Palm Beach Manse is a Modern Classic

Regal yet approachable, a château-style manse makes itself at home amid the coastal scene of Palm Beach

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Palm Beach reflects a quintessentially classic existence with modern sensibilities and a charm unique to the island. The result is an eclectic neighborhood of manicured abodes, characterized by individual flavor. This 14,000-plus-total-square-foot manse is no exception. “The home’s architectural style is inspired by the châteaux of the Loire River valley in France interpreted for a Palm Beach oceanfront estate,” says Angela Janesheski Lehman, project designer with Smith & Moore Architects. “It has the styling, massing and ornamentation of the precedents in France with the approachability and expression suited to a coastal Florida retreat.”

Elegantly manicured landscaping allows the home to sit center stage, a beacon of ethereal living right along the shoreline. “We wanted to make sure that it was designed in the true classical orders and proportions,” architect Harold Smith says. A series of large, arched windows punctuate the front exterior styled with limestone cladding that gives the house a regal feel. “The portico is impactful as you’re walking up to the front of the house,” senior interior designer Rachel Ortiz says. “The stone columns foreshadow an appealing sense of symmetry that repeats throughout the home.”

Step inside, where the grand salon wafts an ethereal airiness that seems to beckon the ocean breeze. Awash in neutral tones, the palette is punctuated by gray tones that don’t interrupt the cheerfulness but instead give it context. Perched above the limestone fireplace, Blue Twilight, a painting with weighty blue tones and a golden frame, complements the gilded branch-like ornamentation of the chandelier with drop crystals that allude to the underlying stateliness of the home.

Limestone reappears to shape the sweeping stairway that circles up and around the foyer on one side and gracefully points the way to the main living areas on the other. White-painted paneling keeps the reception area bright and inviting while providing a formal introduction.

Impressive in size, the dining room houses a pair of walnut tables that push together to seat a party of 12 or separate into more intimate groups of eight. Crystal chandeliers cascade from a lacquered ceiling tinged a light blue in homage to sky tones just outside. An antiqued-mirror niche opens up the space while channeling an Old World allure.   

Carefully selected design elements create a sense of separation in the family room, where a muted richness enhanced by signature pops of color and commanding furnishings characterize the space. Light streams through repeated arch windows to provide a breeziness to an already open space heightened by vaulted ceilings with stained beams. “All of the furniture has very tailored lines, but rich chenille and warm velvets really pull it all together,” Adair says.

Nearby, the kitchen is akin to the sum of all parts. “It’s sort of a transition room,” Ortiz says. “Since it’s open to the foyer it needs to feel a bit formal while tying into the more casual family room.” An antique glass backsplash and wooden ceiling beams have counterparts elsewhere in the home.

Architectural detailing plays a key role in defining the casual social spaces inside and out. “We used carved stone for all ornamental stone detailing on the exterior of the house,” the architect says. The loggia is designed as an open extension of the interior spaces. Perfect for spillover at a party or ideal as an outdoor lounge, the space is accordingly outfitted with furnishings fit for both settings. Designed with purpose, style and elegance that reflect traditional gentility with modern sensibilities, it truly is the best of Palm Beach living.

Story Credits:

Interior Design by Melissa Adair with Rachel Ortiz, Sarah Shefrans and Noella Willis, Marc-Michaels Interior Design, Inc., Winter Park, FL

Architecture by Harold J. Smith, Smith & Moore Architects, Inc., West Palm Beach, FL

Builder Rick Burns, Davis General Contracting, West Palm Beach, FL

Landscape Architecture by Keith Williams, Nievera Williams Design, Palm Beach, Fl

Text by Alexandra Roland

Photography by Jessica Glynn, Atlantis, FL

Open to see Interior Design Sources:

SOURCES

ENTRY

Stairway railing fabricated by Belt, Hollywood, FL

Center table – Century Furniture, Hickory, NC

Vase – Restoration Hardware, West Palm Beach, FL

Artwork – Leftbank Art, High Point, NC

Flooring – Audrey Lane, Trinity Surfaces,

Winter Park, FL

living Room

Sofa and lounge chairs – Baker Furniture, Hickory, NC

Daybed and round cocktail ottoman – Custom

designed by Marc-Michaels Interior Design,

Winter Park, FL

Fabricated by Interiors by Beverly, Winter Park, FL

Daybed fabric and draperies – Duralee Fabrics,

Jupiter, FL

Ottoman fabric – Joseph Noble, Inc., Dallas, TX

Cocktail table – Chaddock, Morganton, NC

Artwork – Leftbank Art, High Point, NC

Chandelier and floor lamp – John-Richard,

Greenwood, MS

Area rug – Carpet Source of Winter Park,

Winter Park, FL

dining room

Dining tables – Custom designed by Marc-Michaels Interior Design, Winter Park, FL

Fabricated by Wise Living, Inc., Los Angeles, CA   

Chairs – Hickory White Furniture, Hickory, NC

Fabric – Kravet, Inc., Jupiter, FL

Centerpieces – Stacked & Co., Winter Park, FL

Chandeliers and sconces – Visual Comfort & Co., Houston, TX

Antiqued mirror – Palm Beach Glass & Mirror, Inc.,

West Palm Beach, FL

Artwork – Leftbank Art, High Point, NC

Stone sculpture – Phillips Collection, High Point, NC

Ceiling treatment fabricated by Davis General

Contracting, West Palm Beach, FL

Drapery fabric – Duralee Fabrics, Jupiter, FL

Flooring – Absolute Hardwood Flooring,

West Palm Beach, FL

family room

Sofas – Rowe Fine Furniture, Elliston, VA

Chandelier and table lamp – Visual Comfort & Co., Houston, TX

Lounge chairs and cabinet – Palecek, High Point, NC

Fabric – Pollack & Associates, New York, NY

Cocktail table – Rose Tarlow, Los Angeles, CA

Round occasional table – Hickory Chair, Hickory, NC

Accent table by sofa – Made Goods,

City of Industry, CA

Bench – Arteriors, Carrollton, TX

Fireplace surround – François & Co., Naples, FL

Beamed ceiling treatment fabricated by Davis General Contracting, West Palm Beach, FL

Area rug – Carpet Source of Winter Park,

Winter Park, FL

kitchen

Cabinetry, island and hood – Porath Fine Cabinetry,

West Palm Beach, FL

Cabinetry countertops – Cambria, Le Sueur, MN

Counter stools – Vanguard Furniture, Conover, NC

Light pendants – Visual Comfort & Co., Houston, TX

Stove – Wolf, Sub-Zero Group, Madison, WI

Stacked artwork – Navy Network Series,

Wendover Art Group, Largo, FL

Flooring – Absolute Hardwood Flooring,

West Palm Beach, FL

patio/pool area

Pool – Brosseit’s Pools, Inc., West Palm Beach, FL

Armchairs – Restoration Hardware,

West Palm Beach, FL

Lantern light fixture – Bevolo, New Orleans, LA

throughout

Windows and doors – Luxbaum Windows + Doors,

West Palm Beach, FL

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