® Fall 2022
VISION OF LIGHT AN ORGANIC, CUSTOMIZED REMODEL ILLUMINATES A DATED MEDITERRANEAN VILLA 130 homeanddesign.net
The dramatic entryway flows into the main living space, an open-concept area perfect for entertaining. The home’s front doors, initially 8 feet high, were transformed into grand 12-foottall showpieces that cleverly use fenestration and transoms to bring light into the heart of the home. The seating group sets the transitional coastal tone with a water-blue color palette for the rest of the home’s design, while oak floors are a warm counterpoint to the white walls.
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Kitchen (After): “The objective in this kitchen was to open it up and let the sunshine in,” says Knapp. The expanded kitchen features ocean-blue glass mosaic backsplash tiles to balance the water feature outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. A unique glass floor bump-out in the wall of windows allows an indoor view of the koi in the outdoor pond and other natural elements, like the rock-shaped poured-glass pendant lights above the island that give the space an earthy feel. White cabinetry and same-height island countertops make the new kitchen feel more spacious.
Bay home had been through many renovations over the years, so when the homeowners requested a new main suite for their outdated Tuscan-style villa, it was through the inspired vision of Lana Knapp of Collins DuPont Design Group and Tony Palladino of Palladino Custom Homes that it grew into a two-year-long dream home transformation. Along with the extraordinary trust and respect their long-term clients placed in them, this awardwinning collaboration is a textbook example of how creative thinking and synergy can turn a simple remodeling project into a showcase of beautiful design and taste.
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Kitchen (Before): The kitchen was opened up by raising the ceiling, adding walnut beams, and straightening the walls, which made the workspace more efficient and put the focus on the formerly hidden picture windows. A structural beam, discovered when removing the pantry wall, complicated the remodel, but cooperation among Palladino, Knapp, and the engineer resulted in a unique cantilevered ceiling
The clients’ growing wish list, and their desire for additional space, prompted Palladino to suggest a full-scale move-out remodel to address the multiple updates the home required. As the project expanded and the need for a designer became apparent, he suggested Knapp due to her experience and skills. “We work well together,” he recalls, a perspective gained from previous collaborations. “We listen to each other and work through issues to find the best result for the client. She comes up with ideas no one else thinks of that take a project to a whole new level.” Palladino credits Knapp with the most transformational suggestions — the soaring glass-and-metal staircase with its custom medallion, the glorious walnut beams that open up the ceilings, and the stunning — cleverly hidden — tub filler in the main bath. u
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“The medallion was an organic idea that grew out of a feature original to the house. I wanted to make it a focal point, something special for the client,” Knapp relates. Formerly a painted mural of a moonlit sky, Knapp created an octagonal walnut medallion that artfully incorporates depictions of each family member’s astrological sign in Swarovski crystal and LED lights. Oversized windows in the uniquely shaped stairwell allow more light to flow into the vertical space through the ingenious floating glass and powder-coated metal stair railings, and into the rooms below.
Light was a significant influence that factored into the overall home transformation. The former footprint of the space was dark and congested, with tight areas and enclosed walls that made the rooms feel small despite their tall, groin-vaulted ceilings, arches, and Italian-countryside murals. “The challenge was how to open up the entire home, how to bring in the light and make it all feel bigger,” Knapp explains. She achieved this by removing the vaulting, raising the ceilings, and painting the walls a crisp shade of white. To add interest and prevent the high-ceilinged rooms from feeling cavernous, she added bleached-walnut beams, which give a natural, organic feel to the home. u
Dining Room | Stairs: The staircase was custom-designed and fabricated on-site by Palladino. A metal framework supports glass panels between the stair stringers and railing, allowing light from the expanded windows to fill the space. The wine cellar continues the see-through glass theme of the stair panels and features a backlit quartzite wall that slides out for maintenance. A cut-crystal, custom-sized Hubbardton Forge fixture illuminates the Century dining table.
Ceiling Medallion: The stairwell ceiling was originally a trompe l’oeil mural of the night sky. Knapp designed a stunning bleached-walnut ceiling medallion that was cut and assembled on site. In keeping with the night-sky theme, LED lights and Swarovski crystals were strategically placed to create the family’s astrological constellations, giving the lighting a starlike effect. Additional up-lighting focuses on the stunning medallion, making a formerly ordinary staircase into a work of art.
The Bonita Bay project received the Grand and Silver Aurora Awards for Best Renovated or Restored Single Home, as well as Silver Aurora Awards for Best Custom Home 8,000 to 10,000 sq. ft., and Best Bath Design for a Custom/Spec/One-of-a kind Home, plus the Sand Dollar Award for Interior Design of the Year. Inside and out, this home is tailormade for a family who adores outdoor activities, entertaining, and whose willingness to put their faith in the vision of an extraordinary team resulted in a home customized just for them — one they will treasure for many, many years. n
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BEFORE
Primary Bedroom (After): A Donghia wood veneer wallpaper with an iridescent sheen adds dimension to the main bedroom’s walls. In addition to crown moulding around the high ceiling, the floating wood beams add depth to the space. “High ceilings can sometimes be harsh and cold, so we dropped the beams eighteen inches, which warms this room up,” explains Knapp. Watercolor fabric pillows grace the Century bed, and their blues are repeated in the dog-friendly wool and bamboo silk area rug.
Primary Bedroom (Before): Rather than wall-to-wall carpeting, previously found in the main bedroom, Knapp uses the same wood flooring used throughout the rest of the home for the new suite. The rich blues in the rug and pillow fabric are repeated in the ocean-themed artwork, giving the new space a more serene and much lighter feel than the original space. In addition, the dingy beige wall color is replaced with bright white, highlighting the wood veneer accent.
Primary Bathroom (After): The primary bathroom was a blank space where Knapp could flex her creativity and design unique solutions for issues like how to hide the plumbing for the tub filler from Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery, which could be no higher than nine feet above the centered tub. “Lana came up with the idea of using curved beams to hide it,” remembers Palladino. In addition, a custom-built waterproof remote system allows the homeowner to control the water level while bathing.
Primary Bathroom (Before): Calacatta Apuano marble countertops and a cloud-like faux finish on the walls add to the spa-like appeal of the new bathroom, a sharp contrast to the dull beige stone finishes in the former main bath. Eight-foot dual vanities provide much-needed storage and organization, and a deep armoire conceals a television designed for viewing while relaxing in the new tub. Clerestory windows near the ceiling draw sunlight and warmth into the room.
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Shower:BEFORE
The primary bathroom suite is awash in LED chromotherapy lighting thanks to the six-foot-diameter rain glass window seen in the expansive shower. Custom mother-of-pearl tile panels and blue accent mosaics by Ruben Sorhegui Tile add iridescence and color. The same mosaic is repeated on a heated bench outside the shower entrance. A rain head on the ceiling and dual shower controls on the walls add a touch of luxury to the clients’ daily
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Guest Bedroom: Knapp added a touch of shiplap to the vaulted ceiling of this small guest bedroom between more beams of bleached walnut wood. A fun Osborne & Little tropical floral print adds movement and color to the bed and chaise lounge, and a rattan woven headboard brings a beach-cabana vibe to the room. Agate-slice artwork grounds the space with a vibrant, organic element that draws the eye upward to the high ceiling and architectural details.
Family Room: A high skylight dominates the family room, funneling a tower of light into the space where it then weaves through the intricate grid of bleached walnut beams. A two-tiered, chipped-glass Hubbardton Forge light fixture draws the eye to this striking feature without detracting from the natural sunlight. A textural wall surrounds a unique steam fireplace — a perfect choice for Florida as it doesn’t add extra heat to the room when in use.
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Family Room (Before): Dark paint, deep-stained cabinetry, and heavy furniture gave way to sleek surfaces and upholstery in the family room. Knapp created an asymmetrical entertainment center for the television in order to move the furniture to the middle of the room, which opened up the space for better flow. A faux finisher hand-painted shadows on the dimensional wall to emphasize the textural undulations, reminiscent of ocean waves, which are also reflected in the artwork on the adjacent wall.
BEFOREBEFORE
Pool: The client, an avid fisherman and outdoorsman, wanted an outdoor space to entertain family and business associates. The enclosed lanai includes cascading water features falling gently into a small pool, a tiled pergola, multiple enchanting fire bowls, and intricate stone and tile hardscaping, perfect for either large parties or more intimate gatherings in any season. Several access points allow guests and family to enjoy the outdoors from anywhere in the home.
Outdoor Kitchen: The outdoor kitchen features a playful palm-frond motif printed on large-format porcelain tile, a choice made for withstanding Florida storms and heat. The mosaic wall behind the vent hood mixes rich blues, golds, and silvers, and Cristallo quartzite countertops add a soft glow when backlit at night, reflecting the same masculine hues in its intricate veining. The existing wood ceiling was stained a dark cherry, so Knapp had it faux finished in a lighter driftwood pattern.
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Front Elevation: “This remodel completely changed the exterior look and feel of the home,” Palladino explains. Gone is the former islandMediterranean style with the addition of a new paver driveway, new entry gates, a redesigned exterior facade, and modern landscaping that accents the Andersen Windows & Doors from Naples Lumber. In addition, the full- spectrum lighting found in the newly added main bath is repeated outside, along with additional ambient lighting that illuminates and highlights the home’s exterior features and the inside house.
Written by Shawna Hampton Photography by Blaine Johnathan Photography
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Interior Designer: Collins DuPont Design Group 8911 Brighton Lane Bonita Springs, FL 34135 www.collins-dupont.com239.948.2400
Resources: Castle Services of Southwest Florida 3963 Enterprise Avenue Naples, FL www.castleservices.net239.304.462034104
Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery 38 Goodlette-Frank Road South Naples, FL www.sorheguitile.com239.643.2882Naples,3876Rubenwww.napleslumber.com239.643.7000Naples,3828AndersenNapleswww.build.com/ferguson239.963.008734102LumberWindows&DoorsRadioRoadFL34104SorheguiTileMercantileAvenueFL34104