Being commissioned to elevate a Port Royal spec house into the new owner’s vision of grandeur and luxury was a dream project for lead designer Chrissy Howard and design associate Barbara Schwenk of Jinx McDonald Interior Designs. “The client asked us to create a home that emulates the stunning vistas and sublime surroundings,” explains Howard, “and we gladly accepted the challenge.”
Having handled the interior design of the clients’ last home, the pair were familiar with what the homeowners loved (“She favors bold color”) and disliked (“He wants most of the backgrounds to be more muted to showcase their art collection”) and were given free reign to come up with a design concept both owners would approve. The homeowners appreciate the details, which naturally leads to customization. That left only one true challenge of the project — the owners wanted to move into the home during the renovation. υ
“It was up to us to make sure the experience was as stress-free as possible,” recalls Howard. “But at Jinx McDonald Interior Design, we have a quarter of a century of experience in hiring, coordinating, and managing all the subcontractors and artisans and handling the full scope of work. We set and manage expectations very carefully while we pay strict attention to all the details. It helped that our clients were patient and gracious, and that we had earned their trust.” That trust paid off and the clients were delighted with the finished product — a home that is stylish, luxurious, and unique.
Post-renovation, the showcase home is kept in perfect condition by the BCB Homes Estate Management Team using their unique maintenance program.
“We manage every aspect of the property — the pool, the landscaping, and any interior or exterior maintenance,” explains James Jones, director of estate management at BCB Homes. “We inspect the property every other week and email the owner a full report. For items below a pre-set budget, we don’t even bother the homeowner with the fixes. We just get everything taken care of.”
BCB Homes pioneered the idea of all-inclusive maintenance, and Jones, who worked as a supervisor on the home during renovation, believes they provide a vital service. “Keeping such a beautiful home in perfect condition is our pleasure,” Jones says.
This remarkable remodel, which was completed in less than a year, supports the team philosophy instilled in the designers at Jinx McDonald Interior Design. “We love watching someone’s dream become reality and being an integral part of that journey,” agree Howard and Schwenk.
A Carrara marble floor with black Absolute banding, a soaring Moorish archway, and classic columns invite visitors into this two-story, light-filled great room. A multi-tiered crystal chandelier shines down on a Taylor King sofa in a citron fabric by Robert Allen and a Massoud settee clad in striated Scalamandre silk. Timothy Bowers, “Rug Guru” at International Design Source, assisted in selecting the ethnic muted blue-gray wool rug.
In the foyer, two mixed media collages entitled “Chief” (top) and “Geronimo” (bottom) by Tomas Lasansky hang near a Century Furniture Wiley chair of decorative leather and nail head trim. With 10,896 square feet under air, this five-bedroom, five-and-a-half bath house is home to many pieces by the Lasanskys, a renowned Iowa-based family of artists whose work the homeowner collects.
“Kaddish Number Five” by Mauricio Lasansky sits above a green velvet accent stool by Sherrill Upholstery. Howard and Schwenk had the staircase treads — originally by Florida Stairworks & Carpentry — refinished in a black walnut stain.
The designers left the kitchen islands undisturbed with the exception of swapping the cabinets’ original hardware. Other modifications included The Wood Floor Company’s custom walnut stain to the flooring, and the client’s selection of unmatched clear, smoky gray, and surf-green pendants chosen from Naples Lamp Shop.
Venetian plaster provides the lovely Patina Pewter background for this elegant dining room. Above the Marge Carson buffet, with its ebony wood base and inlaid mother of pearl panels, is “The Card Player,” a collage and colored pencil piece by Diego Lasansky. Daytime light is filtered through ombré sheers and evening light comes courtesy of the floating orb chandelier by Sonneman from Naples Lamp Shop.
Howard and Schwenk worked with a local cabinet designer to create the backlit floating beams in the ceiling, the shimmering champagne floating shelves, and the custom Macassar ebony wood-and-quartz credenza, lit from underneath the stone.
A Vervain floral, the anchor print for the room, is used on stationary panels hiding blackout draperies at the master bedroom’s bay window. Recliners and ottomans in celadon leather flank a settee in Sunbrella fabric — chosen to withstand brilliant sunshine. “Reclining Nude” by Charlie Lasansky hangs above the bed, and atop the wide plank flooring are custom ivory wool-and-silk Kashan area rugs from International Design Source.
The designers improved on the perfection of the Calacatta marble master bath by painting the walls in Sherwin-Williams Sea Salt, adding a vintage shaved-wool blue and silver overdyed rug, and a crystal Venetian leaf chandelier from Wilson Lighting.
Two full beds by Redford House from International Design Source, with wooden headboards in Blueberry, offer gracious accommodations in the guest room. Quilted coverlets are from Home Treasures with floral pillows matching the French door’s shaped cornice in Schumacher’s famous Citrus Garden print. Twin Sherrill Upholstery benches are clad in James Hare fabric. A Chinese silk embroidery on the wall is from the client’s collection.
The spring-like look in this guest bath is achieved by a second use of Schumacher’s Citrus Garden — this time as a wallcovering — complementing the Green Fusion quartzite countertop. Lighting the scene are polished nickel and glass sconces from Naples Lamp Shop.
Bronze spiral pendants from Wilson Lighting are suspended above the inviting family room. An oversized wooden coffee table and sculpted wood end tables in a champagne finish by Old Biscayne Designs anchor the space. Duralee pebble-textured velvet pillows decorate the quartet of swivel recliners from International Design Source. The marine blue leather recliner sofa by Hancock and Moore, complete with gold patterned pillows by Lee Jofa, adds a pop of color.
The homeowners wanted the pool area to resemble a luxury Caribbean resort, a task landscape architect Pat Trefz of Outside Productions International undertook with enthusiasm. Giant coconut palms were brokered out of existing yards farther up the coast, and purple imperial bromeliads provide pops of color on the deck. Under the guest house tower is a fountain wall that expels water out of three precast medallions. There is a swim-up bar with a step-down behind it so that the bartender stands level with guests in the pool. A curtain of water rains down around guests under the alcove, giving the whole grotto a feeling of being under a waterfall. People standing on the terrace can view the pool bar action through a clear glass window set in the floor. To balance the hardscape of the limestone pool deck, Trefz occasionally introduces Empire Zoysia turf.
Under a cypress tongue-and-groove vaulted ceiling is the outdoor living room with an Ebel seating group of resin wicker with Sunbrella cushions from International Design Source. A custom coral screen fronts the fireplace. The Johnathan Charles cocktail table sports a marble chess set atop an oversized paisley pattern outdoor rug.
Written by Kitt Walsh
Photography by Amber Frederiksen
Interior Designer
Jinx McDonald Interior Designs
1959 Trade Center Way
Naples, FL 34109
239.598.4800
jinxmcdonald.com
Luxury Home Builder of Record
BCB Homes
3696 Enterprise Avenue, Suite 100
Naples, FL 34104
239.643.1004
bcbhomes.com
Landscape Architect of Record
Outside Productions International
5644 Tavilla Circle, Suite 207
Naples, FL 34110
239.390.1334
opidesign.net
Resources:
Castle Services of SWFL
3963 Enterprise Avenue
Naples, FL 34104
239.304.4620
castleservices.net
Design Studio by Raymond
990 1st Avenue North
Naples, FL 34102
239.278.1334
designstudiobyraymond.com
Florida Stairworks & Carpentry
7800 Drew Circle, Suite 15
Fort Myers, FL 33967
239.489.1177
floridastair.com
International Design Source
6001 Taylor Road
Naples, FL 34109
239.591.1114
ids1.com
JR Evans Engineering
9351 Corkscrew Road, Suite 102
Estero, FL 33928
239.405.9148
jrevansengineering.com
Naples Lamp Shop
4010 Tamiami Trail North
Naples, FL 34103
239.262.1524
napleslampshoponline.com
The Wood Floor Company
2122 Tamiami Trail North
Naples, FL 34102
239.992.9300
thewoodfloorcompany.com
Wilson Lighting
2465 Trade Center Way
Naples, FL 34109
239.592.6006
wilsonlighting.com
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