Dream Homes

A model of coastal contemporary; a Gulf Shore Boulevard remodel with room to spare; and a sophisticated residential bar.

by

Gold Standard

The first day this MHK Architecture and Planning-designed home, on 770 Park Street in downtown Naples, went live, Debi McInnis, the listing agent with Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, received three offers and had nine showings. “When people walked in, they said, ‘Whoa, I never would have expected all this on the inside,’” she says.

The seller, writer Lori Fornia-Fleming, worked with Rita Santon of Coventry Lighting and Design Center to reimagine the interiors, including in the open-concept living area, with 26-foot ceilings and a loft. Windows placed high on the walls allow natural light to flood in, and to further brighten things, a solid Carrara marble media wall frames the television and one of the home’s two fireplaces. Behind it, earth-tone wallpaper with a subtle sparkle gives the room an enchanting shimmer at sunset.

The design team carried marble through the kitchen, adding a four-inch slab on the oversized island. White Shaker-style cabinets by Ruffino Cabinetry keep the space looking crisp, while the recessed ceiling is inset with European oak planks to add warmth. Artistic pendant lights illuminate the island, and Wolf appliances and a Sub-Zero wine cooler make for a “chef’s delight,” McInnis says.

European oak flooring spans the home, including the three bedrooms with en-suite baths and the loft upstairs, as well as the primary bedroom on the first floor. The main suite has vaulted shiplap-clad ceilings and an accent wall covered in palm-frond-printed wallpaper. Beside a cozy reading nook, a wall of glass slides away and brings you to the pool, spa and bubbler fountain, all situated beneath a water wall. McInnis imagines a perfect winter night in the primary bedroom with the slider open, falling asleep to the cool breeze and the sound of trickling water.

The room and patio are oriented toward western exposure, maximizing sunset views. Although McInnis referred to the interior when mentioning “splashes of color that made [the home] come alive,” we bet the sunsets do the same.

Renovation Spotlight

When the owners of this three-story Gulf Shore Boulevard residence approached Harwick Homes to freshen up their interior spaces, they were armed with inspiration photos and ideas for finishes and materials.

Despite its 2011 build, the home lacked appeal and function. Rooms were tight and spaces needed to be reconfigured for better use of its 3,953 square feet. “They loved the location and proximity to the beach,” Shane Klepko, president of Harwick Homes, says. “But they absolutely couldn’t live with the master bedroom, closet and bathroom layout. It was very compartmentalized.”

Klepko and his team removed the wall separating the primary bedroom and bathroom to create a single, open space. They gutted the bathroom, replacing the seafoam green vanities with an electric fireplace. Gray-toned oak flooring flows throughout the space, which increased by 30% with the addition of a new sitting area.

In the kitchen, Klepko kept the cabinet boxes and refaced the doors, painting both black. A Triton Metallica glass tile backsplash adds contrast above the counter, while the island has a mitered, waterfall edge Taj Mahal quartzite countertop.

For the stairwell connecting all three floors, Klepko added warm wood treads and landings to coordinate with the home’s existing wood floors, and replaced the handrail assembly with white oak and thin stainless steel cabling to allow for clean sight. A long, sculptural light fixture cascades down the stairwell, giving off light on every floor.

Not every remodel is as clear-cut as this one, but a strong playbook can make all the difference. “[The owners] knew exactly what they wanted and took some time to make sure we could modify it that way,” Klepko says.

Must Have...A Bar that Beckons

Interior designer Gloria Black drew from her Chicago background to deliver a city-chic aesthetic to a residential bar in a home in Naples’ Talis Park. For the clients, who love to entertain, Black envisioned a welcoming nook that was timeless in its design, but could stand up to a rousing get-together. “How I describe it is: Boston men’s club-meets-cool coastal,” she says.

Navy glazed cabinetry, quartzite stone and an ombre-stained backsplash complete this sophisticated Talis Park home bar by designer Gloria Black. Courtesy Gloria Black Design/Lori Hamilton.

In a corner off the first-floor living area, she installed navy blue glazed cabinetry that complements the hues in a quartzite countertop, then replicated the look with a raised bar counter that features the same stone in a waterfall edge. She emphasized the clients’ collection of liquors with a backlit shelf set against a custom ombre-stained glass backsplash. A tinted antique mirror above frames strategically hung wine bottles.

Black wrapped the entire bar in white oak from floor to ceiling to delineate the area from the rest of the room and suspended three crystal pendants to balance the length of the bar. “They have a little bit of that Old World look, with a slight Art Deco vibe, but a modern take on it,” she says. “We can give the local bars a run for their money.”