Interior designer Maritza Capiro wanted this vacation condo to feel like a jewel box—tailored, luminous, a little unexpected. The owners saw potential in the compact space but needed a better layout to make it shine. The first move was reworking the entry, where a washer-dryer closet blocked the view. “Who wants to see your laundry when you walk into your home?” she asks. Especially when the view beyond is gorgeous: a wide, green lawn dotted by palm trees, with the beach in the distance.
The founder of Maritza Capiro Designs Corp flipped the washer-dryer’s orientation, tucking the unit into a back hallway and replacing it with a built-in bar, complete with an ice machine and wine fridge. “Now, the view is unobstructed, and the bar cabinet is so much more attractive,” the homeowner says.
In the kitchen, the designer streamlined the layout, cramped by a refrigerator and stove squeezed onto one wall, different-sized cabinets that seemed cobbled and appliances cluttering the countertops. Maritza stole space from the kitchen to enlarge the primary bath behind it, then moved the fridge to line up to the edge of the window, added an appliance garage and swapped the traditional cabinets with clean-faced versions in sky blue.
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Photography by Dan Cutrona
marco island condo maritza capiro kitchen
Designer Maritza Capiro opened up the once-cramped condo by reconfiguring essential spaces, including centering the stove on the kitchen’s far wall to create a focal point. Baby-blue cabinetry and Spanish tile create symmetrical harmony, while terrazzo countertops recall the beach, and a fluted media cabinet brings architectural definition to the light-filled living area.
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Photography by Dan Cutrona
marco island condo maritza capiro patio
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Photography by Dan Cutrona
marco island condo maritza capiro living room
Now centered on the far wall, the oven creates a pleasing focal point, framed by symmetrical cabinets and a white ceramic Spanish tile as the backsplash and running up the hood. Paneling the fridge and setting the microwave into base cabinets keeps the look seamless. Terrazzo countertops with brown and gold specks complete the scene. “They have these beautiful little pebbles of colors as if you’re walking along the beach and encountering shells on the way,” Maritza says.
The primary suite got a full rework, too, starting with a new entrance closer to the kitchen for better flow. Inside, Maritza redesigned the closet and bath, creating his-and-hers vanities on opposite walls. A full-length mirror and built-in dresser in the hallway maximize the narrow passage between the bathroom and bedroom.
Maritza enlisted Alex Parker III of Alex Parker Builders to add clever built-ins throughout the home, adding storage and softening transitions between spaces. The media cabinet in the living room, with fluted doors, conceals the TV while keeping shelving open for display. A matching arch detail evokes a bygone-era charm in the bar, where open shelving shows off the couple’s spirits and glassware collection. The built-in dining table, set on a channeled pedestal, sits beside a banquette wrapped in United Fabrics upholstery in sunflower-yellow—a nod to the wife’s favorite color.
Photography by Dan Cutrona
marco island condo maritza capiro living room and dining room
The redesign maximized space, with plenty of built-ins, like the kitchen table and bench—done in sunflower yellow United Fabrics upholstery (a nod to the homeowner’s favorite color)—and concealed storage. Gentle curves, fluted details and white oak surfaces carry throughout the space for a unified aesthetic.
A soft, sunlit palette and thoughtfully repeated details—gentle curves, fluting and white oak—tie everything together. “We chose a palette of washed colors inspired by the light coming into the space—we want people to walk in and experience the sunshine,” Maritza adds. The sky-blue kitchen sets the tone, with the cheery cabinets and woven Palecek dining chairs reinforcing the sense of casual elegance.
The adjoining living room’s Rowe sleeper sofa and watercolor-hued Surya rug offer a softer spin on the kitchen’s blue, drawing the eye toward the view. A driftwood-inspired Palecek mirror above the couch amplifies the look of the space and bounces light. A cornice at the top of the sliding glass doors hides motorized window treatments, which come in handy to shield the rays for movie-watching afternoons. On the lanai, a pedestal table invites coffee at sunrise or cocktails at sunset.
In the bedrooms, bold wallpaper makes a statement. Maritza custom-designed the primary bedroom’s soft rose and taupe pattern to echo the cabinetry’s fluting, adding subtle texture. “We played with the materiality in different shades of white to make it interesting while keeping it calm and soothing,” says Maritza.
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Photography by Dan Cutrona
marco island condo maritza capiro bedroom
Playful details punctuate the condo, including the custom wallpaper Maritza designed for the primary bedroom to echo the fluting on the living room bar. An irregular pattern of vertical glazing in ocean blues and browns peps up the guest bathroom.
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Photography by Dan Cutrona
marco island condo maritza capiro shower
The guest room takes a livelier turn with a coral-print Schumacher wallpaper, a woven headboard and nightstands, and playful FlowDecor lamps.
Florals and natural textures punctuate the home, from a botanical-printed shower wall to rattan-framed chairs in the living room. The goal was for a design that feels of the place—not themed, but infused with the colors and textures of Marco Island.
With the tweaks, the once-disjointed space flows effortlessly, every detail considered and cohesive. “Now they can really enjoy the views,” Maritza says.
Builder: Alex Parker Builders
Interior Design: Maritza Capiro Designs
Photography: Dan Cutrona