®
Spring 2024
TRANSITIONAL REDESIGN ‘WONDERFULLY WRIGHT’S’ TRANSFORMATION FROM TUSCAN-STYLE TO A TRANSITIONAL HOME
240
homeanddesign.net
T
The shift in architectural trends is clear, as the traditional Old-World Tuscan and Mediterranean styles give way to modern, contemporary, and transitional homes. Adopting these newer styles doesn’t require tearing down well-built houses, as thoughtful remodeling can be effective in the hands of an experienced Interior Designer like Nan Wright and a skillful builder. The client enlists Wright Interior Group and BCB Homes to tastefully transform their Mediterra home from too-Tuscan to Totally Transitional. It’s fortuitous that the client’s desire for a neutral palette aligns with Wright’s approach to de-Tuscanize the exterior by removing iron and scrollwork and painting the precast embellishments and the body of the home in one hue, thus creating a transitional monochromatic exterior. Wright’s strategy is more than just surface changes; it’s a strategic reconfiguration of the floor plan. u Wine Cellar: Once a cramped space, the wine cellar has transformed remarkably, evolving from a storage area into a captivating destination and display for wine enthusiasts. Double 9-foot high contemporary-style black frame and glass doors enclose this new space. Interior Designer Monique Buechele with Wright Interior Group custom designs the new wet bar and hanging cabinet storage with a built-in ice maker and refrigerator. The acrylic rack system that holds the bottles gives the impression that they float in a clever, airy display.
homeanddesign.net
241
The redesign begins by opening the foyer, eliminating the loggia-inspired structure, and creating a grand great room. “Our philosophy centers on understanding our clients’ lifestyles and transforming their visions into reality,” shares Wright. “This client’s needs centered around wanting more bedrooms.” The built-ins on either side of the living room fireplace are removed, and Wright reallocates that space to become a closet for a new guest room on the other side of the wall. u Living Room: Wright creates an airy, sophisticated atmosphere in the great room, centered around this striking new contemporary fireplace and backlit quartzite surround — flanked by dynamic monochromatic art pieces. All the fabrics are performance as the colorway is light and a soft mix of grays and whites. Two Jessica Charles high-back chairs swivel to connect to the outdoor living area, while the Berhardt sofa in a textured white chenille faces the feature wall.
Entry: Wright opens up the entry by removing the columns and arches. This deconstruction connects the foyer to the great room and adjacent dining room, allowing the opportunity to add a conversation piece at the entry. The design team uses a sculptural mirror from John-Richard in a distressed Mayan bronze juxtaposed with a linear console table from Arteriors with a black wood top and textured gold legs. 242
homeanddesign.net
Wright and Buechele revamp the ceiling, enhancing the office’s pronounced linear theme. The wall and cornice are adorned with Phillip Jeffries grasscloth in Pebble Coast. The Sherwin-Williams paint Granite Peak in a deep blue-gray hue sets the space apart from the home’s strictly neutral palette while complementing the functional back wall of storage and shelves. The medium oak flooring from Real Wood Floors, chosen for its distinctive graining, is uniquely laid in a herringbone pattern, safeguarded by a glass chair mat. homeanddesign.net
243
“The niche was original to the home but was not center aligned with the ceiling detail,” explains Wright. “We reframed the niche to accommodate the server, all while giving it a more pleasing symmetry.” This niche, backed with a heavily textured Phillip Jeffries wallcovering in a warm brown hue, is a neutral backdrop for the bright but subtle artwork. Wright customizes the Vanguard table, bringing in durable luxury vinyl and fabric dining chairs with wood and metal accents for intrigue.
244
homeanddesign.net
Kitchen | Breakfast Bar & Table: Wright pulls this kitchen out of its Tuscan style by encasing the upper cabinetry in a soffit to eliminate the upper cabinet void, plus warm rift-cut oak cabinetry to elevate it beyond a purely white kitchen. The island combines all the cabinetry finishes and is topped with a Statuario Brown quartz. Nearby is the breakfast coffee bar with a built-in Miele coffee maker.
This adjustment also benefits the living room by removing the imposing builtins and allowing Wright to transform the fireplace wall into a sleek, captivating centerpiece without the heavy Tuscan structure. Transformations of this kind create new spaces where a fresh vibe can be achieved simply with new interior finishes and furnishings. While the wine room gets a dutiful do-over, the game room has no structural changes but is unrecognizable to its former decor. Interior Designer Monique Buechele with Wright Interior Group adds, “We’ve thoughtfully integrated mixed metals throughout, blending bronze, black, gold, and chrome.” This complements the sophisticated monochromatic palette, where pattern and metallic finishes are the accents, with a hint of deep blue in strategic areas — notably the office and pool table in the game room. Wright ingeniously modernizes the office by camouflaging the arched window, covering it up with a rectilinear cornice clad in the same wallcovering as the wall, effectively masking the home’s Tuscan past. u homeanddesign.net
245
Primary Bathroom: “The hotel-like sophistication flows into the bathroom, but the palette leans more cool gray than the warm gray of the bedroom,” Wright says. This bright bathroom is revitalized, having shed its heavy elements for a nearly freestanding glass shower enclosure and a sleek, freestanding tub. Cool gray Italian porcelain covers the floor and wall, highlighted by three-dimensional tiles from Luanda Bay Tile.
246
homeanddesign.net
Primary Bedroom: A sophisticated ambiance is achieved with this washable white coverlet on the bed accented with textured champagne shams and a duvet sourced from Wright Interior Group. Oversized nightstands and cascading drapery craft a captivating focal wall — enhanced in the corner with this elegant white upholstered chaise. The wood slat wall detail, in Agreeable Gray by Sherwin-Williams, tucks into the drapery pocket and is lit by the glow of ambient lighting. The refined finish on the brass accents enhances the opulent atmosphere of the room.
Wright’s approach isn’t merely about dismantling the old; it’s about repurposing and reusing. In the primary bedroom, Wright’s redesign relocates the double doors. This change enhances privacy by blocking the view from the lanai into the bedroom and transforms the space into a luxurious retreat, as the doors now open directly to the spa. u
homeanddesign.net
247
“New home construction is like a puzzle you put together,” shares Project Manager Susan Neilson of BCB Homes. “But a remodel is an exciting challenge full of surprises.” There were no surprises with this talented interior designer and exceptional builder — the redesign went off without a hitch. “On the day of the photoshoot, I walked through each room, and the transformation I saw was phenomenal,” remarks Marketing Assistant Kealy Griffin with BCB Homes. “You can tell that hard work, dedication, and love went into every detail.” n
Powder Bath: The bold wallcovering from Thibaut in shades of charcoal, taupe, and cream envelops all four walls, presenting a saturated twist on the home’s neutral color scheme. Feathers are artfully arranged as a flower inside an acrylic shadow box, echoing the floral essence of the brass sconces from Arteriors. Complementing these artistic elements is a sleek floating vanity with a marble top. Game Room: The coffered ceiling stays but gets a bright coat of paint and sleek ceiling fans from Minka-Aire to elevate the contemporary style. Using trim details and wallcoverings, the pool table zone is accentuated with embroidered taupe-and-gold grasscloth and a black quartz drink shelf. In the living area, floating shelves are introduced for display, and a Lexington console is used for storing games. A made-in-the-USA area rug with an organic cut edge seamlessly unites both areas.
248
homeanddesign.net
Outdoor Living: Relocating the double doors benefited the primary bedroom but disrupted the symmetry around the lanai fireplace, then jarringly off-center. Wright’s strategic use of large-format polished black porcelain tiles cleverly absorbs the excess space, visually minimizing the visual gap. She then centers a large television with the furniture arrangement, positioning it diagonally opposite the fireplace. A mantle extends across, linking the upper and lower elements, ensuring visual harmony. The arrangement is anchored by a sectional from Azzurro Living.
Pool Bath: This dynamic pool bath is a paradise for poolside prep, boasting a custom-built unit with polished nickel towel hooks, a bench, and pull-out drawers for extra towels. Wright blends serviceability with fashion, adorning the unit’s back wall with a water-resistant wallcovering featuring an abstract watercolor pattern in a gray, white, taupe, and blue palette. The cabinetry color is Gale Force by Sherwin-Williams, creating a chic contrast to the concrete appearance of the tile floor.
homeanddesign.net
249
Written by Rachel Seekamp Photography by Diana Todorova Photography Interior Designer: Wright Interior Group 6001 Taylor Road Naples, FL 34109 239.260.4850 www.wrightinterior.com Luxury Home Builder: BCB Homes 3696 Enterprise Avenue, Suite 100 Naples, FL 34104 239.643.1004 www.bcbhomes.com Resources: International Design Source 6001 Taylor Road Naples, FL 34109 239.591.1114 www.ids1.com Real Wood Floors 2013 Trade Center Way Naples, FL 34109 239.592.4572 www.realwoodfloors.com
250
homeanddesign.net
Front Elevation (Below): “Stripping away the ornate details, we were able to achieve a transitional look,” shares Wright, who chooses Incredible White by Sherwin-Willaims for the body and the precast embellishments. The corbels, garage door, and exterior door are highlighted in Iron Ore. “We were able to save and update the front door by removing the Tuscan ironwork, making the door more contemporary.” Wright evaluates every element for ways to deemphasize the old style and make it anew.