Nautical Charm + Cheery Hues Shape This Naples Retreat
Cheery colors, nautical nods and a layout designed for entertaining define this Naples retreat.
Some people love the majesty of the mountains. Others, the striking beauty of the desert. Then there are “water people,” as designer Andrea Goldman describes them. Be it lake or ocean, river or canal, they will always be drawn to the aquatic. Such was the case for a pair of Chicagoans who sought to create a waterside oasis in Naples. To fulfill their vision, who better to turn to than Goldman, along with designers Maize Jacobs-Brichford and Rachel Patek? The team had, after all, done just that for the couple’s home along the shores of Lake Michigan.
For their Florida retreat, the clients had purchased a lot overlooking a canal in a historic area. They wanted the abode to be at one with the surrounding homes, so they turned to residential designer Falconer Jones III and builder Maggie Canada, who had both left their mark on the neighborhood. “I’ve done quite a bit of preservation work here, so we started with that as a concept,” Jones explains. “But we incorporated features people look for in a modern home.” Think: an indoor-outdoor design, an open main living space and an elevated office. “The owners wanted it to be fun and nod to Old Naples without feeling dated,” Goldman describes.
Consummate entertainers, the couple wanted to host a plethora of friends and family, but it was imperative to proceed with caution in creating the home’s social spaces. “One mistake people make with an open concept is that it can become too open,” emphasizes Jones, who used elements like small headers and crown moldings as transitions between spaces. “You want to avoid that gymnasium feel. The rooms should communicate with each other visually, so everyone feels like they’re together, but they also need to resolve themselves.”
Home Details
Architecture:
Falconer Jones III, Falcon Design Inc.
Interior Design:
Andrea Goldman, Maize Jacobs-Brichford and Rachel Patek, Andrea Goldman Design
Home Builder:
Maggie Canada, Seaside Custom Builders
The entry’s Michael Gaillard photograph hangs between Oly’s Clyde table lamps atop a Millwood Design console. The Urban Electric Co.’s Edina sconce complements walls shrouded in Benjamin Moore’s Winter White. The Persian floor covering is from Oscar Isberian Rugs.
Ralph Fleck art appears in the living area, overseen by Palecek’s Mariposa chandelier. A sofa in Schumacher’s Camarillo Weave and armchairs in Perennials’ Jake Stripe surround Hollywood at Home coffee tables with Nickey Kehoe chairs in a Christopher Farr Cloth linen.
Draperies of Schumacher’s Regalia textile frame water views from the living area. Villa & House lamps illuminate Made Goods and Anees Furniture & Design side tables. The floor covering is from Oscar Isberian Rugs.
Water Street Brass pulls stud cabinets by Ruffino Cabinetry swathed in Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace. A Chilewich runner rests on Carlisle Wide Plank Floors flooring. The Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances are from Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery.
The Urban Electric Co. pendant in Sherwin-Williams’ Little Boy Blu echoes the kitchen’s Ann Sacks backsplash. Palecek stools line an island of Terrazzo & Marble Supply Companies’ quartzite with a faucet by The Galley.
Schumacher’s Hix wallcovering envelops the office, where an Aesthetic buffet sits beneath an Alex MacLean photograph. The Herman Miller and Knoll chairs are from Design Within Reach. Draperies in The Sign’s Sommersby textile complement a Stark rug.
Seaside Custom Builders crafted a guest room’s bunk beds, affixed with Aerin’s Lancelot lights from Visual Comfort & Co. Accompanying Stark’s Hazelton rug, Schumacher fabrics inject playfulness: Haruki on the walls, Tulum for the pillows and Serendipity for the window shade.
LiLi Tile’s Flora Series tiles back the loggia’s stucco range hood. Made Goods’ Evander pendants and Irving table join Harbour’s Byron chairs and stools. The Wolf grill is from Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery.
Janus et Cie furnishings form a seating area on the loggia with a Harbour coffee table, Made Goods side table and Zafferano America floor lamp. Palecek’s Augustine chandelier floats above a Tailor-Made Textiles rug.
The back exterior provides plenty of outdoor entertainment options, including boating and sun lounging. Classic Pools of Naples Inc. constructed the pool, conceived by the home’s residential designer, Falconer Jones III. undefined
The same principle applies in connecting the built and natural environments. “The clients love indoor-outdoor living,” Patek says, “so we wanted the exterior and interior furniture to play off each other.” The team had to thread a needle between harmonizing the two while still making each area stand on its own. “We spent a lot of time figuring out how to design two spaces that relate to one another but don’t have the same layout,” Jacobs-Brichford explains. Paying attention to scale and using materials such as wood, rope and durable upholstery ensured a cohesive look when the living area’s retractable doors are open, connecting the space to the terrace. “You can go from the pool to watching TV to eating dinner,” Goldman observes.
“We incorporated features people look for in a modern home.”
–FALCONER JONES III
When it came to decor, the designers used light fixtures as the jumping-off point for a relaxed vacation feel. “The wife loves lighting,” Goldman explains, “so it was a natural place to start.” It was also an ideal way to bring in quirky details that reflect the waterfront locale, like the living area’s wood ceiling piece that emulates shells and the kitchen’s nautical-leaning globe pendants, which the team customized in a delicate shade of blue.
In terms of hues, each was carefully chosen to exude joie de vivre. “The wife wanted happy greens, happy blues, happy yellows,” Jacobs-Brichford describes. “And because we knew her aesthetic so well, we not only could give her what she wanted but also knew where to push her.” Case in point: the living area’s bold blue-and-white, lion-print curtains. “She liked the pattern, but it was out of her comfort zone,” Jacobs-Brichford recalls. It took some convincing, but the risk paid off—the unexpected motif mingles playfully with other upholstery in shades of azure, periwinkle, lime and pistachio. The color scheme carries through into the adjoining kitchen, where counter stools are upholstered in blue and green and sea-colored glass tiles serve as a backsplash. At other times, art acts as the color conduit, like the entry’s large-scale photograph of palm trees reflected in water.
The walls throughout the home also wear these tones, as in the subtly textured vinyl coverings in the bedrooms and a bold navy sisal in the husband’s office. The latter veers away from the sunny vibe into a moodier, more masculine one with warm touches of nutmeg and plaid. “The wife wanted to be sure the husband’s office was comfortable and inviting for him,” Jacobs-Brichford says.
This concept of living life to the fullest is reflected throughout the abode. Every room invites laughter and relaxation, capturing the essence of a waterside retreat. “This home is joyful,” Jacobs-Brichford muses. “It’s a place of casual comfort.”