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Spring 2024
PELICAN BAY PERFECTION ANOTHER STUNNER FROM THE TEAM TRANSFORMING THIS PLANNED COMMUNITY
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Change can be hard to accept, and that’s a stigma Knauf-Koenig Group bumped up against when they tore down the first home in Pelican Bay to build a new one nearly 10 years ago. “Pelican Bay was one of the original planned communities in Naples, and there was this perception that it was perfect as is,” says Director of Sales and Marketing Nick Radick. “People thought we were going to do more harm than good.” Time tells a different story with soaring property values, and now the team — including the builder in conjunction with Architect John Cooney and the interior design team at Calusa Bay Design — is setting the trends for the new look of Pelican Bay. “We have this following — especially in Pelican Bay, where a majority of the projects this particular trio has done together — and our homes sell quickly,” Radick adds. A benefit of the new wave of construction is increased durability. Many of the homes in Pelican Bay built in the 1980s had wood frames, which made them unsuitable for the local climate. New technology and better planning have led to a more substantial and lasting community. “Water doesn’t mix well with wood, so many of these houses had termites and other sorts of wood rot,” Radick says. “We’re tearing these houses down and building new ones out of concrete block — making them stronger and all around better.” u
Front Elevation: With its crisp white board and batten siding, gray roof, rich wood corbels and soffit, black windows, and black metal doors with mullions running through them, this home exudes a quintessential coastal feel. “It would feel a lot different if it didn’t have those mullions running through the front door,” says Interior Designer Liz Brown of Calusa Bay Design. “If it were just wideopen glass, it would have a more contemporary feel, which we didn’t want.”
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While the focal point of the foyer is the striking front door, the space has a timeless look with the white beams and stained tongue-and-groove vaulted ceiling. The warm gray-brown color of the ceiling makes the foyer feel more intimate, even though the peak is relatively high. The soft tone of the European white oak Legno Bastone Wide Plank Flooring from Naples Flooring Company in Coreca from the Dolce Vita Collection creates a subtle richness to the main living spaces throughout the home. One side of the foyer features a textural Holly Hunt wall covering and a decorative mirror over a console. The Made Goods chandelier has three tiers of blue cocoa beads, and a soft rug by Loloi, abstract art, and two small benches round out the look. 178
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Great Room: The Calusa Bay Design team opted to keep the main upholstery pieces neutral and light to retain the open, airy feel of the great room, which opens to the outdoor living area. Because it’s the only lounging area in the home, they selected an oversized sectional from Century Furniture in white performance fabric. Shades of blue, as seen throughout the house, appear here in the accent pillows and on the Chaddock cocktail ottoman with its upholstered top in a navy blue textured performance fabric. A hand-knotted rug from French Accents combines all the colors and grounds the furniture in the space.
Powder Bathroom: All of the cabinetry in the home is custom-designed by Calusa Bay Design, and the powder bath vanity is no exception. The mix of open and closed storage keeps the piece from feeling heavy, while the warm color adds a bit of contrast. Brown decided on a built-in mirror to include the cabinetry-style frame and faux panel that repeats in other cabinetry in the kitchen, den and other areas. Textural Phillip Jeffries wallpaper and a delicate pendant light from Z-Lite add a hint of luxury to the small space.
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Kitchen: The oversized island with seating for seven is perfect for the family who will gather in a large group here. Although the kitchen is open to the other living spaces and the ceilings are high, the warm wood tongue-and-groove ceiling defines the area and makes it feel more intimate. The backsplash tile from Lunada Bay Tile is recycled glass in various opaque and translucent blues. A six-burner range is highlighted by the extra-wide custom zinc hood designed by Calusa Bay Design. Crisp white cabinetry includes a mix of drawers, open shelving, an appliance garage, paneled appliances, and more. Dining Room: “Initially, the space that is now the office was supposed to be the dining room, but once the clients bought the home, they really wanted to have the dining room incorporated into their common area because that’s where everyone’s going to be hanging out,” Brown says. “We opted to put the dining room between the great room and the kitchen, which worked well.” Because of its large size, she opted to keep the Hickory Chair dining table light in color while contrasting it with the Vanguard Furniture chairs in a gray-brown tone with soft blue faux-leather upholstery on the seat and a durable performance fabric on the chair backs.
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This particular home started as a speculative project but sold before completion. The couple who purchased the property as a second home wanted something that would suit their entire family, including children and grandchildren. “They primarily live up north, so when they’re in Florida, they love to entertain — they just love to be outside in the pool and coming back and forth from the beach,” says Interior Designer Liz Brown of Calusa Bay Design. “This house allowed them to live that lifestyle with their entire family.” They also sought something livable — not too formal, something welcoming that could withstand many guests in and out of the pool. They desired the perfect coastal casual. “We just wanted to keep it classic and timeless inside and a great transitional coastal look on the outside with the black windows and the metal roof,” Brown adds. This 6,900-square-foot, four-bedroom, six-bathroom home, with its crisp whites, performance fabrics, wide open spaces, and Legno Bastone Wide Plank Flooring from Naples Flooring Company, achieved those goals in spades. u
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Den: This space was initially intended to be the dining room, so the team designed a bar with a pass-through. When the homeowners opted to change the plan and turn this space into a den, the design team closed off the pass-through with a mirrored backsplash and added a door that replicates the look of the front entry door to allow beautiful natural light to flow through the space, while still creating privacy for work or intimate gatherings. A neutral, textured wallpaper and a group of four lounge chairs from Hickory Chair add to the warmth of the space.
Mud Room: With a large, active family coming and going from the pool and the beach, creating a drop zone for beach bags, raincoats, sandy shoes, and more was essential. In addition to creating standard cubbies and locker spaces, Brown took the design one step further by adding the cabinet panels at the back of the spaces that coordinate with other paneled cabinetry in the home for an upgraded, finished look.
Club Room: The club room serves as a space for the grandkids to congregate or as an additional guest bedroom if needed. With this in mind, Brown added splashes of orange and green while keeping it light and airy. The sectional sofa by Century Furniture features a pull-out, and the rug from Jaunty adds texture to the room. This space is easily closed off with glass-panel doors that allow light to stream in from the floor-to-ceiling windows.
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“We just wanted to keep it classic and timeless inside and a great transitional coastal look on the outside with the black windows and the metal roof,” says Interior Designer Liz Brown of Calusa Bay Design. Pool Bath: To ensure ease of use and to maintain the beach casual style, the pool bath flooring is the same shellstone as the pool deck. The wallcovering is a blue textured vinyl — like the flooring, perfect for an area with wet feet and bathing suits. The custom vanity with louvered doors and soft glazed finish gives the room the feel of a Caribbean-style spa. The built-in mirror with cabinetry framing and faux panel above creates continuity with the rest of the home.
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Developer and owner of Calusa Bay Design, Leslie Sherman, is focused on what she wants to see in this new version of Pelican Bay homes — namely features that maximize space, such as high ceilings, all en suite bedrooms, extra garage space, and more. “Specifically, when we have these one-story homes, we like to keep the ceilings high just so that there’s a lot of airflow, great ceiling details, and great natural light,” Brown says. “Open concept common areas are also important.” n
Primary Bedroom: The primary bedroom is enveloped in light and views of the yard thanks to windows flanking the bed and wrapping around one end of the room. It also has direct access to the outdoor living area and pool areas. The windows and doors are wrapped in panel detail for a highly custom look. A pair of Jessica Charles swivel chairs allow the homeowners to read, watch television, or enjoy the view of the yard and pool. The furnishings add to the room’s serenity with soft colors and subtle patterns. The Vanguard Furniture upholstered bed introduces subtle texture, while the bench is upholstered in a soft watercolor-striped fabric in white and watery blue. The Loloi rug grounds the bed area, adding pattern and a hint of pale color.
Primary Bathroom: The primary bathroom is rich with custom woodwork, including tongue-and-groove on the walls of his-andher vanities. To create subtle contrast, Brown specified a glazed finish for the lower cabinetry, and the upper cabinetry on the wife’s side is white to ensure it doesn’t feel too heavy in the space. Quartzite countertops with understated veining play off the gray-striated dolomite floor tiles. A Kohler slipper tub sits in the center of the room, enjoying a framed view of greenery.
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Outdoor Living: The outdoor living area is designed for entertaining and to withstand the Florida elements with motorized hurricane shutters and solar/insect screens from Castle Services of Southwest Florida. The ceiling beams and the tongue-and-groove are stained cypress, as are the decorative wall treatment and outdoor kitchen cabinetry. The feature wall is clad in porcelain stone tiles that give the appearance of concrete. A sectional by Lane Venture and two swivel chairs provide ample seating around the TV and fireplace wall, while an adjacent outdoor dining area features an Ebel concretetopped dining table and Essentials for Living synthetic rope woven chairs that are part of the viewing and conversation area.
Pool: In addition to the outdoor and pool area furnishings, the Calusa Bay Design team selected the materials for the pool area — the Lunada Bay Tile waterline tile, the Grand Effects fire bowls, and the pool’s interior pebble finish. “The fire bowls are a great feature,” Brown says. “They’re water and fire. The water spills out of them into the pool, and the waterline tile wraps those pedestals. We created an oasis feel out there.”
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Written by Heather Shoning Photography by Diana Todorova Photography Interior Designer:
Resources:
Calusa Bay Design 5121 Castello Drive, Suite 2 Naples, FL 34103 239.325.2800 www.calusabaynaples.com
Castle Services of Southwest Florida 3963 Enterprise Avenue Naples, FL 34104 239.304.4620 www.castleservices.net
Luxury Home Builder:
Legno Bastone Wide Plank Flooring 168 Commercial Boulevard Naples, FL 34104 239.206.1898 www.legnobastone.com
Knauf-Koenig Group 5640 Taylor Road, Suite 3 Naples, FL 34109 239.592.9900 www.kkgbuild.com
Naples Flooring Company 900 5th Avenue South Naples, FL 34102 239.263.1213 www.naplesflooring.com
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