Working with 29-foot ceilings, Alterman used large area rugs to ground the open floor plan, help absorb sound and deliver a sense of warmth and relaxation. LEFT: Local artist Megan James created this painting of the ocean as a strikingly modern focal point in the long traditional hallway.
Ciao Bella!
Embracing this Italian villa’s striking architecture, designer Krista W. Alterman transformed its drab interiors into sun-drenched contemporary spaces that are as livable as they are lavish. Written by CHRISTIE GALEANO-DEMOTT
90
JESSICA GLYNN
D
arkness enveloped the home. Ebony wood furniture, medieval ironwork and elaborate built-ins weighed it down. But the property’s bones—its classic Italian architecture—offered a glimmer of its grandiose potential. That is what captivated Krista W. Alterman’s clients, and that’s what the Palm Beach-based designer used as her inspiration as she reimagined this 6,556-square-foot residence. Built in 2002 on the heels of the previous decade’s Tuscan villa trend, the home embodied a bigger-is-always-better style with countless columns, arches, hallways and stained-glass windows.“We had to think outside the box and figure out how to meld a variety of different styles to create a home that is beautiful, warm and represents the clients,”she says. Refreshing this expansive, dated home didn’t dissuade Alterman; instead, the Connecticut native used her understanding of her clients’ desire to create a welcoming and tranquil vacation retreat for themselves and their family to inspire and influence her redesign. Alterman, whose firm Krista + Home recently celebrated its 15th anniversary, is a pro at
bocamag.com • • • • November/December 2023
style & design HOME ND23.indd 90
10/4/23 11:48 AM