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Still, the renovation had to be done — in wood, Spanish cedar for the facade and mahogany for the front stoop, which was so large it had to be lowered into place by a crane.

It also refers to “a sensuously curved staircase” with four bedrooms and a “gleaming, all-white kitchen. A roof terrace “is expensively paved with Indiana limestone and has a pergola built of clear Spanish cedar.”

Along with preventing deforestation, the communities have succeeded in protecting the most threatened tree species in the jungle, native bigleaf mahogany and Spanish cedar, according to a study released this month.

The sleek shells that resulted from the process were not only more beautiful than the Spanish cedar shells but also demonstrably faster.

“Almost every box I use here comes from Nicaragua or the Dominican Republic - someplace in Central America - and they are made out of Spanish cedar,” Reneker said.