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Front Elevation: “The clients like the formality and symmetry of a French country home and shared pictures of historic homes, all of which were dominated by second-floor dormers,” states Architect Matthew Kragh of MHK Architecture. “They wanted the look but in a one-story home. That was a challenge. We incorporated roof dormers and tall ceilings which gives the home an open feeling.” Turf inset in the driveway “softens up the paving materials and marries landscaping and hardscaping,” adds Trefz.
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HHomeowners
A CUSTOM PINE RIDGE ESTATE SEEMS PLUCKED FROM THE COUNTRYSIDEFRENCH
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PARLEZ-VOUS FRANÇAIS?
in a private residence in Pine Ridge Estates are equally at home in Naples, Florida as they are in the rolling hills of Provence or the Centre-Val de Loire, and speak French frequently. From the formality and symmetry of the architecture — immersed in a park-like setting of pergolas and meandering walkways to interiors reinterpreting classic French Régence design with hints of contemporary — the home articulates a certain je ne sais quoi, an essence both seen and sensed. u
Park: “What’s special about this project is that it’s really a residence and a park,” explains Landscape Architect Patrick Trefz of Outside Productions International, who collaborated with the owners to create a park-like setting woven with wandering walkways of poured concrete stepping stones and the dyed concrete curbing they designed. The paths connect to destination pergolas illuminated by lamp posts resembling large glowing candles. “They had a vision and really good ideas for using pergolas as passageways and gateways to outdoor rooms,” he notes.
“It was a seamless interior design process because they work in the industry,” says Interior Designer Wilfredo Emanuel of Wilfredo Emanuel Designs. “She knows exactly what she wants. She loves French Régence design, the chateau look, and had inspirational photos that sewed it all together. I love when a client tells me exactly what they want.” u
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Dining Room: The upholstered straight-back chairs juxtapose the marquetry of the homeowners’ dining table. Hand-painted gold leaf accents are subtly displayed in the tray ceiling coffers, where a pair of glass pendants provide an understated interpretation of the era’s grand ornate chandeliers. Clad in caviar custom cabinetry with two Sub-Zero wine towers from Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery, the bar’s beveled antique mirror subway tile backsplash — sourced from Ruben Sorhegui Tile — also conveys a French influence.
Great Room Sitting Area: A beamed cathedral ceiling, mouldings, and wide-plank oak floors lend a nod to the rustic farmhouses of the French countryside. Designer Wilfredo Emanuel pares down the great room’s largess by creating a second sitting area, drawing on his contemporary muse with two curvilinear sofas, black velvet pillows, and minimal accessories. “Black is elegant and mixing it in brings a beautiful balance to gold and metals that look gilded of time,” says Emanuel.
The owners, who have a professional background in concrete masonry, were intrinsically involved from concept to completion. Their knowledge and creativity are expressed in one-of-a-kind stepping-stone pathways, custom outdoor lamp posts, and the facade itself, where large-scale concrete building blocks influence design and construction. They pave the way for architecture that emulates the appearance of a traditional two-story country home with soaring ceilings indicative of the 1700-1730 era of French design. The owners’ bon vivant preferences are also reflected in the Régence dining table and the desk they’ve owned for many years.
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Great Room Media Center: Millwork adorns walls in a classic French style, extending to the beamed cathedral ceiling in the great room, where Emanuel makes the television the focal point, while blending it into the black background of a recessed niche that displays the family’s objets d’art and antiques. The mouldings, ebony-shaded sconces, and brass and bronze finishes elevate authenticity and visual interest, as does custom-made furniture from Vanguard and Old Biscayne Designs. Shades of white — from alabaster to antique and pure white — create contrasting backdrops for black and gold details to pop.
Kitchen: Placing perimeter cabinetry in recesses creates seamless continuity to walls accented with French mouldings while balancing the scale of the soaring cathedral ceiling. LED lights are integrated above the cabinetry and are mirrored in the great room’s ceiling detail. Shell white contrasts the ebony finishes off the large freestanding island, bar stools, pendants, and Amoré Design Factory’s Euro range hood, which boasts a classic European form and brass trim. The integrated cabinetry and dark backgrounds complement the stainlesssteel appliances by Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery.
Butler’s Pantry: “I think every home needs a butler’s pantry and a beautiful laundry room,” Emanuel posits. “I like to dress them up with interesting details, lighting, and wallpaper.” Designed to be shown off, the pantry features antiqued cabinetry extending to the ceiling and the designer’s signature mullioned glass doors, creating an eye-pleasing symmetry and opportunities to showcase artful serving ware.
For Emanuel and Architect Matthew Kragh at MHK Architecture, the pastoral estate is a foray beyond their usual purview because they’re both accustomed to the pared-down aesthetic and clean-lined simplicity of contemporary and coastal-contemporary design. They welcomed the challenge of translating the timeless appeal and romance of centuries-old provincial homes to a new realm, capturing the essence in architecture accented by caviar-hued shutters, antique lanterns, and the look of roofline dormers. u
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Her Bathroom: “I wanted to evoke a little bit of a literal French feel in her bathroom,” Emanuel explains. “The profile of the cabinet doors with mouldings and antiqued mirrors and the double bullnose edge of the counters mimic the old detail work from this rich era.” A Thassos marble floor provides an elegant backdrop for a brushed silk Maya Romanoff wallcovering in frosty champagne, a contemporary gold chandelier with a traditional form, and mother of pearl accents.
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His Bathroom: Dual bathrooms have become a popular home design, and these bathrooms are separated by a steam shower with fixtures from Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery. His bathroom is decidedly masculine with handsome caviar and rich browns in the vanity, millwork, and the fabric of a French valance — tones that Emanuel contrasts with brushed bronze finishes and a Thassos marble floor. A woven Zinc Textile’s Cerium wallcovering is overpainted with matte and metallics for an antiqued look.
“The owners’ knowledge of concrete is reflected in the construction,” notes Kragh, who has designed exactly one other French country home during his 25-year career. “Using 12-inch concrete block is very rare and created deeper wall cavities so we could inset windows and make the architecture more dramatic.” u
Primary Bedroom: The primary bedroom — rendered in soft shades of gray, beige, and cream underscored by ebony — is très French, albeit in a clean-lined contemporary style. The tray ceiling echoes the profile of a mansard roof and the pattern above her bathroom. Wall mouldings are reminiscent of vintage design, while the florals and motifs in the custom area rug, window treatments, and accent pillows recreate the look of antique fabric, an ambiance further enhanced by the fireplace and oak floor.
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“They explained from day one they wanted a meandering garden that interacts with the home, flowing from the exterior to the interior,” says Kragh. “We took advantage of the large lot, bringing the house closer to the front to create a park behind it.” The team accomplished this by building the residence at the front of the oversized lot, which created space for ample outdoor areas. u
Guest Bathroom: “The lattice work on the cabinets, the wallpaper, and marble are applicable to that time,” Emanuel says of a guest bathroom featuring a palette of white, gray, and brushed gold. In addition, the Sea Breeze tile on the shower floor and an inlay in its main wall complement the stylized damask of Schumacher’s Villandry wallcovering, named for a Renaissance-era chateau in the Loire Valley.
Nursery: French artists created the look of a vintage mural in the estate’s nursery, featuring a whimsical theme of butterflies, birds, bunnies, and a narwhal. French mouldings frame the artwork and embellish the coffered ceiling while repeating the same tones in the bunk bed and changing table. The custom area rug complements the soft, soothing palette.
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“I used a lot of details from the French Régence style without losing the clean lines of transitional design,” Emanuel exclaims. “I enjoyed revisiting another era and bringing it back in my style.” n
Outdoor Living: Alfresco sitting areas offer an array of gathering options, including a spacious fireside living room with sectional seating, French-influenced armchairs, and wrought-iron elements — the latter also translated to the caviar casings of doors and transom windows. The black-and-white palette is warmed with a cypress-clad ceiling, a rustic coffee table, and breezy draperies that frame openings. “The draperies are my signature,” declares Emanuel. “They make a space feel like a
Emanuel, known for a larger-than-life élan of color, conveys the period aesthetic with mouldings, casings, textures, antique mirrored finishes, and a refined palette of alabaster and beige with a beautiful balance in the pairing of classic black and gold and satin brushed fixtures from Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery in her bathroom. Ironically, this visual is a transitionary style between the highly ornate Baroque and less formal Rococo periods.
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Sunken Sitting Area: The expansive lot sizes in Pine Ridge Estates lends well to multiple elevations. “There’s a little surprise behind the pool — we incorporated a large built-in fire pit area, an awesome outdoor room with a cozy, nestled-in feeling,” exclaims Trefz. Hidden from view of the house and outdoor areas, the space offers a banquette embellished with comfortable cushions and pillows below a pergola. The homeowners designed the pathway leading to this extraordinary destination.
Pool Island and Arbor: The pool, Trefz remarks, “has a dramatic look with the pergola and an island against a nice green backdrop so the structures pop.” Black hexagonal glass tile along the waterline creates depth, dimension, and the illusion of floating stepping stones leading to the island, where a pair of regal armchairs add a touch of French flair. The lush landscaping enhances the view while imparting privacy.
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Rear Elevation: “We created a view by running the pool straight out from the house,” comments Trefz. With an emphasis on linear forms and white surfaces, the pool area evokes an inviting sense of calm while reflecting the symmetry of the estate’s architecture. Pergolas and contemporary chaises offer gathering destinations within verdant green landscaping, uplit palm trees, and a trio of bubbling fountains.
Written by Nanci Theoret
Photography by Craig Hildebrand | The Shoot Group
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Landscape Architect: Outside Productions International 5644 Tavilla Circle, Suite 207 Naples, FL www.opidesign.net239.390.133434110
Resources: Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery 38 Goodlette-Frank Road South Naples, FL www.sorheguitile.com239.643.2882Naples,3876Rubenwww.build.com/ferguson239.963.008734102SorheguiTileMercantileAvenueFL34104
Architect: MHK Architecture 2059 Tamiami Trail East Naples, FL www.mhkarchitecture.com239.331.709234112
Interior Designer: Wilfredo Emanuel Designs 4760 Tamiami Trail North, Suite 2 Naples, FL www.wilfredoemanueldesigns.com239.315.779434103
