Pops of Color Rule in Miromar Lakes Home

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Sure, neutrals can soothe the senses. But sometimes an interior cries out for color. That’s the approach Arlynn McDaniel, senior lead designer at Freestyle Interiors in Bonita Springs, took when she designed this model home at the Miromar Lakes Beach and Golf Club. 

“We all get into a rut with the same color palette. This house screamed for fun, bright colors,” she says. 

McDaniel accessorized the home’s clean, neutral background with jolts of lime green, orange, and blue. Model homes aren’t always known for being color-friendly; developers often request design palettes that will appeal to the masses. 

“We’ve done several jobs over the past five or six years with Freestyle Interiors and when they first introduced color, I had to trust them that it would all work,” recalls Matthew Shull, vice president of construction for Gulfshore Homes, the firm that built the home. “I was very nervous.” In the end, both he and the buyers—who purchased the home within a month of its completion—loved it.

Situated on a half-acre lot, the two-story home is across the street from the golf club. It’s also within walking distance to the beach club on the 700-acre freshwater lake that connects with several smaller lakes. “Miromar Lakes is different from every other gated community in the area,” says Faith Fix, owner of Freestyle Interiors. “With its massive lakes, there is a sense of being on a beautiful waterfront property. It’s a beach feeling in a very friendly community.” 

The owners of Miromar Lakes wanted to veer away from traditionally Mediterranean-influenced styles toward a more contemporary design for the model homes in its Ancona neighborhood, says Shull. Gulfshore integrated modern touches into the 4,427-square-foot Lucien model with architectural elements, including a cantilevered front entry, walnut panels interspersed on the exterior, and eyebrows over some of the windows. More classic, traditional touches include hip roof lines to complement the contemporary flat style. “It’s a soft entry into modern,” Shull notes. 

McDaniel says she diluted the home’s modern elements—which can sometimes feel cold—with texture, contrasting warm wood with clean porcelain tile. In the great room, the fireplace is constructed of walnut slats. A similar design is echoed in the kitchen range hood. More touches of walnut in the all-white background are found on the legs of the great room coffee table and in the kitchen and dining tables. “It all comes back to that warmth that wood has,” McDaniel adds.

“I grew up in Florida,  so contemporary has always had an appeal for me,” Fix says. “Modern gets a bad rap as not being warm, but what I love about this house is that the touches of wood give an organic, textural feel that make it inviting.” 

As for the bright colors McDaniel wanted to incorporate? “I said ‘go for it,’” she says. “We were very clear that the colors were in accessories that could be moved out if the new owners didn’t like it, but it turned out they loved it.” McDaniel says she looks forward to incorporating more color in her designs. “It just makes people smile.”

Story Credits:

Interior Design by Arlynn McDaniel, Freestyle Interiors, Bonita Springs

Architecture by Alberto Abad, New Architectura, Inc., Bonita Springs, FL

Builder Matt Shull, Gulfshore Homes, Bonita Springs, FL

Text by Judy Martel

Photography by Spacecrafting, Minneapolis, MN

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