Shades of Gray

Elegant tones, luxurious textures and mixed metals make this Pelican Bay Woods home extraordinary.

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It all started with a magnificent tufted couch wrapped in charcoal velvet. That was the touch point for interior designer Renée Gaddis when she began dreaming up the design for this residence in Pelican Bay Woods in Naples. Throughout, gray tones, soft textures and elegant metallic finishes ground the spacious four-bedroom, six-bath, newly constructed home.

Drawn by Stofft Cooney Architects, the transitional, open-concept abode features soaring ceilings that reach 14 feet in the living and family rooms (and 12 feet elsewhere). With the couch, Gaddis decided to pair it with a nine-foot, two-sided, linear fireplace set in a solitary wall that was faux finished to look like one solid slab of marble. From there, it was on to the kitchen for the designer: “With the living and family rooms only separated by that double-sided fireplace and the kitchen and bar right off the family room, I wanted a really open kitchen feel.”

That’s why Gaddis opted to include the black metal open shelves. “And instead of doing a white kitchen—I feel like everyone has been doing a white kitchen lately­—I picked a greige-pewter color,” she adds. The open shelving makes the space feel lofty, and it’s balanced with a mix of walnut, white and gray cabinetry by Ruffino Cabinetry. It’s all offset with blended black and white countertops. Gaddis added an elegant warmth with antique brass and bronze metal lighting, hardware, plumbing and other accents. “With spec homes you can go one of two ways: try to appease everyone or be bold,” says Jacob Weiss, project manager on the BCB Homes build. “With this, you walk in and say, ‘Wow this is special.’”

Breaking away from the predominantly white kitchens that have become so popular, designer Renée Gaddis opted for a pewter base tone, accented with white and black surfaces and antique brass details.

The loft feel extends to the breakfast nook, where an oversized metal chandelier lays over a traditional round table surrounded by modern seating upholstered in a heather gray fabric. It stands over the home’s French oak flooring.

“I’m personally a brass lover,” Gaddis adds. “A lot of people think if you use one metal color it is more coordinating, but I think if you play the metals off of each other, one knocks the other down a bit.”

The mixed metals appear throughout the home, adding hints of old-world glamour when paired near quartzite surfaces, leather or cabinetry painted in classic hues. And while many spaces—from the spacious master suite to the inviting guest bedrooms—deserve appreciation, the home’s office demands special attention, with its herringbone flooring, a partner’s desk (always welcome) and blonde wood cabinetry that’s both sleek and retro at the same time.

In all, the home—which as of press time was available for sale for $6.1 million through Pat Biernat at William Raveis Real Estate—beautifully balances the hip edge of lofts with the elegance and sophistication that defines Southwest Florida design.

Greige might be a neutral color, but it sure isn't boring when paired with mixed metals and sleek art.

Breaking away from the predominantly white kitchens that have become so popular, designer Renée Gaddis opted for a pewter base tone, accented with white and black surfaces and antique brass details.

Gaddis' knack for blending contemporary design with vintage glamour is on full display in the kitchen, with its old world-inspired range, subway tile backsplash and mixed walnut and white cabinetry by Fort Myers-based Ruffino Cabinetry.

Subtly done, gold plumbing and marble read as elegant without being stuffy. Greige might be a neutral color, but it sure isn't boring when paired with mixed metals and sleek art.

Subtly done, gold plumbing and marble read as elegant without being stuffy.