmi Drive its strongest identity.
Kahan’s work at Tom Ford’s former Palm Beach residence provides an easy point of reference, but the Fort Lauderdale house takes a different route — lighter, more open and much more directly tied to the water.
At $9.5 million, it brings that architectural thinking to a 100-foot stretch of Las Olas Isles waterfront, where the primary suite gets an entire floor and the boat can wait just outside.
121 Nurmi Drive is listed for $9.5 million with Christina Freedman of Douglas Elliman.
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