As Featured in Desert News: Dellanos Construction Behind HGTV’s $2.2M Florida Keys Dream Home

In 2008, HGTV launched one of its most memorable Dream Home Giveaways — a $2.2 million island estate in Islamorada, Florida — and Dellanos Construction played a central role in bringing that vision to life.

Built as the first completed home in The Shore, an upscale, waterfront enclave in the Upper Keys, the property known as The Albright was designed to reflect the breezy charm and coastal elegance of Old Florida. It was one of eight planned homes in a private, semicircular development surrounding a large lawn and communal pool, with future private boat slips extending into the turquoise waters.

“Dellanos, 38, who recently started his construction business on Tavernier Key, oversaw the house's completion,” noted the original article from the Deseret News and Scripps Howard News Service. “Building began May 26 and the last nail was driven Sept. 18, a day before HGTV’s deadline.”

Working alongside architect Rick Wissmach, Juan Dellanos focused on fresh yet locally rooted designs — incorporating details like a traditional metal roof, wide outdoor staircases, and upper decks perfect for indoor-outdoor living. Standout features included a custom fishing room, a cascading outdoor shower, and colorful tropical landscaping by Richard P. Brown.

“This is one of the most incredible Dream Homes yet,” HGTV planner Jack Thomasson said at the time. “It’s right in the middle of the Keys... with all of the tropical dream features you would expect in a Dream Home.”

From concept to completion, Dellanos Construction helped bring this tropical retreat to life in just under four months — delivering on both vision and deadline for one of the network’s most high-profile projects.

To read the full article on Desert News click here!