Old Naples Home Packs on the Alfresco Appeal

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It’s every designer’s dream scenario: to create interiors for a brand-new home that channel your very own vision of easy tropical elegance. Then stand back and watch as captivated buyers clamor to move right in. That’s what happened to interior designer Tina Gulliford at a home in one of Naples’s oldest neighborhoods. The Bermuda-inspired, white stucco dwelling was love at first sight for Natalie and Craig Melograno, who wanted a family vacation home close to the beach that didn’t mimic the styles of neighboring houses. “The first time we walked in we knew we had to have this house,” Natalie says. “It met all of our needs with flowing interiors and outdoor spaces.” 

Meticulously placed on its lot, the 4,705-square-foot home presents with strong curb appeal as a one-story from the street with alley access that adds to the charm. But the eye is deceived as a two-story unfolds in classic courtyard style amid a sanctuary of abundant foliage, sunlight and relaxing water features. “We kept the courtyard open and airy,” architect Jon Kukk says. “And we custom-designed the pool as a major feature — the gallery, study, living room, lanai and second-floor balconies all hug the pool area.” 

Architecture and landscape design create a beautiful buffer zone for privacy. “It looks like a small cottage from the street and isn’t overpowering for the neighborhood of mostly older homes,” Gulliford says. “I set out to create an approachable yet elegant beach bungalow that pays tribute to the style and history of Old Naples. Being inspired by the natural tropical beauty of Florida, the interiors are modern but with a youthful and tropical vibe.” 

Upon entry, the traditional floor plan does not immediately give way to the view that wraps the house. “The main living spaces are light and bright via a cupola that was made part of the ceiling treatment,” Kukk says. “It provides very pleasant movement.” The dining area, kitchen and family room flow as one open space embraced by the coolness of white. “I went with white,” says the designer, “because I personally like white, and it’s a clean canvas for me to add personality through furnishings and wall coverings.”  

European white oak provides the anchor, while a pop of blue colors the kitchen island and aqua tones found in the dining area’s Inversion I and II giclées recall the ocean. Prints and patterns splash the family room in textural shades from gray to navy.  

Oceanic hues flow through to the private spaces, where the master bedroom conveys calm with sandy hued bedding, and aqua draperies that pull open to reveal poolside relaxation. White Beauty quartzite tops the vanities in the master bath, providing a perfect foil to the birch leaf printed wall covering.  

Nearby, a cloistered living room was designed for both relaxation and entertaining. “It’s a place to be away from TV … to read or to have a cocktail as the late day sunlight gently flows in from a large gallery wall of windows with a view to the pool,” Gulliford says. The room’s relaxed vibe flows effortlessly to the island-elegant lanai. Exotic Brazilian Ipe wood creates a textural focal point as it shutters the lanai and shapes the outside deck of the Zen garden. Here, the sound of trickling water creates a soothing rhythm that brings a certain order to the space.  

Since the Meloganos’ recent move here with their three teenage children and two dogs, they have been hosting visiting family and friends nonstop, and report that “no one wants to leave” this oasis of a home. “This house unravels as you walk through and it reveals how big it really is,” Kukk says. “The sequence of rooms moves you and turns you, until you are serenely ensconced in your own private tropical splendor.”

Story Credits:

Interior Design by Tina Gullliford, Kristina Gulliford Interiors, Naples, FL

Architecture by Jon Kukk, Kukk Architecture, Naples, FL

Builder Chris Eichhorn, CJE Construction, Naples, FL

Developer Thad Gulliford, Pere Development, Naples, FL

Landscape Architecture by Scott Windham, Windham Studio, INC., Bonita Springs, FL

Text by Rosemary Antonelli

Photography by Venjhamin Reyes, Miami, FL

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