Seaside Luxe
Boca Grande, Florida
They heard about it the night before and drove by the lot on their way out of town. The sign displayed a rendering of the proposed spec house and a developer’s number. By the following day, a deal was in the works, and that afternoon, we received a call from a long-standing client. This was to be our third project with them. After fifty years of visiting Gasparilla Island in the Gulf of Mexico, they wanted a permanent connection to the place they’d come to love.
During our first meeting, our clients expressed their vision for a ‘luxurious old beach house sans Florida kitsch’. Their desire was not just for a comfortable and easy-to-use space, but also for a relaxed atmosphere that could accommodate their grown children and their families. They wanted more than just a house; they wanted a cozy new home with an old soul, a place that would exude warmth and comfort.
Interiors Architecture
The beach house’s main space combines living and dining under a wire-brushed cypress ceiling. Stacked sliding doors connect the interior space to the lanai.
White milk paint coats the vertical-grain white oak kitchen cabinetry reflected in a gloss white ceiling. The backsplash is among several stone mosaic surfaces in the house.
Overlooking the pool and the gulf beyond, the lanai features shellstone flooring and retractable screening and storm shutters.
Furniture-quality detailing defines the walk-in closets. Here, her dressing area is accented with leather and bronze inlay. Textured and weathered finishes contrast with crisp white millwork throughout.
Capped by quartzite, a cast-stone garden planter stands in as a pedestal lavatory. Its palm frond motif subtly references the Florida context. An octagonal window is flanked by mirrors of the same geometry. The beveled mirror backplate for the custom sconce is of similar shape.
A custom torch sconce of white oak, mirror, mother-of-pearl, bronze and blown glass coordinates with the ceiling light and invites geometric interplay with other motifs. The scale of the cane motif onyx floor stands apart from other geometric textures. Its color links to white oak flooring in the adjoining hall.
Panels of woven grass and other natural materials highlight cabinetry throughout. A sliding glass wall connects the second-floor lounge to the out of doors.
A floating leather and bronze shelf is the perfect spot for a spontaneous collection of shells and other materials collected on beach walks.
Sliding doors open to connect the lanai and bayou beyond to the interior portions of the living space.
- Builder: Outerbridge Construction
- Cabinetry: Frost Cabinets
- Photographer: Rich Michell