A home rarely hits all the perfect notes, but occasionally, the connection between designer and client sings. That was the case in this contemporary Naples new build, designed by Clive Daniel Home’s Kaitlyn Kolek and Kialee Lykins to feel like a five-star hotel.
The homeowners had previously worked with Kaitlyn and Kialee on spec homes for their business and hit it off so well that they tapped the duo to design their personal home from the ground up. The clients’ vision was clear. Beyond vacation-worthy amenities—of which there are plenty—they sought the understated luxury that comes with destination hotels: dramatic proportions, lighting that functions as art and layouts that encourage guests to linger.
From the beginning, Kaitlyn and Kialee coordinated with Adnan Ahmedic of South Florida Architecture, and FL Star Construction to ensure balance from the shape of the space to the finishing touches. “We didn’t want the furniture to take away from the luxury of the architectural details,” Kialee says. They intentionally kept the furnishings—sourced from Clive Daniel Home—subdued, with low profiles and organic shapes, allowing high ceilings, light play and materials to carry the design.
Photography by Matt Steeves
Photography by Matt Steeves
Photography by Matt Steeves
Photography by Matt Steeves
While a cohesive neutral palette flows from room to room, materials define distinct spaces. European white oak floors in a medium-light stain run through most of the house, only giving way in the foyer and dining room, where 24-by-48-inch crisp white slabs of scratch-resistant dolomite marble are outlined with a contrasting grey-and-taupe accent tile. A sleek take on the tile rugs popularized at the turn of the century, the material transition helps to delineate distinct spaces without interrupting visual flow.
At the foyer, the team installed a 15-foot, nine-light Lagatto pendant chandelier from lighting company Eurofase. Each curved uplight in the intricate fixture casts a diffused glow toward the more than 24-foot ceiling. Upstairs, a glass-enclosed hallway hovers above the entryway, where the chandelier’s lights bounce off the glass. “Layered lighting enhances the depth,” the designer says.
Photography by Matt Steeves
naples home five star hotel clive daniel bathroom
In the adjoining great room, the Spherical Thirty-Light Stone Quartz Chandelier by John Richard hangs from the ceiling, the light refracting from quartz tips on each of the fixture’s 30 branches. In a nearby corner, a 12-foot, single-piece carved root sculpture from Phillips Collection glows with strategic backlighting. The designers positioned matching Galapagos Sofa 200s from Adriana Hoyos across from each other and connected the set with a daybed from the Clive Daniel Home collection. The arrangement creates a natural center point between the living room and dining room.
In the kitchen, the team installed a dropped ceiling panel to support the vent hood and faceted crystal-and-brass pendants that surround it. A white quartz inlay on the walnut vent draws the eye upward, while clean-lined counters in the same tone ground the space. Creature comforts add to the experience. A walnut-and-stone second island features a Hibachi-style flat-top grill to bring the action-packed dining experience home. (They recently invited Kaitlyn and Kialee over for dinner made on the Japanese-inspired cooktop.)
Photography by Matt Steeves
Photography by Matt Steeves
Photography by Matt Steeves
Photography by Matt Steeves
The designers showed restraint in the dining room, banking on two standout pieces set against white walls. Among many abstract pieces hung throughout the home, Stanley Casselman’s 72-inch Liquid (blue)—a reflective blue, circular piece made from chrome and acrylic on silkscreen, then layered with paint and metallic finish—anchors the room. “This is one of the most incredible pieces we’ve ever seen,” Kialee says. Meanwhile, two Elaris Chain Alabaster Chandeliers from Ardenel sweep across the tablescape, seemingly guiding guests through the pocket doors to the outdoor entertaining space.
Venturing outside, RVi Planning + Landscape Architecture arranged the grounds more like a clubhouse than a backyard, with distinct entertaining and recreational destinations. The alfresco living area—which swiftly becomes an extension of the interiors when pocket doors are open—is flanked by twin living walls, each roughly 100 square feet. “It’s like it’s all one big space,” Kialee says. A backlit sculptural installation glows along an accent wall on the covered terrace. And past the pool, a covered casita features a second outdoor kitchen and dining area with a built-in fire pit. Punctuated by a glass orb fountain, RVi kept the main lawn open and manicured, surrounding the green space with a putting green and tennis courts—an apt finishing touch for resort-inspired living.
1 of 2
Photography by Matt Steeves
naples home five star hotel clive daniel outdoor pool
The home’s resort-living inspirations come to life in the alfresco spaces, from its lounger-lined pool to a distinct entertaining area flanked by twin living walls and dotted with woven light fixtures.
2 of 2
Photography by Matt Steeves
naples home five star hotel clive daniel outdoor table
Architect: South Florida Architecture
Builder: FL Star Construction
Interior Design: Clive Daniel Home
Landscape Design: RVi Planning + Landscape Architecture