A glamorous sophistication, infused with beauty and style in every carefully planned detail defines this alluring home in Naples’ Pine Ridge Estates. Rustic bones in its ceiling and wall treatments are juxtaposed with transitional furniture and décor, blending the traditional elements and classic glamour of a French chateau with the cleaner lines of modern-day interior design. Inspired by the client’s love of all things French, the project—from early sketches to the final romantic masterpiece—was a collaborative effort between the client, residential building designer, interior design team, and builder.
Sunwest Custom Homes Managing Partner Glenn Midnet worked closely with Design West’s interior designers Kelly Kurtyka and Kaitlin Edwards, from concept to completion. “It was essential to have the interior design team involved from the beginning stages of this project in order to ensure the interior details were cohesive with the structural design, ceiling details and electrical plans both in style and function,” Midnet explains, adding, “Many interior architectural details were designed by Design West Vice President Edgar Ramirez, Associate AIA.”
A clear departure from present-day southwest Florida architectural trends, the home is well-suited to its location, providing the much-needed leeway for lead residential building designer Travis Hite to accomplish the owners’ goals. “In Pine Ridge Estates you aren’t governed by the roof height limits as you are in the city in Naples. That gave us the opportunity to create dramatic 35-foot high vaulted ceilings and beam work. The great room concept modernizes the design, while the beam work ties it back to the traditional French chateau. It was an extremely fun project; it was out of the box.”
Lead interior designer Kelly Kurtyka notes each carefully planned memory point in the homes’ interior, including black and white marble flooring, a bricked barrel ceiling in the kitchen, rich limestone fireplace mantels, an antique mirrored wall, and a magnificent butterfly staircase. “The house is beautiful without any furnishings, because of all the detailing and high-end finishes. To complement those details, the textiles are very much in the French tradition with an upgraded, more modern appeal. We used lots of tone on tone textures, but the palette is darker and more masculine with smoky grays and blacks brightened with fresher whites, beiges and punches of glacier blue.”
Steeped in the past, but not without its modern-day conveniences, the home’s 21st Century amenities include items such as a TV mirror where one can comb their hair and watch the news simultaneously, an outdoor wood-burning pizza oven for crafting homemade pizzas with the family, and a touch of the iPhone built-in ceiling and wall Bang & Olufsen speaker system, installed by Elxai Home, ready to launch a spontaneous dance party with the grandkids should the mood strike.
“Our clients built their home to really enjoy the fruits of life and reflect their personal design aesthetic. The project was about how the design created the lifestyle they desired,” designer Kaitlin Edwards colorfully explains. “We mixed a traditional European French style with modern day design elements and the result is exquisite—it’s one-of-a-kind.”
Constructed to replicate a French countryside chateau, the exterior façade of this Naples home features gray tonal cultured stone for true European feel. Creamy precast accents and forged wrought iron details in true Chateau form and a metal chimney pot lend authenticity to the design, as does the circular motor court with focal Old World fountain. “The Palace of Versailles and the Grand Trianón inspired us,” explains lead designer Kelly Kurtyka.. “You see the influences in the stone cladding, arched windows and doorways, and multiple chimney stacks, as well as in the home’s symmetry, wrought iron, and use of columns.”
“The clients’ own personal experience staying in the Hilton family’s glamourous and sophisticated 1920s era-designed private suite at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City inspired the home’s foyer,” explains Edwards. The dramatic and moving butterfly staircase and black and white checkered marble floor are revealed upon entering. Custom, high back Kravet chairs upholstered in smoky velvet fabric with a subtle geometric detail rest in the nape of the staircase. Overhead is a spectacular 64-inch diameter Crystorama 36-light crystal chandelier. The coffered ceiling detail features custom charwood-finished scroll-cut beams that reach 35 feet into the air. An open sightline draws your eye from the formal entry to the entertaining areas of the home. Each element works harmoniously to make a grand statement with early Hollywood glamour.
“The great room was designed for entertaining with a fully-equipped Smart Home automation system installed by Elxai Home. A large seating group anchors the room with two EJ Victor sectionals upholstered in a textured charcoal Thom Filicia fabric. The sectionals are complemented by custom fabricated toss pillows by Kravet and two hand knotted, viscose Feizy area rugs. Charcoal finished Vanguard console tables tuck behind the sectionals and coordinate with the oak finished, open shelf cocktail tables by Hickory White. The Design West team notes that while the room has a modern flair, it stays true to its Chateau bones, featuring a custom French limestone fireplace by Francois & Co. with a Scagliola stone cladding wall-detail that reaches 18 feet high. The 35-foot vaulted ceilings are finished with charwood-stained scroll-cut beams.
A barreled rustic brick ceiling adds old world ambiance to the kitchen. Black and white checkered marble flooring is continued here. Two blownglass chandeliers light the gracious center island, topped with 3-inch statuary marble. Professional grade Viking and Miele appliances from Monark Premium Appliances are integrated into the custom WoodMode Cabinetry. The room features a cozy café dining area with banquette seat under a circular ceiling detail. The other side of the dual-sided fireplace seen here feaatures14-by-24-inch Scagliola French Stone Ivory cladding and the Beauchamps Gothic inspired hand-carved limestone mantel from Francois & Co.
The dining room’s core design elements stay true to the classic modernism design era but with a current-day twist. The black and white checkered marble floor continues; the curved acrylic legs of the oak-stained Century dining table seemingly disappear. A trio of Ralph Lauren tiered chandeliers, hung at varying heights, spans the length of the table. Shaped-back Kravet dining chairs are custom-upholstered in pebbled velvet fabric by Romo. The dining set is centered on the antiqued mirrored feature wall. Across the room is a custom curving WoodMode built-in with a metallic glass backsplash. The entirety of the space is wrapped in a Phillip Jeffries woven silk wallcovering.
The striking master bath draws upon the same circular ceiling details seen in the foyer, dining room, and dinette. An oversized jetted tub is centered under an elegant Crystorama chandelier. Silvered taupe damask-patterned wallcovering adds a sophisticated edge. White marble flooring and custom tile-work finishes this timeless retreat.
The master suite’s sitting area features another limestone fireplace and mantel by Francois & Co. The custom mantel replicates Regency period style from a Burgundy, France estate. Surrounding the fireplace is a custom WoodMode morning kitchen and a built-in workspace.
The master bedroom is customized for the clients as a personal oasis with updated fashion and classic flare. A custom channel tufted, mohair upholstered bed by EJ Victor sits underneath a layered, teardrop crystal Crystorama chandelier. The bed is flanked by rift cut, splayed leg chests and anchored by a custom viscose area rug.
Never too young for a bit of glamour, little girls will love the hot pink and black bunkroom. Designed for visiting grandchildren, the space has a definite Parisian flair. Bold and beautiful, the room is both fun and functional.
Intent on creating a popular spot with kids young and old, the owners designed this game room as a boys’ counterpoint to the girls’ hot pink bedroom retreat. Filled with current and nostalgic arcade fun, the room opens to a balcony overlooking the home’s pool area and putting green.
Black and white striped curtains give a cabana-feel to the covered outdoor living room. Comfortable seating is perfect for lounging near the outdoor fireplace or relaxing while waiting for a homemade pizza to cook in the outdoor kitchen, fully equipped with Alfresco appliances.
A grand view from the back of the home reveals the private outdoor entertaining area. The home’s pool, installed by Artesian Pool Construction, is symmetrical in design and centered on the home’s grand wall of windows. A modern deck level glass-tiled spa has a 360-degree spillover with stepping pods on either side. A shallow water sun shelf is positioned closer to the covered living area. Four fire and water feature bowls set upon 18-inch pedestals at each of the pool’s corners create ambiance in this idyllic outdoor space.
Written by Lisa Mishler Photography by Tim Gibbons
Artesian Pool Construction 12290 Metro Parkway Ft. Myers, FL 33966 239.415.7374 www.artesianpoolconstruction.com
Design West 9118 Strada Place, Mercato 8130 Naples, FL 34108 239.514.1234 www.dwest.com
Elxai Home 2975 S Horseshoe Drive Suite 700 Naples, FL 34103 877.345.1730 www.elxai.com
Francois & Co. 950 1st Avenue North, Suite 100 Naples, FL 34102 239.307.5430 www.francoisandco.com
Monark Premium Appliance Co. 27180 Bay Landing Drive, Suite 1 Bonita Springs, FL 34135 239.495.8535 www.monarkhome.com
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