Worldly Elegance Abounds in Naples Home

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Looking to fulfill their empty-nester dreams after raising five boys in Chicago’s northern suburbs, a Midwestern couple set their sights on a new build in Florida. Their chosen destination? An enchanting Naples enclave lined with extravagant waterfront estates along plush boulevards. Beloved for its sense of community, picturesque beaches, and proximity to the deep-water canals, the Gulf Coast locale offered a haven befitting their new chapter in life.

“We are power boaters and wanted to have a dock behind our home with easy access to our boats,” says the wife. “One of our greatest joys is cruising the channels and exploring the Southwest Florida waters.”

Located within an easy walk to the beach and just a short bike ride away from Naples’ central district, the property encompasses 9,225 square feet, comprising a spacious lanai with a pool and tiered pool deck. The west view faces a protected wildlife preserve, providing lush landscape screening between the adjacent homes and a sense of privacy the homeowners’ liken to being on a deserted Caribbean island.

After teaming up with their long-time interior designers, Martin Horner, who designed their multiple Chicago residences, two boats, and the family’s beloved Bay Harbor, Michigan getaway, the couple dove in without hesitation.

“They’re the kind of clients every designer dreams of working with,” says Horner. “There is so much trust between us, and we feed off each other’s ideas; there’s a lot of collaboration and freedom to bring in new concepts.”

The couple’s decidedly un-Floridian aesthetic emphasizes seamless indoor/outdoor living with an absence of pastels, nautical motifs, and other regional design notions. Instead, the interiors embrace a love for global travel, collecting, maximalist patterns, and all things blue. Impactful punches of fuchsia, plum, terra cotta, teal, and green temper the palette, nodding to an oceanside eclecticism inspired by the couple’s many trips and admiration of global handcrafts. Intricately detailed custom millwork creates focal-point display areas highlighting a mélange of collectibles—from a world-class trove of tramp art to an impressive cache of milk glass and vintage blue and white pottery. Layered patterns and texture appear everywhere in a skillful balance of fabrics, custom rugs, inlaid mother-of-pearl furnishings, hand-crafted floor tiles, fireplace surrounds, heavily veined marbles, backsplashes, and a dynamic kitchen island.

“We love the color blue, hence the name of our home, Blue Haven,” notes the wife. “It is our connection to both water and sky and blends with the contemporary style of our home—a sophisticated Nantucket look combining the island’s unspoiled nature with the Florida lifestyle. We are also decorative maximalists who love an eclectic mix of fabrics, patterns, and colors.”

In response to the couple’s well-defined tastes, Horner reimagined many of their Chicago furnishings to suit the new Florida abode. “It was an interesting challenge to take earthy colors, cozy textures, and dark wood tones and translate them to a different environment,” says the designer. “We had to get creative with dark furniture pieces and did a lot of reupholstering to transition them from the gray-skied, cozy-heavy Midwest to lighter, brighter Florida.”

That upbeat color vibe extends to the outdoors, where clearly defined dining, cooking, and relaxing zones translate through architectural elements and landscaping. The same emphasis on color and pattern applies, with alfresco areas bursting with vibrance starring the color blue, tying outdoor living experiences to the sea, sky, and adjacent interiors.

With a second floor designated primarily for visiting family and guests, the homeowners intentionally designed that part of the residence to draw their sons—some already building nests of their own—like magnets for frequent get-togethers and boating adventures.

“I love the way the house feels relaxed even though all the furnishings are so beautiful,” adds Horner. “It makes everything feel effortless, like you’re on vacation every day. Who wouldn’t love that?”

Story Credits:

Interior Design by Martin Horner & Shea Soucie, Soucie Horner, Chicago, IL

Architecture by Kukk Architecture & Design, Naples, FL

Builder BCB Homes, Naples, FL

Landscape Architecture by Architectural Land Design, Naples, FL

Text by Jeanne Delathouder

Photography by Dustin Halleck, Berwyn, IL

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