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Spring 2021
TEXTURE in the SKY As Featured in Home & Design
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With The Colony high-rise condominium overlooking Estero Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, the developer realized there was much more than decoration necessary to complete each unit, especially this project. A design professional was essential to ensure changes to the floor plan as well as to proposed ceilings. When Jenny Provost of K2 Design Group and her team came on board, they began assessing the standard building plan to understand the client’s desired alterations, as well as her team’s proposed ideas. “Our approach is so comprehensive that our clients can live the lives they planned without interruption,” says Provost, president and design principal of the firm she founded 26 years ago, providing full design services to include conceptual design, photo real 3D rendering, and plans for construction and execution of designs. u
Foyer: The foyer’s contemporary style is shaken up with the incorporation of time-honored patterning and features marble flooring. Dimensioned wall panels in a damask pattern are the backdrop to a stainless-steel ledge. More texture is provided by the commissioned porcelain art installations in softly lit recesses by the elevator door. Living Room: The neutral tones provide earthly grounding in this “box in the sky.” Teal, softened by silver, complements the natural colors. “From nature, we found the beautiful colors of the precious stone agates in the Concetto stone bar backsplash and counters,” explains Jenny Provost, owner and designer of K2 Design Group. A typical condominium cabinet, counter, and wine cooler bar is transformed with meticulous planning to add a beverage cooler and ice maker, and to complete the bar setting is a service bar with seating.
A concrete box becomes an enlivening experiment with texture and lighting to create an impressive condo home overlooking two bodies of water As Featured in Home & Design
Provost’s approach to projects starts by determining her clients’ wants and needs. “Then I attack it by looking at what the immovables are in the condominium, such as rain leaders, waste pipes, and structural columns,” she explains. “Once those are established, it’s a whole new canvas! By steering clear of thinking about changing objects one by one, I am able to design plans that, frankly, take the client’s breath away because the changes are so transformative.” u
Kitchen: “The design aesthetic combined with the knowledge of who my clients are (well-traveled sophisticates) led me to think about Louis Vuitton and the line’s magnificent steamer trunks,” says Provost. The island’s design and choice of materials — from K2 Design’s in-house cabinetry line — stemmed from the interest in the luxury brand’s iconic product. Provost and team suspend the gas cooktop and cabinets to visually widen the floor space, adding dramatic lighting on the textured wall. The cerulean seats from Cattelan Italia sport quilted backs. Dining Room: A myriad of triangular mirrors on the feature wall provide a shimmering effect from the reflected light above the viewthrough fireplace. Dining for eight takes place at a smoked glass table with a black nickel-finished base from Minotti, surrounded by impressively modern, slightly contoured, upholstered chairs.
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Master Closet: Twin designed walk-in closets are fitted with gloss lacquered components from K2 Design. LED lights have been strategically added to the shelves and valances to provide ideal lighting. Matching floor-to-ceiling sliding panels conceal or reveal each of the closet spaces. Clever hardware selection provides that both doors on each closet open when one door is manipulated.
Master Bath: The client wanted a more open space and large shower instead of the unit’s original bathtub. A glass partition invisibly separates the shower, featuring refined white and chrome combination fixtures. “A windowless bathroom like this one needs a light color palette, and very good artificial lighting,” concludes Provost. A playful pattern was added via the installation of the Coral Chandelier, which seemingly floats over the center of the room.
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Continuing into the master suite are dusted umber neutrals with soft teals in the bedspread and tête-à-tête seating, along with the dimensioned walls in a soft floral pattern that expresses curvilinear design, important for the flow from room to room. The ceiling boasts five overlapping panes, painted in subtly different neutral shades for dramatic emphasis. Dimmable LED accent lighting is tucked into the ceiling ledges. The use of teal as an accent color “harmonizes perfectly with the monochromatic nature of our brown-based neutrals,” explains Provost.
The homeowners were open to “what could be” rather than “what I’ve got in mind” and wanted a premium quality level with modern design. This home also has a sense of masculinity as the client’s husband was largely involved throughout the process of the 3,573 square-foot space, featuring three bedrooms, a den, and three and a half bathrooms. Ample terraces make up an additional 529 square feet, overlooking spectacular views that offer opportunities for large expanses of windows and sliding glass doors, and consequently an abundance of natural light. The condo’s Gulf-facing views are extraordinary during the day, but at night they offer another viewpoint. The building is set back from the beach, making it easy to see the sparkle from nearby buildings and bridges to barrier islands. “From this condominium’s doors, windows, and balconies, elements frame the view of twinkling lights,” describes Provost. u
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“To create a sophisticated home in the sky for our client, we focused a great deal on texture,” explains Provost. “Dimensional products, such as some of the panels we installed in the master bedroom, kitchen, and entry lobby elevate this design from just another concrete and drywall box to a fully developed interior design.” A dramatic entry hall commands attention through various textures combined to create its striking appearance. “Ironically, in my latest ‘battle’ — my own personal war on drywall — I decided to employ a seriously dimensioned screen made mostly from gypsum, the product that is used to make the aforementioned drywall,” says Provost. “On the original wall surface, we installed light panels produced specifically for this project. Next, a layer of art glass the client loved when presented was adhered. Finally, the gypsum screen was put in place. In our studio, we all loved the way the screen shapes look like olives, fitting since this hall leads directly to the bar.” As Provost says, colors are trendy but neutrals have “legs,” which helps her when selecting a room’s furniture and accessories. The monochromatic choices in the condo’s living room are anything but mundane. Proper blending of similar colors, along with use of varied textures, assure the look of sophisticated ambience. The sectional sofa can live on as a staple in the room. Color was added with teal accent pillows, rich, similarly colored drapes, and other accents that can evolve seamlessly over the years. u
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Entry Hall: Condominiums often feature a long internal hall because building designers take advantage of views around the perimeter, according to Provost. The expansive hall features gypsum screens in a curvilinear pattern with glass tile-clad LED light panels that illuminate the path as one traverses the hall. The textured theme continues in the overall design of the home with mid-century patterned wallcoverings in the ceiling recesses. Guest Bedroom: Traditional and modern design elevate each other in this guest bedroom that applies a Greek-key drapery fabric design. The traditional design in this room gives the modern side more ornamentation, while the modern side protects the traditional patterns from appearing dated. Neutral matte finishes are enhanced by the bronze and teal colors and luster in the decorative sham treatment.
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The den is atypical of similar rooms and offers a serene, modern look. While great rooms are great, Provost delivered a welcoming room she refers to as a “snugglein” den. “As a nation, we’ve moved away from smaller rooms in our homes to the expanses of great rooms,” she says. “Sometimes, however, a cozy room is what is needed to feel cocooned, even hugged.” The
biggest
challenge
in
redesigning
the condo was community and building access because work hours were limited. However, design is relatively unaffected. “It’s the actual execution, the getting it done, that is frustrating in working on a condominium rather than a single family home,” concludes Provost, adding that the result was worth the effort. “These projects are long, with lots of ups and downs, but at the end of the project, I have a good relationship with my clients.” n
Guest Bedroom: Romo Fabrics’ Villa Nova line offers the perfect foil to the ubiquitous double guest room. “Queen beds back onto draperies reminiscent of giant swirly lollipops in tutti-frutti flavors setting up visitors for a fun-filled visit,” says Provost. The drapery design conceals an awkwardly placed small window while filling the room with genuinely cheery colors, all against the brown-based neutrals, again used for continuity in the overall design. Guest Bathroom: “Teal flows into turquoise waters with dancing koi fish in this mosaic tile art installation,” describes Provost. What previously was a closet in the adjacent study is transformed into a shower to make this a complete bathroom for overflow guests. A nod to curvilinear context is in the shape of the custom Corian mirror frame and Lacava toilet.
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“As a nation, we’ve moved away from smaller rooms in our homes to the expanses of great rooms,” Provost says. “Sometimes, however, a cozy room is what is needed to feel cocooned, even hugged.”
Den: The woven fabric on the sofa has a great “hand”, which Provost confesses is “designer speak for the way a fabric feels to the touch.” An ethanol burner-style fireplace was added, in addition to a silk and wool rug sourced through K2 Design and a heavy drapery in teal. “The column pleats provide a more modern silhouette than yesterday’s pinched pleats.”
Written by Rhona Melsky Photography by Doug Thompson Residential & Interior Designer K2 Design Group 25081 Bernwood Drive Bonita Springs, FL 34135 239.444.5205 k2design.net
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