Extreme Makeover

The house was dated, uninviting, and not at all what its future owners had in mind. They bought it, anyway, mesmerized by Gulf of Mexico views and estate-sized grounds that evoked images of the idyllic family retreat they dreamed of sharing with their two teenagers and big network of family
and friends.

Set on nearly five acres, with 7,100 square feet of living space (19,650 feet including loggias, terraces, garages and basement), the home’s only selling points were the land and 180-degree panorama, says the wife, a high-powered corporate executive who uses the home as a frequent vacation haven.

 Interior designer Pamela Hughes and architect Clifford Scholz agree. “This was an older home built on a magnificent property, and when you walked in the front door, you faced a massive two-story split staircase that completely blocked the view of the Gulf,” Hughes recalls.

And that’s not all. “The house was commercial-looking: big, cold and very enclosed. It needed to be brought into the 21st century and up to speed with this family’s indoor-outdoor lifestyle,” Scholz says.

“One point of the renovation was to make this into a family home, because the owners have lots of relatives and everybody loves to visit,” Hughes explains. “But the real point was to open up this house and take advantage of the gorgeous view. The first thing we did was to completely blow out the back of the house and change the position of the staircase.”

The homeowners were awestruck by the change. “The full Gulf view hits you head-on the instant you cross the threshold,” declares the wife. “Every time I open the front door, I am astounded by the tremendous view beyond.” Now the entire back of the house is windows, revealing a breathtaking loggia and terraces stepping down to the beach.

An architectural focal point, the new cast-stone staircase wraps around the east wall of the foyer, curving up and over the front door. And it made room for a much-loved upstairs family room that looks straight out to the Gulf and the best sunset views in the home.

“Pamela designed the room so that the Gulf is an integral part of the color scheme,” the wife says. “The west wall is all windows onto the water. Pamela mirrored the color of the Gulf with aqua sofa fabric, and the color of the sand in the raffia floor covering. The bright coral, yellows and oranges of the chairs, pillows and window treatment reflect the fabulous Sarasota sunsets. We even chose a stripe in the pillow fabric because it reminded us of a circus motif, so appropriate to Sarasota history.”

Turkish travertine in the foyer and on the outdoor loggia and terraces created a continuous indoor-outdoor flow throughout the main floor. Hughes commissioned bench-made teak furniture for the loggia’s outdoor dining and family rooms, including custom tables, two teak serving credenzas and Michael Taylor chairs that provide as much elegance and comfort outdoors as designer furnishings do inside the home.

“The most important thing to us was that the home be warm, welcoming and comfortable,” says the wife. “We enjoy large family house parties, so it needed to stand up to the wear and tear of the whole gang, while still being sophisticated and relaxing for intimate gatherings or weekends with friends.”

Hughes complied with a design scheme drawn from years of experience with high-end residential and luxury hotel design (she redesigned the famed Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., and The Cloister at Sea Island, Ga.).

The house was restructured into five en suite bedrooms and offices for the husband and wife. “We really wanted this to be their house. We didn’t want it to be a designer’s house,” Hughes explains. “We wanted it to be beautiful but to reflect their interests, their taste and personality—to make it a true family home.”

The library, for example, accommodates the entire family’s love of reading and the clients’ passion for Victorian furnishings. A Spanish library table holds a Victorian music box; custom bookcases outfitted with English lamps are filled with a collection of original hardcover mystery novels dating from the 1930s and ’40s. A fireplace framed in golden musk marble divides the room into a TV area with enough seating for the extended family and a cozy reading area where paisley Clarence House draperies frame the Gulf view.