Homegrown Style in Naples’ Pelican Bay

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Long before shovels pierced the ground, Laurie Walter, the CEO of Cardamon Design, and her team were already polishing the architectural design and furnishing plans for a 4,000-square-foot, transitional-meets-mid-century-modern house in Naples’ Pelican Bay community. The homeowners, a married couple from Connecticut with adult children and their first grandchild on the way, knew they were in expert hands with Walter and her crew.

“We understand the whole Florida/Naples aesthetic, and the fact that a home needs to relate to location, lifestyle, palette, and light,” says Walter. “There’s a certain design vibe that works really well on the Gulf Coast, and we know how to achieve it.”

Not only did Walters and her team have ideas in place for all the street-facing exterior elements, from the pavers to the pivot door, but they also had a vision for the shape and location of the pool and a clear direction for all the finishes and furnishings. “There’s nothing in that home that wasn’t selected or designed by us,” says the designer.

Still, the project had its challenges. Even with all the glorious light that would inevitably stream in from a set of transom windows, the great room layout presented a problem. “When you walk into the home, you have this really large and long great room and then your kitchen, so we felt that the space needed to have two seating areas,” says Walter. “With just one, you’d be too far away from the TV, and we wanted it to feel cozy and intimate. We felt that a nice little intimate seating cluster of four chairs by the bar would offer a solution. It’s a separate area yet connected enough.”

In terms of style, the owners wanted the home’s look to be neutral with some pops of color and certain organic accents. To ensure that, the design team first approached the flooring selection and opted for wide oak planks from Castlewood in a shade that recalls the Naples beach sand. For the walls? Layers of Sherwin-Williams’ City Loft shade, a warm off-white with beige and red undertones that’s ideal as a backdrop.

Over in the kitchen, the look is intentionally muted, with Cristallo quartzite on the countertops and a full-height backsplash. Special details give the room dimension and suggest a mid-century modern spirit. This idea is clearly reflected in the oak trim that surrounds the flat panel recessed cabinets, which is the same oak on the inlays for the vent hood. Hand-hammered metal Arteriors counter stools ground the space and add sculptural interest. Glass pendants from Minka Lavery Lighting draw the eye up but do not distract due to their transparency.

The Cardamon Design team suggested sprinkling marine shades into the palette to add interest. They sourced and customized accents with various shades of sea glass, including a set of sky-blue Fairfield occasional chairs in the great room, inky upholstered seating in the primary bedroom, and aqua color-blocked curtains in the dining room. By the time the project was completed, each space in the four-bedroom home reflected many of the elements in Naples’ natural environment.

“The home was made to enjoy frequent gatherings with loved ones, especially on the sunset deck,” says Walter. “One thing is certain: No one will be missing Connecticut when they’re here.”

Story Credits:

Interior Design by Laurie Walter, Cardamon Design, Naples, FL

Builder Fox Premier Builders, Naples, FL

Text by Riki Altman-Yee

Photography by Rick Bethem, Naples, FL

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