FLORIDA DESIGN MAGAZINE: PUSHING THE ENVELOPE
ONE AWARD-WINNING TEAM CREATES A CRISP, EDGY, YET ELEGANT HOME THAT ELEVATES WHAT IS EXPECTED IN THIS AFFLUENT PELICAN BAY NEIGHBORHOOD
INTERIOR DESIGN BY RANDI SCOTT AND TATUM JOHANSSON, CALUSA BAY DESIGN, NAPLES, FL DEVELOPER LESLIE SHERMAN, CALUSA BAY DEVELOPMENT, NAPLES, FL ARCHITECTURE BY RANDALL STOFFT AND JOHN COONEY, STOFFT COONEY ARCHITECTS, NAPLES, FL BUILDER MATT KNAUF, KNAUF-KOENIG GROUP, NAPLES, FL LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE BY KOBY KIRWIN, EXTERIORS BY KOBY KIRWIN, NAPLES, FL LANDSCAPE DESIGN BY KEVIN SCHAFER, KEVIN SCHAFER AND ASSOCIATES, MARCO ISLAND, FL TEXT BY MARINA BROWN PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMBER FREDERIKSON, BONITA SPRINGS, FL
Developers, architects and designers hoping to create a client’s dream home don’t always strike a unique note — sometimes fresh inspiration is missing. But with a keen eye for client inclinations and a forward thinking, “let’s create something new” attitude, the team of developer Leslie Sherman, interior designers Randi Scott and Tatum Johansson, architect John Cooney and builder Matt Knauf have melded their considerable talents to get it “just right” in the 12 high-end home projects they’ve created together. In their most recent Pelican Bay project, a 5,400-square-foot, CBIA Sand Dollar Award-winning model home on a secluded lake lot, Cooney worked his magic to design a thoughtful, inspired and unique home.
With its stucco façade topped with clapboards of cypress, architect John Cooney and builder Matt Knauf create an exterior that conveys comfort, tradition and elegance all at once. “As a carpenter by trade, I enjoy working closely with the team on ceiling lighting and designing architectural elements,” Knauf says.
THE DESIGN TEAM STRESSED SMOOTH LINES, LOW-PROFILE FURNISHINGS AND A COLOR PALETTE PERFECT FOR SEASIDE DREAMS. “TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH SUCH A TALENTED GROUP ENHANCES THE CREATIVITY IN ALL OF US,” INTERIOR DESIGNER RANDI SCOTT SAYS. “IT IS SUCH A WONDERFUL PARTNERSHIP.”
With a completely open concept floor plan, floor-to-ceiling glass walls, and ceiling heights ranging from 12 to 22 feet, the impact is striking. “Leslie and I wanted to push the envelope with this one, with a fresh, slightly edgy transitional coastal style,“ the architect says.
Builder Matt Knauf added his own interpretation of transitional coastal style throughout the home. “Design details and quality craftsmanship set this team apart,” he says. “We collaborate throughout the entire construction process to define unique features and select quality finishes.” One example of this is the box beam tongue-and-groove ceiling details that flow seamlessly from one room to the next.
Scott and Johansson worked with Sherman to define and create the home’s interior style. Starting with a fresh, soft, contemporary vibe, the team chose a striking neutral and navy blue palette for maximum impact in the main living areas.
ABOVE: In the living area, a three-inch-thick slab of marble rests atop the custom base of a cocktail table from Calusa Bay Design. A silk-and-wool area rug from Kravet unites the elegant furniture grouping. Rustic wide-plank, Legno Bastone Italian flooring flows throughout the home.
ABOVE: In the elegant dining room, visual comfort’s 30-light candle chandelier created in antique brass and cracked glass sparkles above Adriana Hoyos’ espresso-stained table. Left Bank Art’s metallic paintings add shimmer in the entry above a free-floating shelf.
ABOVE: A small, mirrored niche in the dining room carries its weight in splash. Metallic glints from Calusa Bay’s custom, two-door cabinet are subdued in the daytime, but sparkle elegantly after dark. The dining room’s chandelier is reflected in the mirror and adds even more shine.
“Our goal is to create a stunning home from every perspective,“ Sherman says. “Each home we build is custom, a work of art.” The interior furnishings in this home are intentionally dramatic. “The compelling architectural design and impeccable construction would inspire nothing less,“ Scott says. “We reinterpret key design elements and repeat, which provides a cohesive and well thought out finished product.”
The great room’s living area features a floor-to-ceiling glass wall overlooking the lake. Artfully arranged bespoke furnishings from Calusa Bay Design cluster around a spectacular custom-designed cocktail table designed by Scott. A low, chenille-and-linen-clad sofa, an elegant low-profile chaise and a pair of Mid-century modern armchairs wrapped in rich blue velvet complete the sophisticated grouping.
ABOVE: The family room is arranged with a white modular sofa and two contemporary white armchairs framed in espresso wood. An intriguing trio of differing height circles form a cocktail table that rests atop a patterned area rug from Kravet.
Accenting a feature wall in the entry is a custom-designed floating mantle with tiny stools that tuck neatly underneath. Beyond, in the dining area, an Adriana Hoyos table stained in a deep espresso is surrounded by custom chairs designed with a linen-and-flame-stitched, navy blue and ivory fabric back. Set in a mirrored niche, a small bespoke cabinet appears to be covered in hand-hammered, silver thumb prints. Topped with a four-foot-high floral display, the entire wall is anchored by this visual show-stopper … just one example of the many design details that are expertly crafted throughout.
“OUR AESTHETIC IS TO CREATE KITCHEN CABINETRY WITH A SMOOTH LOOK, BUT WITH CUSTOM FINISHES WHEN DESIRED,” INTERIOR DESIGNER LESLIE SHERMAN SAYS.
The kitchen acts as the hub of the home, facing both the family room with its over-sized U-shaped modular sofa, and the inviting breakfast area beyond. A wall of smooth white cabinetry gives way to a blue-gray twisted glass tile backsplash with hand-mixed color that Sherman dubbed the “Sea Storm.” Double brass pendants with seeded glass in trapezoidal inversions hang above a marble-topped island.
ABOVE: The kitchen is the heart of the home created with clean-lined cabinetry from Calusa Bay Private Label Cabinetry and topped with marble countertops from UMI. The large island, lined with custom barstools clad in blue velvet, is perfect for food prep and casual dining.
In the serene master bedroom, the custom bed from Century Furniture glistens with gold graining. Metallic glints from an Arteriors’ chandelier touch off the luminous contours of a navy blue-and-gray area rug that mirrors the tranquil lake on view from floor- to-ceiling windows. This harmony extends to the organic, spa-like master bath with notable design details such as smooth rock shower flooring, an opaque glass tiled wall and a luxurious freeform tub.
ABOVE: The master bedroom’s sleek four-poster bed from Century Furniture is fashioned with a headboard in a silk blend of deep-channeled fabric and brass brackets that appear like jewels. Weiman’s gray, low-slung sofa offers a view of the lush gardens.
ABOVE: A freeform tub from Ferguson centers the master bath. Pale, matte-glass tiles from Ceramic Matrix face the double shower, while pebble stone flooring and shell stone pillars add organic interest.
Outside, breezes off the lake whisper from the open-air kitchen, inviting guests to recline and sip a cool beverage while seated on woven rattan furnishings from Palecek. A coordinating gray stone fireplace clad with dimensional porcelain tile is a focal point of the loggia.
Sherman confides that this may be her favorite design project yet. The result of a collaborative vision, this dramatic and tasteful residence proves that for this talented team, success is inevitable when they push the envelope.
ABOVE: The loggia is equipped with a summer kitchen cached behind a fireplace wall crafted by Knauf-Koenig Group. A grouping of rattan sofas and chairs from Palecek offers guests a comfortable place to relax and socialize.
SOURCES
LIVING AREA Cocktail table – Custom designed by Calusa Bay Design, Naples, FL Sofa – Theodore Alexander, High Point, NC Blue armchairs – Kravet, Inc., Bethpage, NY Stacked occasional table, bench and bolster pillow fabric – Vanguard Furniture, Conover, NC Cocktail table top – Classic Stone, Naples, FL Cocktail table base – Woodworkers, Naples, FL Small accent table – Arteriors, Carollton, TX Cabinetry – CFC Furniture, Los Angeles, CA Artwork – Wilson Lighting, Naples, FL
DINING ROOM Table – Adriana Hoyos, Miami, FL Chairs – Kravet, Inc., Bethpage, NY Ledge – Custom designed by Calusa Bay Design, Naples, FL Ledge fabricated by Knauf-Koenig Group, Naples, FL Stools – Charleston Forge, Boone, NC Artwork – Leftbank Art, La Mirada, CA Wall treatment – Phillip Jeffries, Fairfield, NJ Chandelier – Visual Comfort, Houston, TX
DINING ROOM VIGNETTE Cabinetry – Theodore Alexander, High Point, NC Mirror – Custom designed by Calusa Bay Design, Naples, FL Mirror fabricated by Knauf-Koenig Group, Inc., Naples, FL
KITCHEN Island, barstools and ceiling treatment – Custom designed by Calusa Bay Design Private Label Cabinetry, Naples, FL Ceiling treatment fabricated by Knauf-Koenig Group, Naples, FL Pendants – Visual Comfort, Houston, TX
FAMILY ROOM Sectional custom designed by Calusa Bay Design, Naples, FL Fabric – Century Furniture, Hickory, NC Armchairs, cocktail table and accent table – Kravet, Inc., Bethpage, NY
BAR/BREAKFAST AREA Table – Charleston Forge, Boone, NC Chairs – Adriana Hoyos, Miami, FL Bar cabinetry – Custom designed by Calusa Bay Design Private Label Cabinetry, Naples, FL Drum pendant – Lighting First, Naples, FL
MASTER BATH Tub, shower and hand shower – Ferguson, Naples, FL Wall tiles – Ceramic Matrix, Naples, FL
MASTER BEDROOM Bed, headboard, dresser, bedding and bedside tables – Century Furniture, Hickory, NC Dresser and small accent table – Kravet, Inc., Bethpage, NY Sofa – Weiman, Christiansburg, VA Lamps – Wilson Lighting, Naples, FL Chandelier – Arteriors, Carollton, TX
LOGGIA Sofas, chairs and cushions – Palecek, Richmond, CT Cocktail table – Seasonal Living, Austin, TX Occasional table – Lexington Home Brands, Thomasville, NC Fireplace wall – Custom designed by Calusa Bay Design, Naples, FL Fabricated by Knauf-Koenig Group, Naples, FL
THROUGHOUT Countertops – UMI, Classic Stone, Naples, FL Backsplash – Ceramic Matrix, Naples, FL Floral arrangements – Lux Art Silks, Sarasota, FL Area rugs – Kravet, Inc., Bethpage, NY Flooring – Legno Bastone, Naples Flooring Company, Naples, FL