Jennifer Pace of Grand Illusions applied trompe l’oeil to create master bedroom walls seemingly made entirely of fabric, the draperies pulled back with hardware that looks so real you want to touch them. The bedroom ceiling tray is painted to exactly match the sky outside at certain times of day. Elsewhere, faux finishes and stencils were the work of Lori Loveberry George.

In this home, the Renaissance art of gilding still flourishes, from the carved wood frame of the couple’s bed to the gold-leafed barrel ceiling of their master bath. Another ancient finish was also specified by Softas: scagliola stone. A company in Atlanta has revived the art of grinding marble, mixing it with metal, packing it by hand and forming it into molds. When applied to balusters, columns and in this home, even the kitchen range hood, pre-cast architectural features appear to be made from stone.

New treasures of craftsmanship unfold with every turn. A birdcage elevator of glass and cast aluminum is faux finished to gleam like bronze; a stepped onyx bathroom vanity counter almost glows in the powder room, which also has a drapery wall that is completely trompe l’oeil. The powder bath boasts custom leaded glass doors by Hoffman, and the multi-talented artist also did the hand-turned metal on staircase railings and balconies.

For more intimate conversation, guests are brought to a parlor. The room’s second level is a stained mahogany library accessed by a custom spiral staircase. Here EuroTech applied three variations of the same molding to Softas’ specification, to balance the extreme height of the 17-foot floor-to-ceiling fireplace.

A sunroom with access to the swimming pool is an easy-care space with its own ice cream parlor and treated leather seating that’s impervious to wet bathing suits. “The home is lived in, and often used by four generations of this family,” says Softas.

The owners and their team have managed to bring the past into the future, celebrating Renaissance craftsmanship without reproducing it exactly. Just as the design conjures images of the Venice they love to visit, so do the views they now enjoy every day. “Venice has a golden glow of light that surrounds everything and reflects in the water much as it does in the Gulf of Mexico,” says the wife.

But in Sarasota, she loves the way colors change hourly, from opalescent turquoise to deep cobalt blue. “At sunset the blue sky adds purples, pinks, reds, oranges and yellows. And the last of the sun’s rays add sparkling gold highlights to all of it. It is purely magnificent,” she concludes. Magnificent, indeed.

Carol Tisch is style editor of Sarasota Magazine and writes a weekly blog, Retail Therapy, at www.sarasotamagazine.com.

The Home Team

Interior architecture and design: Anne Folsom Smith Interior Design, Sarasota (941) 957-0434, www.annefolsomsmith.com; Fabiola Softas, ASID, lead designer; Robert O’Brien, lead interior architect

Architecture: Clifford M. Scholz, AIA, Clifford M. Scholz Architects Inc., Sarasota (941) 923-2400, www.cmsa1.com.  

General contractor: ML Collingwood, Sarasota (941) 365-8333

Landscaping: Michael A. Gilkey Inc, Sarasota (941) 924-0132

Additional contributors:

EuroTech Cabinetry - Custom built in cabinetry and woodworking

Advanced Audio - Audio/Video/home theater/lighting controls

Virginia Hoffman - Decorative art glass and metal.

Grand Illusions - Decorative Faux finishes, stencils and trompe l’oeil

Heritage Glass - Glass and mirror work

European Marble - Marble work and inlays

Galleries At Northgate - decorative framing for artwork

Joseph Brown Fine Art - Fine Art and Murals in dining room and living room

Country Store Interiors - Window treatments

Lori Loveberry George - Faux finishes and stencil

A.C.Holiday - Antique restoration

Upholstery Shoppe - Upholstering and recovering of furniture

George Leonard - Carpentry and assisted with installation of furniture and artwork

Jim McCaan - Carpentry and assisted with installation of furniture and artwork

Ron Grantham - Carpentry and assisted with installation of furniture and artwork

Langford Elevators and Lifts - Custom elevator

Yarnall United - Storage, moving and delivery of furnishings

Loren Schuman - Custom art glass

Loom - Provided and installed carpeting

Comtemporary Cabinetry - Custom cabinetry and closets

The Lamplighter - Decorative light fixtures

Lighting Gallery - Decorative light fixtures

The Plumbing Place - Provided Plumbing fixture

Franklin Lighting - Decorative light fixtures

Gene McCall - Antique Restoration

Mullets Appliances - Provided all appliances

Bill Farmer - Carpentry and assisted with installation of furniture and artwork

Artistic Metal - Decorative metal working and Gates

Aqua Plumbing - Installation of all plumbing

Baber Painting - Interior and exterior painting

Hardesty Electric - Electrical work

Chenet Stairs - Custom staircase (in Parlor)

Floors By Design - Exterior stone flooring

Stone Age - Interior custom stone work, trim, balusters and columns

Stone Crafters - Exterior Decorative concrete precast trim and balusters

Lou Buchanan Original Art Work (Auntie Mame)

Myriad Effects – Computer Animation