RestfulRetreat

from Your Home Magazine|May/June|The William Stacey Team

Outdoor Kitchens

A beautiful example of a relaxing, yet elevated style in a vacation home, this condo in Mystique allows its owners and their friends and family to enjoy the amenity rich options and beach adjacent location this unique building offers. Brought in to help the client take a decorator ready condo to owner ready, Laurie Walter, Owner of Cardamon Design, was tasked with creating the comfortable space that captured the owners’ designer for a home that reflected the beauty of its natural setting. “The colors here capture the tones of the water and sky outside,” says Walter. “The whole space is filled with this great natural light and the abundance of floor to ceiling windows means you see the beautiful location from every room. That really was the inspiration.”

By Channing Spano | Photography by Rick Bethem Photography

Dining Well

The floorplan of this unit is unique as the elevator foyer opens into the dining room and not the main living area. This created a small challenge for Walter as she wanted to create a space that matched the beauty of the elevator foyer design she created as well as set the tone for the rest of the home. “The flooring here really helps define the space,” she says. Run in a chevron pattern and surrounded by a border, the White Oak floors by Legno Bastone set this space apart while helping to create definition between the dining, living, and family rooms. Walter then went on to create the ceiling details adding horizontal beams backed by a stained tongue and groove accent that matches the color of the floors. The far wall, a floating wall added by Walter, serves as a focal point for the room. “Originally this was a window and the owners wanted to create a space where they could hang a little more art,” says Walter. “I added this floating wall which creates a really beautiful effect while not blocking the light and gives the space a little more definition.” On the second wall, two diptychs from Art 41 bring in the coastal tones. The colors were decided on during a meeting on-site based off of fabrics, art, and wall colors that had already been chosen or were in place. The table, by Vanguard, is a cerused oak and adds the perfect beach side feeling while still keeping with the upscale feeling of the space. It’s flanked by Vanguard dining chairs with the host chairs sporting a playful fabric to add more visual interest. Above, a large-scale lighting fixture from Crystorama was chosen to anchor the space.

The owners also wanted a home that felt like Naples. “There is a real feeling to a Naples home and the wife of the couple wanted to capture that feeling specifically,” explains Walter. This coastal transitional look so sought after by people creating restful getaways can be tricky to achieve well however. The subtleties and simplicity that create a really beautiful living space are what elevates this design style but can make it difficult for the average person to correctly execute. Thankfully Walter brings years of local industry experience to each project and has always been on the forefront of the evolving styles of Southwest Florida.

Walters emphasized how great of a team she and the owners were throughout the project. In fact, it only took two visits to make the vision come together for both the clients and Walter. “They were so decisive which was wonderful - we could quickly pick an element, color, and furniture item and get it ordered. They also had a gathering for their daughter happening on a specific date so that really helped set the timeline for the project.” Walter believes that you can gather inspiration from some surprising places and that even a client’s wardrobe can help during the initial stages of the design process. “As we sat down to talk about colors specifically, I noticed the tones she was mentioning were in the shirt she was wearing,” says Walter. “I actually took a photo of it for reference since she agreed that it was a great representation of what she was looking for in her home, she just hadn’t realized it when she put it on for our meeting!”

Walter and her team even used the image of the shirt to create a mockup for a custom pillow for the family room sofa during their initial presentation helping to further connect the owners with their new vacation home. These personal touches really help Walter and her team connect with each client. “We love to do a champagne greeting when we walk them through their finishes space and each time we’ve gone back to the unit the handwritten note we gave them is still displayed in the kitchen,” she says. “I love that we are able to connect so well with the people we work with and seeing first hand how the work we do, and the extra time we take, really does matter in their lives.”

Family Affair

Open to the dining room and kitchen, the family room is a great space for more casual and comfortable gatherings. Here, the Legno Bastone floors have been laid in a traditional, straight pattern. The amazing windows both add to the openness of the room while creating a challenge of where to put the TV. Walter solved that problem by installing another floating wall. She then clad the new wall in wide planks to mimic shiplap, a nod to the coastal setting, but the dimensions used offer an updated take on the much loved classic element. Against that wall, a Vanguard cabinet acts as a media stand and comes from their “Make it Yours” program that allows for customization. The ceiling above was given more custom beam work to both match the dining room while also giving it its own unique setting. Another challenge was selecting window treatments. “I don’t want to block or compete with the views in these units but I find that adding softness to the frames of the windows and the background of the space really elevates the design in each room,” she explains. She chose draw panels that stack in beautiful pleats to compliment the already existing automatic shades fitted to each window. A Vanguard sectional and swivel chair offers plenty of seating and matches the seating found at the kitchen counter. A CTH Sherrill cocktail table and rug from Hadinger flooring finish the space.

Gathering Space

The owners had a specific idea for the living room, one that created some sourcing challenges for Walter. “The wife really love d the idea of three sofas since she and her husband love to entertain. However, not many people realize the loveseat has all but disappeared from manufac turers’ furniture lines and are really impossible to source. That makes a multiple sofa seating arrangement difficult to do unless you are workin g with a huge space.” Drawing on her knowledge of multiple manufacturers, Walter was finally able to find sofas that not only fit the needed dimensio ns but also looked good together. Both Burton James and Fairfield made options that matched while offering subtle differences were it counts like in the nailhead details and the height of the arms. “They both have clean lines with modified track arms and t-cushions so the eye does not get distrac ted by the unimportant things but you also get the feeling of a curated space,” says Walter. Behind the sofa on the far wall, a thin table sits under the art offering a unique touch that adds to the special feeling of the room. An existing wall with fireplace insert was given an upgrade with quartzite surround and white oak vertical panels with brushed metal inserts. The floating shelves beside the fireplace are held off the wall to allow light to p ass through. The rug from Hadinger is topped with a large coffee table, one that can hold drinks or board games.

Chatting Area

Walter was able to produce two seating areas in the living room. Here, four chairs by Vanguard offer comfortable seating perfec t for intimate and friendly conversations. They surround a bunching table that can be maneuvered to fit the needs of any gathering. The custom built-ins, by Generations Metier, is perfect for storing all the things needed for entertaining, like board games. Frosted and ribbed glass d oors offer more hidden storage and a beautiful design element. On the far side of the room, three articulated panels are a particular favorite. “They are a fantastic mix between a sculpture and a 2D painting and were measured and created specifically for this spot so they fit perfectly in the spa ce,” says Walter.

Masterful Rest

The master bedroom was inspired by the rug. “The clients really loved this particular area rug so it became the starting point for the whole room,” says Walter. What they particularly liked was the seafoam and jewel tone colors that were brought into the room so Walter picked up those hues in the grasscloth used to clad the headboard wall. She also picked complementary colors for the throw pillows on the bed and armchairs making sure to keep them both a little more vibrant than the tones found in the living spaces. A Bernhardt bed is comfortably accented by Signoria Firenze bedding that allows the other pops of color to shine. Robin Bruce barrel chairs and a long bench are perfect for seating and storage. The space is finished with it’s own interesting ceiling details and custom drapes.

Bath Time

The master bath glimmers thanks to the glossy cabinets and large format tile floor. The dark wood panels offer a more modern look to the master bathroom while still fitting in with the transitional look through the rest of the home thanks to a few masterful touches by Walter. Above the freestanding tub, decorative glass bowls were added to bring the colors of the bedroom into the space. A comfortable lounge chair was also added to give the owners a seating option and a place to put clothes before they enter the shower.

Great Stay

The owners also tasked Walter with creating three fantastic guest rooms with the wife of the couple wanting them to be similar in style while still offering something unique. Walter chose similar beds and case pieces and then added lighter and brighter paint to t he rooms to create a fun atmosphere. Here, the Bernhardt bed is neutral and topped with bedding that’s finished by pillows covered in Krave t fabric, while the two toned dresser and nightstand set from Worlds Away offer a casual element. Acrylic hardware on the case pieces off er an unexpected touch.

Summer

6. Top Picks 2.

From fashion to home decor, this summer brings some really great trends. Adding some color into your life is always a great idea and we’ve got you covered with the bright, clever, and helpful items. Take a look at this fun and eclectic gathering that will make your summer all the more sunny.