Creating a Warmer Welcome

The Naples Players’ Lobby Gets Overdue Refresh

When The Naples Players opened its doors on 5th Avenue in the 1990s, it gave downtown Naples a fresh and exciting new look. The tens of thousands of patrons spurred growth and revitalized the avenue. However, more than twenty years later, the theater aesthetically remained frozen in time.

“One of the most intriguing aspects of design work is that it is constantly evolving,” Executive Artistic Director Bryce Alexander said. “Our tastes and preferences change over time—artistically, culturally, politically—and so do our ideas of how our professional, private, and community spaces look and function.”

With different shades of paint patching the walls, wine stains dotting the carpet, and a color palette that fell out of vogue many years ago, The Naples Players lobby was no longer a reflection of today’s world class theatre performed in Blackburn Hall or Tobye Studio Theater. Balancing the need for a large-scale renovation against the practicality of a cost-effective revitalization, The Naples Players enlisted celebrated interior design company Josie Presar Design to provide a cosmetic refresh to the lobby.

“We focused on updating and softening the overall color palette of the space while also modernizing patterns and materials of the finishes,” Josie said. “To add warmth and visual perspective to the lobby, we added a new slat wood material around the entrance to the Tobye Studio Theater at the rear of the space.”

The main lobby undergoes its first major renovation since opening its doors in the 1990s. The theater’s restrooms, a natural extension of the lobby, also suffered. But with Josie’s ingenuity and design tricks, the space underwent a dramatic transformation.

“We reskinned the bathroom partitions with a wood look, added wall covering, changed out the faucets, and swapped in new back-lit mirrors to completely update and modernize the look of the space,” she said.

While the facility still needs major modifications to suit the theater’s growing needs, the atmosphere remains conducive to a high value artistic experience.