In the winter of 2014, a couple from Virginia rented a home at Verandah in Fort Myers to use as a base to explore Florida’s west coast. They were thinking of buying a home somewhere between Venice and Marco Island.
Within two to three weeks, Jim and Colette Hinson decided they loved Verandah’s lifestyle and wanted to build there. “The people are so nice and friendly,” Colette says. “Life there is so busy and so active, it’s also referred to as Camp Verandah.”
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Lime green was used as an accent color amid a range of blues selected for the home. |
As soon as they committed to build with Royal Corinthian Homes, their lives seemed to go on fast forward.
“We didn’t really want two homes,” Jim explains. They went back to the Roanoke area of Virginia and prepared their large lake house for sale. “We listed it and it sold in three days,” Jim says. “The people who bought it wanted everything.”
The Hinsons were left with scant furnishings. Thus, they selected a painting with hazy tones of blues and greens to share with Luanza Maitland and Sydney Leigh Warren, interior designers at Norris Furniture & Interiors.
“They brought in this beautiful piece of artwork. It was gorgeous,” says Maitland, who was happy to have the tones in the painting as a base for the design of the entire house.
“We wanted color in the house,” Colette explains. “We wanted it to be light and airy and soothing.”
The navy and dark red they had used for their Virginia home gave way to turquoise, ivory and pops of green that felt right for Southwest Florida. Colette kept her favorite color scheme—navy and white—in a guest room.
Since moving in May, the Hinsons have been busy finding exactly the right artwork—mainly by regional artists. “We continue to collect Florida artists,” says Collette, who once worked in a gallery.
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The master suite uses soft tones of blue, aqua and white to provide a restful space. Window treatments, custom bedding and all furnishings were put into place during one day last spring as the couple moved in. |
The Hinsons chose the Norris Furniture design team after viewing their work in one of Verandah’s models. Maitland was impressed with their love of clean, bright tones for their home. Coming out of the recession, she says, color schemes have been muted, placid and peaceful. The Hinson home brings in bolder pops of color that represent a sign of more vibrant economic times.
Meanwhile, the Hinsons were stunned with the precision this team had when it came to setting up their home and its new furnishings. Colette recalls a hectic week, arriving at their new place on May 18 of this year and then serving jury duty the following day. When the Norris team arrived on May 20, white gloves were pulled out, and by the end of the day nearly every last item was put into place.
Finally, the Hinsons’ lives have slowed down. Warm evenings can find them relaxing on the lanai, listening to the trickle of water in the background from a cherished piece of sculpture that is now situated near their pool.
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The spacious lanai at this new Fort Myers home provides plenty of seating spaces. “It’s like having our own treehouse and garden,” explains Colette. “It’s a real special place,” adds her husband. |
Builder: Royal Corinthian Homes; Interior Designer: Norris Furniture & Interiors; Photographer: Giovanni Photography
