2320 Wason 23-S-V1

OSPREY’S LANDING

EXCELLENT DESIGNS FOR THE SAME HOME —TWICE — TWENTY YEARS APART

TTwenty years ago, Interior Designer Mark Dalton, owner of Chic on the Cheap, designed the interior of this Sarasota home on Phillipi Creek. When the house sold decades later, the new owners wanted a style all their own and went online to find a designer. Excited by Dalton’s portfolio and business model, clients David and Karen Della Penta called Chic on the Cheap — completely unaware Dalton had designed the interiors originally. “For this house to come back to me is phenomenal and isn’t a coincidence,” explains Dalton. “I’m a firm believer that what you put out into the world, you get back, and this proves I’m doing something right.” u

Martini Lounge: Interior Designer Kim Caplan with Chic on the Cheap covers the walls and the cabinets on the bar in Benjamin Moore’s stunning Van Deusen Blue to set the right mood for this martini bar. The white backdrop in this attractive backlit blue agate wall feature from Design Works calls attention to the custom rolling chairs, upholstered in white faux leather. They are set around the café tables from Blu Home, while Caplan complements the deep tones with touches of gold, silver, and white on the luxurious pendant and lavish drapery.

Ladies’ Lounge: A curvilinear asymmetrical sofa set by the windows offers an inward view of this coastal home or outward to the peninsula and the osprey basket. Claimed by Mrs. Della Penta as a cheerful corner for her and her friends, this niche exudes a pleasant aura. These fossilized clam-inlay nesting tables from Robb & Stucky bring in some sheen, while the whitewashed wood-bead floor lamp and ropewrapped plant stands offer textural contrast in the space.

Dalton hands the reigns to Interior Designer Kim Caplan with Chic on the Cheap since, at the time, he was on medical leave. The Della Pentas seek a comfortable, airy design in a blue and white palette. “We want to give our guests the feeling of being at home in any room they are in,” share the Della Pentas. With the current layout fulfilling their needs, Caplan focuses on creating the right ambiance for these new Florida residents.

Collaboration is Caplan’s design ideology. “At the end of the project, the clients have to live in the space, but they also have to love it!” says Caplan. “The best way for clients to truly love their home is if they are participants in its creation.” “I didn’t want to present the clients with a house that was strictly blue and white, so I infused variation within the colorway to give the home its coastal ambiance and designer look,” says Caplan, who inserts coastal references throughout to build ambiance, but is never overt. Tasked with creating a unified design, Caplan emphasizes continuity and gives these homeowners a seamless experience from room to room. u

Dining Room: By replacing the dark cherry floors with light oak and whitewashing the dark stained ceiling, the space is unrecognizable from its former self. The front room — once a piano lounge — is now the casual dining area. Since this grand floor is open to the adjacent spaces, Caplan pairs a matching set of rugs from Rugs As Art and uses the same khaki and blue drapery in multiple rooms. Fisherman’s rope on the finials and a coral chandelier endow a subtle coastal ambiance.

Living Room (Right & Previous Spread): At a fleeting glance, what appears to be just a mirror above the fireplace is actually a television that extends and lowers to an enjoyable height through the use of a voice-command home automation system. With a stainless-steel base, this show-stopping cocktail table from Robb & Stucky features a collage of authentic silvery shells. Caplan selects a serene pastel blue fabric for the sofas and a crisp white for the pivoting chairs that she tops with an osprey motif toss pillow.

Fireplace Detail: This used to be a woodburning fireplace with ample built-ins. Now a gas fireplace, Caplan shores up the hearth and flanks it with bench seats — envisioning grandchildren cozying on the upholstered seats, wrapped in a sophisticated navy fabric by Perennials. Each coastal accent builds to create the overall shoreside narrative. The abstract sand dollar tile by Ann Sacks Tile & Stone, sourced through Tile Market of Sarasota, on the fireplace and the fisherman’s rope front pulls on the drawers enrich this narrative.

Kitchen: “This is a very cook-friendly kitchen,” delights Caplan, incorporating chef-centric appliances from Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery. “When we had to replace all the cabinets, we could maximize the storage since this couple enjoys cooking and entertaining.” The new cabinets are painted in a combination of Simply White and Van Deusen Blue by Benjamin Moore. Caplan selects the custom backsplash for this Florida home in a shell motif that complements the colorway with a touch of coastal whimsy.

Morning Room: This nook was an eat-in kitchen, but the clients had a different vision, so it became the morning room, where they could share a cup of coffee. Two comfortable white leather chairs from American Leather face the water with a convenient side table. Delicate blue and white hues on the linen valances shower this room with coastal colors that harmonize with the durable indoor-outdoor rug from Perennials.

Basement Bar: The existing basement floor gets an update, and the sports bar receives a new kitchen where Caplan brings in a playful wine bottle motif backsplash from Tile Market of Sarasota. Caplan designs the custom lighted liquor shelves and sources this unique bar top from an artisan woodworker who obtained the fallen tree after Hurricane Irma; the surface is filled with river rocks and finished with epoxy. Three hair-on-hide bar stools add intrigue to this masculine space.

Caplan proposes a whitewash for the tongue-and-groove ceiling that spans the main spaces to make this home feel light and airy. It is never a good time for a water heater to leak and ruin the existing kitchen cabinets and floors, except when that means they get to be part of the remodel! The functional layout stays, but all new kitchen cabinetry is brought in, showing off in blue and white.

The Della Penta’s peninsula lot offers a lush drawn-out view that includes a bustling osprey nest. When these homeowners aren’t bird-watching, they’re entertaining in either their moody martini bar — which used to be the formal dining room — or basement sports bar. While dining at Marcello Ristorante in Sarasota, the Della Pentas were drawn to the wall decor — a collage of wooden wine crates. They enjoyed it so much that they hired the same artisans to recreate it in their basement. u

The Della Pentas reflect on how easy Caplan made the whole process. “Kim embraced our concept wholeheartedly! Everyone was a pleasure to work with, and our vision came to fruition. We couldn’t be happier.” Caplan’s ideology that collaboration gives rise to the best creations is proven by her clients’ happiness, who undoubtedly will enjoy the next iteration of this home. n

Powder Room: A faux finish artisan treats all the walls throughout the home. The floor and ceiling faux treatment complements the iridescent glass mosaic flooring in this powder room, and Caplan hangs a miniature chandelier from Visual Comfort for a touch of bling. Rich, warm wood shows up on the dainty glass-front vanity, which is topped with a crisp white counter. Caplan amps up the bling with this delicate gold frame mirror and two gem-cut crystal sconces.

Guest Bedroom: A bountiful coastal ambiance fills this guest space, showing off natural caning on the furnishings from Robb & Stucky. The bright blue wall and complementary blue striated carpet solidify this color’s presence in the space, which allows the white accents to pop — highlighting the palm pattern on the Serena & Lily bedding. Caplan leaves the ceiling a clean white to balance the contrasting hues.

Primary Bathroom: Glass block is removed from this primary bathroom to make way for a bright, airy shower. Rays of light stream through the transom, beaming beyond the glass enclosure to illuminate this new layout. Custom palm frond tiles from Tile Market of Sarasota climb the shower walls and invite a bit of color, visual texture, and pattern to this crisp and clean white space.

Primary Vanity & Makeup Nook: Caplan pulls the color Aegean Teal from Benjamin Moore for the built-in makeup nook and vanity cabinets. The blue-green and gray hue speak to soft teal and dark citrine in the rug-like tile inlay from Tile Market of Sarasota, displaying a sweet, artistic expression of dahlias. Above the vanity are two mirrors with a reptile print on the frame, while at the makeup station, there is a lighted mirror with crystal accents.

Primary Bedroom: For this restful primary retreat, the faux treatment on the walls incorporates glitter on top of sand atop a creamy hue for a stunning and relaxing backdrop. Floor-to-ceiling drapery fabric with coy imagery from Kravet Couture lends a nod to the aquatic nature of the lamp bases and quietly complements the accent colors of gold and lotus pink seen throughout the rest of the space. The subtle blue pattern on the carpet ties in with the room’s color palette, while the creamy-white Hickory Chair furnishings blend harmoniously.

Interior Designer: Chic on the Cheap

866.663.6062

www.chiconthecheap.net

Resources: Design Works 4500 Carmichael Avenue Sarasota, FL 34234 941.355.2703

www.floridadesignworks.com

Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery 5521 Fruitville Road Sarasota, FL 34232 941.951.0110

www.build.com/ferguson

Robb & Stucky 7557 South Tamiami Trail Sarasota, FL 34231

941.702.8400

www.robbstucky.com

Rugs As Art 6650 South Tamiami Trail Sarasota, FL 34231 941.921.1900

www.rugsasart.com

Tile Market of Sarasota 1962 Main Street, Suite 120 Sarasota, FL 34236 941.365.2356

www.tilemarket.com

Written by Rachel Seekamp

Photography by Piper Creative Group