Flawless Transformation

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Spring 2022

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FLAWLESS TRANSFORMATION MEDITERRANEAN HOME REIMAGINED FOR A CONTEMPORARY, MONOCHROMATIC TRANSFORMATION

Living Room: To enhance the open floor plan, two of the four original columns were removed from the dining room. This required the addition of load bearing beams. The two remaining columns were modified to be simple and classic in style. Original to the home, the custom front door was painstakingly refinished. Custom metal bowties on the wood coffee table add a light and fun touch with a hint of masculinity to this space.

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When a family with worldly interests discovered this fabulous 9,000-square-foot home, it had good bones, but it was built in 2001 when Mediterranean style was at its peak. The residence was dark, heavy, and ornate — nothing like the classic traditional Florida home the family desired.

Aware of the need for premier professionals to design and implement the couple’s impending multi-million-dollar renovation, their realtor introduced them to Tracee Murphy, CEO and principal designer at Trade Mark Interiors. Murphy specializes in large-scale renovations and construction projects and often collaborates with her husband, local custom home builder Grant Castilow.

“Tracee brought us onto the project, and Trade Mark did a fantastic job designing a home to the clients’ style. The clients knew what they were getting from the get-go,” explains Castilow. “When you have a good interior designer, it makes my job infinitely more efficient because the project’s been well vetted and planned.” u Living Room: “I had to keep in mind the height of this two-story room and what would be seen from above,” notes Murphy.

Paneled walls with subtle light fixtures on the stairway and black iron spindles add charm to this inviting space. The stone fireplace is original to the home and pays homage to archways seen elsewhere. “Our driving force behind pulling the room together was casual sophistication,” says Murphy.

Dining Room: Flooded with natural light, this formal dining room is situated immediately to the right upon entering the front door. Controlled by Lutron, Ketra lighting allows customization of the home’s luminescence based on time of day, activity, and occupancy, perfect for these homeowners since they like to entertain. This special art piece is hand-cut with coco wood in petal forms finished in off-white. “Natural markings and indentations are part of the inherent beauty of coconut shells and add interest to the piece,” says Murphy. homeanddesign.net

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Kitchen: “The size of kitchen is a bit large to keep it all white,” says Murphy, so the homeowner selected “the natural beauty of a special stone,” and it contrasts the rest of the kitchen’s clean look while complementing the gray and white mosaic Carrara marble tile on the backsplash, sourced through Tile Market of Sarasota. Oversized Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances, sourced through Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery, were selected because the wife loves to cook and entertain.

Bar: Dark-stained wood cabinetry that Murphy sourced through Campbell Cabinetry Design adds definition to the wet bar. She says, “This bar is centrally located with access to the kitchen behind it and the living/dining room on the front side.” The built-in element also provides wine storage and space to store bar supplies and display glassware. Lutron Ketra lighting sourced through SmartHouse Integration fills the space with full spectrum lighting, namely on the upper and lower cabinets, making a statement after dark. Koi fish artwork on the walls is a nod to the family’s time in China.

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“Our clients didn’t know where to begin,” notes Murphy. They had never owned a home.

“We spent a lot of time going through design styles and creating inspiration images for them to sort through. They desired sophisticated neutrals that were soft and soothing but also liked metallics and neutral creams and grays,” which complement the Lutron Ketra lighting — filling the space with full spectrum lighting throughout the home. Whole House Audio speakers are strategically located throughout the home for added ambiance, sourced by SmartHouse Integration.

Original to the home, the custom front door “was a major selling point of the home,” delights Murphy. The design team agreed that the integrity of the home’s Mediterranean style must remain intact, so they began by preserving the front door’s architectural splendor. “Castilow was able to enhance the stain that was already present and make the door pop against the freshly painted exterior,” says Murphy. u

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To enhance the open floor plan of the living room, some of the original columns were removed. Murphy notes, “There were eight columns total — in the foyer, dining, and living areas — and we engineered the removal of five of those columns to declutter and open the space.” This required the addition of load bearing beams. The two remaining columns were modified to be simple and classic in style.

The artwork above the fireplace was selected based on scale, color, and content. Murphy says, “We wanted to add some visual interest in the art, so color was a must have.” The design team deliberately chose smaller pieces as to not overwhelm the room and “opted for a slightly more contemporary subject to speak to the true transitional design aesthetic.” u

Family Room: The family room is located just off the kitchen and lanai and is a natural gathering space for everyday living. The sliding doors open to extend the living space to the outdoors with easy access to the kitchen, giving this space “a much more ‘loungey’ feel than the main living room,” says Murphy. Performance fabrics on the sofa are darker shades of gray because, as Murphy notes, “With teenagers, performance fabrics were a must-have in this area!”

Breakfast Nook: The frameless aquarium-like glass windows in this comfortable informal dining space provide unfettered views of the lush outdoor living area and the lake beyond. The hand-applied mother of pearl mosaic light fixture is intentionally geometric to pull in the clean-line look from the rest of the home and complements the neutral tones in the drapes. The rustic tabletop welcomes casual dining for four with upholstered seats with wicker backs — the latter complementing the bucolic nature of the round tabletop.

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Her Bedroom: The wife’s bedroom boasts two crystal bud chandeliers — one upon entering and one above the bed — “and the drapery panels are custom designed with a bamboo print,” delights Murphy. “We used a continuous rod around the window/door area for an elevated, custom look.” The ceiling shape was original to the home, so Murphy painted it white for a refined look. “It is a great room for relaxing and has views of the golf course and the lake behind the course.”

Her Bedroom Detail: The oversized bench in steel-gray velvet at the foot of the bed is an old-fashioned fainting couch and a great place to relax. Shades of neutrals on the semi-custom bedding are in keeping with the rest of the residence. Refined pieces such as the stacked alabaster table lamps on the curved nightstands and the elegant, finely ribbed metallic-looking tufted wingback headboard work together to build the bedroom’s restful, chic design.

Her Closet (Right): When asked how much space his wife needed for clothes, the husband jokingly answered that she has enormous closet needs. Originally a guest bedroom and immediately adjacent to the wife’s bedroom, the space is a fun glam closet and dressing room filled with rolling racks of clothing. Photos on the wall of models from the 1950s are from High Point Market. “This space is unexpected and unlike what you’d see in other homes,” says Murphy.

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His Bedroom: The headboard is the focal point of the husband’s bedroom, and pinstripe bedding lends a masculine touch. “The warm wood tone contrasts the deep black nightstands to further exude the masculinity in his master suite,” says Murphy. Straight lines and darker finishes continue the space’s more rugged appeal. “He loves it and says it is true to his personality.

We brought in lamps with a very classic element and a little softer in texture so they stay true to the overall design,” adds Murphy.

His Bathroom: The design in his master bath originated with the marble mosaic flooring. Murphy says, “We carried the same warm wood tones and pops of black into his bathroom, where we were able to capitalize on all of the color tones in the amazing floor pattern” by New Ravenna. To bring the outside in, aquarium windows in the shower overlook a walled garden. Murphy also notes that “it was important to make this his space, so we wanted to make the whole suite cohesive.”

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“Our driving force behind pulling the rooms together was casual sophistication,” says Tracee Murphy.

Guest Bathroom: A custom vanity that looks much like a dresser provides ample storage space for guests, but that is only part of its charm. The backsplash tile is a custom mosaic so complex that installing it required a skilled craftsman. It serves as a backdrop for the side-by-side rectilinear mirrors and sinks with identical faucets, which provide functionality, while a volcanic glass light fixture above the sink adds a touch of whimsy to this effectual space.

Game Room: Of this spacious game room, Murphy explains, “We wanted to create something that would be timeless, as well as somewhere that the whole family can hang out for years to come.”

Trade Mark Interiors designed the shelving for the billiard accessories specifically for this functional personal space. The unique custom quartz bar and bold stripe pattern on the club chairs are simple elements that unify this fun second-floor game room. “We wanted it to be a central piece that was also a stand-alone piece without any additional cabinetry,” explains Murphy. A steel structure bolted into the wall holds the substantial element in place. Above the bar are two semi-flush coned light fixtures.

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Completion of the home makeover took approximately ten months, with the last two weeks reserved for the furnishings, accessories, and artwork to be brought into the residence. “We had champagne and a walkthrough with the whole family. There were lots of tears during the big reveal,” shares Murphy.

Today the six-bedroom dwelling is open and airy and radiates southwest Florida’s coveted lifestyle. “It still has a little Mediterranean feeling, as we stayed true to the home’s architecture, but it has a very classic, traditional interior,” states Murphy. n

Pool Bathroom: Fun and energetic, the pool bathroom can be accessed from the outdoor living area. “We wanted a little fun so we did a beautiful wall that coordinates with the mosaic tile on the floor.

The wall mounted faucet and sconces reflect the fun animal prints in the space,” notes Murphy.

Boy’s Bedroom: One of the boys wanted his room to be simple and monochromatic, so we kept with deeper, darker neutrals for classic tones,” Murphy notes. Unlike the other rooms, custom made, heavy blackout draperies were installed in his bedroom. The hand-picked white oak panel headboard wall is a showstopper that adds contrast yet complements all the darker finishes in this space. “The texture of the wood just brings the space to life!” Murphy exclaims.

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Outdoor Living: A small overhaul on the fireplace by resurfacing it with a clean, modern porcelain tile worked wonders on the lanai’s spectacular sitting area. Some of the outdoor furnishings were existing pieces that Murphy’s team reupholstered with performance fabrics to match the new aesthetic. ClearView screens have long spans between the beams, and a nearly invisible screen between the lanai and the outdoors meets all of Florida’s hurricane codes. “The new look no longer distracts from the wonderful views all around,” adds Murphy.

Outdoor Kitchen: Entertaining outside is one of the things the clients were most eager to do in their new home. To meet that goal, everything in the outdoor kitchen was upgraded. Designed for Florida’s weather, the outdoor cabinetry was finished in dark charcoal. “This layout not only worked with the space but also the climate,” shares Murphy. Main focal points in the outdoor space are the veined granite countertops and semi-contrasting dark tone-on-tone backsplash.

Written by Mary Thurman Yuhas Photography by Nicholas Ferris Photography Interior Designer: Trade Mark Interiors 1371-A Boulevard of the Arts Sarasota, FL 34236 941.879.9494 www.trademarkinteriordesign.com Resources: Campbell Cabinetry Designs 1531 Main Street Sarasota, FL 34236 941.378.3922 www.campbellcabinetrydesigns.com

SmartHouse Integration 1385 5th Street Sarasota, FL 34236 941.404.4470 www.smarthouseintegration.com

Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery 5521 Fruitville Road Sarasota, FL 34232 941.951.0110 www.build.com/ferguson

Tile Market of Sarasota 1962 Main Street, Suite 120 Sarasota, FL 34236 941.365.2356 www.tilemarket.com

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