Coastal Refinement in Venetian Bay

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A place for family and friends to gather and to put their feet up while enjoying the water views and the Florida sunshine are desires a Pennsylvania couple expressed to Randi Scott of Calusa Bay Design and John Cooney of Stofft Cooney Architects when they began designing their home on Naples’ picture-perfect Venetian Bay. Though the wife relied heavily on these professionals, she was very involved in the project. “She had designed several vacation homes in the past,” Scott explains, “but because she would be working on this larger home from a distance, she wanted more support.” 

The homeowner had clear ideas about the finishes and the color palette for the contemporary casual home. “She loved the idea of a neutral background, but wanted the house to have character and pops of color that were not your typical blue tones referencing coastal Florida,” notes Scott. “She had a small piece of artwork she showed me with a beautiful teal tone in it that we incorporated as our main accent color.” 

Generously sized outdoor living spaces support the alfresco lifestyle the homeowners imagined for themselves and their two teenage children. While these exterior rooms have an informal flair, the interior architectural envelope is decidedly modern.

The wine niche, tucked beneath a sleek stairway that is inset with glass, illustrates how a bold hue becomes a focal point. “We wanted it to be functional and to make a big statement,” Scott says. “We found a translucent glass panel that we back-lit with an LED panel to make the colors sing.”

Scott credits Cooney for the fact that the home sits so beautifully on the property with its unusual contours. “It was inspiring to see how he worked with the clients to make sure that all of their needs were fulfilled on the challenging pie-shaped lot,” she explains. “He was very receptive to considering our furniture placement, so the views remained unencumbered.” Scott says that this project was especially satisfying because she felt the client’s excitement build as the momentum picked up and each space came together. 

“Working with clients to make sure they have beautiful homes that also function for their needs is rewarding,” adds Scott. “We are often approached by potential clients for our coastal aesthetics—the whites, soft blues, and neutrals—that reflect our Florida surroundings, so this home was particularly fun because we were able to work with different colors, patterns, and wood tones that we don’t get to use every day.” 

For his part, Matt Knauf of Knauf-Koenig Group, the contractor on the project, says, “We’ve completed a number of projects with these firms, and the creativity continues to evolve in an exciting way. From the ceiling details to the stains and wallpaper combinations, this home, I believe, is one of our best yet.” Radick also feels the relationship between the indoor and outdoor spaces is remarkable: “Connecting the indoors to the outside is an important part of designing and building homes in Southwest Florida. People want to enjoy their outdoor living areas, so creating a smooth transition to them, as we did here, fosters this lifestyle choice.” Scott has witnessed how fully these particular homeowners have embraced this: “I visit these clients often and enjoy seeing them being so happy in the home, which is why we love what we do.”

Story Credits:

Interior Design by Randi Scott, Calusa Bay Design, Naples, FL

Architecture by John Cooney, Stofft Cooney Architects, Naples, FL and Delray Beach, FL

Builder by Matt Knauf, Knauf-Koenig Group, Naples, FL

Landscape Architecture by Architectural Land Design, Naples, FL

Text by Saxon Henry

Photography by Venjhamin Reyes, Miami, FL

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