Universal Appeal_HDS 2021 FEB

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Spring 2021

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Originally designed and built by DSDG Architects and Voigt Brothers Construction as a spec home, this coastal transitional home is located in Sarasota’s premier waterfront neighborhood on a canal in Paradise Shores, where many homes have private boat docks with direct access to the bay and scenic views of Bird Key. A little over halfway through the construction process, the property was purchased by a family from Boston, who brought in Blu Interiors | Blu Home to further customize the interior details to suit their needs and lifestyle. u

Living Room: Voigt Brothers Construction worked with DSDG Architects to designate the fireplace location and craft the feature wall, and Blu Home selected the honed marble stack stone from 301 Granite & Marble.

“This fireplace is on a central axis with the room, so it aligns with the kitchen island and couch,” shares architect Scott Gross of DSDG Architects. FineCraft Custom Cabinetry built a bookcase to match the floors from Sticks & Stones Flooring, making it appear original to the house. A microsuede ottoman with a bridge serves as a footrest and coffee table. “There are two parts to design: function and beauty,” adds Chelsea Dunbar, owner and principal designer of Blu Interiors and co-owner of Blu Home, and interior designer Megan Ellis. “They have to marry each other to really work.”

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This custom canal-front property was designed with family in mind As Featured in Home & Design

Dining Room: To accommodate up to 10 people comfortably in the dining room, Blu Interiors chose a round table and barrel chairs with soft, feminine curves that mimic an armchair. The powder-coated aluminum dining table has an engraved lazy Susan, which is discreet and functional. Voigt Brothers Construction created the elevated wood ceiling detail to add warmth to the space. “This room is more intimate, and the design is impactful, creating a wow factor in a small space,” adds Dunbar.

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Kitchen: Comfort was top of mind in the kitchen, which features all-white cabinets by Progressive Cabinetry and swivel counter stools with a back cushion that can accommodate sitting for more extended periods of time.

“The clients do a lot of entertaining and cooking, so it’s important that the stools are comfortable,” note Dunbar and Ellis. “The soft curves match the dining room chairs, and they have a sculptural look that matches the modern design throughout the house.” The appliances and plumbing fixtures are from Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & LIghting Gallery.

As Featured in Home & Design

As Featured in Home & Design

“When working on a spec home, the main challenge is designing for an end user that you don’t have,” says architect Scott Gross of DSDG Architects, who designed the home and worked alongside Voigt Brothers Construction. “So, you’re designing based on current trends for the masses until someone rises up and loves what you’ve done. When the Boston family stepped into the design process, their changes were pretty minimal — a testament to our teamwork and collaboration in planning. We worked hard to develop a plan that most people would like. The new family focused on sprucing up the inside to their taste; this is where a home designed for everyone can be fine-tuned to the individual’s needs. The outcome is a home where every aspect of the project has some character to it.” u

Master Bath Vanity: The custom vanity spanned the entire wall, so Voigt Brothers Construction broke it into sections with light fixtures to keep it from looking overbearing. “We used built-in mirrors with paneling and low-profile sconces to make it look and feel graceful,” says Stephen Voigt, vice president of Voigt Brothers Construction. Blu Interiors created a custom selection for the fabric on top of the vanity stool from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams to match the ones at the foot of the bed in the master bedroom. “It juxtaposes the acrylic base with the brushed metal framing underneath, which brings together traditional and contemporary elements,” state Dunbar and Ellis. The faucets are from Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery.

Master Bedroom: The wallpaper in the master bedroom is made of actual shells that have been stripped and laminated, creating a dimensional effect that removes the need for any artwork. Blu Interiors brought in a blind tufted microsuede headboard in the neutral gray color scheme incorporated in the custom bedding, end benches, and area rug. The sculptural chandelier, reminiscent of coral or a sea anemone, was sourced through Blu Home and showcases the light in unique ways. Wicked Smart Homes installed the lighting control and the audiovisual systems for the whole home.

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Master Bath Tub & Shower: Voigt Brothers Construction created wall and floor designs in the master shower with Marazzi Castellina Stone Mosaics, a natural stone and porcelain with metallic details from 301 Granite & Marble. The wall pattern is framed with a brushed shellstone pencil rail. Blu Interiors added a sculptural resin stool that is both functional and chic. “The fresh white color of the stool pulls from the white acrylic interior of the garden soaking tub, creating a sense of balance with the finishes,” says Ellis.

Lady Lounge: The “lady lounge” was designed for the matriarch of the house, who selected the feminine artwork from a local art gallery. The Nathan Anthony daybed, sourced through Blu Home, complements the soft palette of light blue, taupe, and blush. It is paired with textural materials, such as grasscloth wallpaper, a shag area rug, and a lacquered raffia tray on the coffee table, which doubles as a filing cabinet. “You just want to touch and feel everything in here,” exclaim Dunbar and Ellis. “The wife is more transitional in her everyday style, and this room really reflects that.”

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Game Room: The “man cave” was built around the Nautilus pool table from Mitchell Exclusive Billiard Designs, which features a blue felt surface. Along with the abstract watercolor rug, it pays tribute to the client’s favorite sports team, the New England Patriots. A custom bar ledge matches the shelves’ dark finish above the wet bar. Framed horseracing memorabilia line the wall above the bar ledge, and saddleinspired barstools complete this space.

As a result of building custom and spec homes over the years, Voigt Brothers Construction has mastered the art of drawing on their previous projects to create an impressive end result that will appeal to a broad audience.

“We’re always getting feedback on what people are looking for when it comes to new design ideas and trends,” says Stephen Voigt, vice president of Voigt Brothers Construction. “Whenever we start a spec project, we take ideas from things that we have done previously and put them together to create a customized set of plans. We’ve built a lot of contemporary homes in the past, but we wanted this house to feel more beachy. It’s transitional in the sense that we put wooden beams in the great room but no crown molding, for instance. There are clean lines and modern elements throughout the house, but it never feels cold.” u

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Chelsea Dunbar, owner and principal designer of Blu Interiors and co-owner of Blu Home, and interior designer Megan Ellis were introduced to the homeowners through their realtor. They mixed design elements to embrace the builders’ design profile of the home and interject the modern design the clients were seeking. Locally sourced and commissioned artwork pieces, unique wallpaper, and impactful, sculptural lighting were all carefully curated for the home and enhanced its multi-generational appeal. u

Staircase: Above the custom fabricated aluminum staircase, light filters through a large window designed by DSDG Architects, merging coastal and craftsman design. “We included an X-brace to tie in with the entry metal bracing feature, while the window mullion adds more of a craftsman feel,” Gross shares. The light fixture, Moonlight Murmuration by Ochre, is a contemporary installation of solid glass drops illuminated by an LED, brass cap, and white canopy. Blu Interiors custom scaled it to fit the space.

Bonus Room & Lounge: The ceiling tray detail with wood cypress slats over black inlay add depth to the lounge. Custom pillows from B2E Home bring out the blue in the ottoman, sourced through Blu Home. “The ottoman is an installation of pieces that takes the traditional coffee table and modernizes it,” note Dunbar and Ellis. “The separate coffee table creates a solid surface with wood and metal, while the moveable seaside table can be pulled over to the sofa.”

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Guest Suite: Designed by Blu Interiors, the bunk bed in the guest suite has a queen on the bottom and a twin on top. A capiz shell chandelier from Serena & Lily acts as a natural diffuser, illuminating the room with a soft, warm glow. The hanging rattan chair enhances the room’s playful atmosphere, drawing attention upward to a recessed ceiling.

The ceiling color is one of the same blue hues found in Drew Noel Marin Art’s commissioned art piece. “The pixelated appearance of this piece with a pop of orange is fresh and unique,” says Ellis.

Powder Bath: Various deep-sea elements are featured in this powder bath. “The onyx backlit countertop sets the tone,” add Dunbar and Ellis.

“We added character with large-scale aquatic wallpaper and a fun light fixture to make this into a unique space.” The Visual Comfort single pendant light fixture combines sticks of varying lengths in an hourglass shape and lends an organic and sculptural feel with a hint of soft light for a relaxing ambiance. The plumbing fixtures are from Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & LIghting Gallery.

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“The homeowners are extremely family-oriented,” says Dunbar. “This is their part-time residence as they live in Boston most of the year, but they have a daughter who is currently living here while she goes to school. We designed the house with the idea that this home would play host to friends and family throughout the year. They were also very passionate about the artwork in the home, so they decorated it with lots of local artists’ pieces. Since it was a spec home, a lot of the work had already been done or was in progress by the time we came on board. There is a lot of family character throughout the home, and the furniture and design details have been carefully selected to reflect the clients’ passion for family and community.” n

Rear Elevation & Pool: DSDG Architects placed the pool as close to the canal as possible to erase the distance between the two, creating an endless sense of connection. “Our company thrives on creating the outdoor experience and a connection to the water,” Gross points out. “We arranged the palm trees to create a green buffer between the clients’ home and the neighboring house across the canal to block its view while leaving the water open.” The outdoor furniture is from Sutherland Furniture.

As Featured in Home & Design

As Featured in Home & Design

Front Elevation: Concrete pavers in various colors create a sense of movement in the driveway leading up to the front porch with a gable built out of cypress wood. “The gable was a design element we thought would look good on the house, so we played off that,” says Voigt. To add warmth to the exterior, DSDG Architects added wood accents and brackets, along with polymer garage doors that resemble wood but can better withstand the Florida environment.

Written by Kamala Kirk Photography by Ryan Gamma Architect DSDG Architects 1348 Fruitville Road, Suite 204 Sarasota, FL 34236 941.955.5645 dsdgarchitects.com Luxury Home Builder Voigt Brothers Construction 2015 Rose Street, Suite B Sarasota, FL 34239 941.926.6038 voigtbrothers.com Home Decor Blu Home 1830 South Osprey Avenue, Suite 101 Sarasota, FL 34239 941.364.2900 shopbluhome.com

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Resources: 301 Granite & Marble 3800 North Washington Boulevard Sarasota, FL 34234 941.360.0301 301granite.com

Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery 5521 Fruitville Road Sarasota, FL 34232 941.951.0110 fergusonshowrooms.com

FineCraft Custom Cabinetry 4333 South Tamiami Trail, Suite C Sarasota, FL 34231 941.378.1901 finecraftcabinetry.com

Mitchell Exclusive Billiard Designs 13501 Icot Boulevard, Suite 112 Clearwater, FL 33760 844.793.9263 mitchellebd.com

Progressive Cabinetry 6404 Manatee Avenue West, Suite N Bradenton, FL 34209 941.866.6975 progressive-cabinetry.com

Sticks & Stones Flooring 1839 Northgate Boulevard Sarasota, FL 34234 941.706.0924 sticksandstonessrq.com

Sutherland Furniture 1600 Viceroy Drive, Suite 500 Dallas, TX 75235 800.717.8325 sutherlandfurniture.com

Wicked Smart Homes 527 South Pineapple Avenue Sarasota, FL 34236 941.928.0343 wickedsmarthomes.com