When Champalimaud Design was invited to renovate the Naples Residence, a Florida vacation home, the primary goal was to create an elevated and inviting retreat for their client. Built a few years prior by the client themselves, the previous iteration of the home was overwhelmed with a colour palette that worked against itself. Whilst the property contained priceless objet and character filled architectural elements, it lacked an overall harmony. This inspired the studio to create a unified and singular narrative and design a secondary home that felt just as formal and refined as their main residence, yet functional for their coastal lifestyle.
With Mediterranean-inspired architecture, the oceanside Florida vacation home features uninterrupted views overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. Upon arrival one is greeted by an abundant overflow of bougainvillea that cover the house and its courtyard, creating a romantic and charming welcome.
The entire house is wrapped in large tinted arched windows framed in imported Burmese teak. However, despite their size, the tint on the windows doesn’t allow them to draw in as much light as one would hope-thus there was a need to offset the tint by increasing the amount of interior light within. This led Champalimaud Design to opt for a palette that amplified the available light but still retained the graciousness of the space.
Inside, high teak ceilings coupled with original teak flooring make a warm and rich envelope for the interior furnishings - most of which were designed by Champalimaud Design or were sourced at reputable galleries. Notably, all the teak was imported from Burma. Each room was planned to encourage an ease of movement throughout the home allowing for smooth and fluid transitions between spaces. Features like special shelving and custom cases were designed to give the client’s collected artefacts a sense of importance in the rooms where they are staged.
All of the home's furnishings were either custom designed by Champalimaud Design or purchased at reputable galleries. This includes Champalimaud Design's rugs from their collections with The Rug Company, fabrics from their collection with Holland & Sherry and lighting from their collection with Charles Paris.
Champalimaud Design creates a coastal haven, inspired by the rich and beautiful natural landscape that surrounds the property, the design incorporates nature throughout - creating an indoor, outdoor living scheme. Notably, the windows in the home are tinted because legally beach front houses in Naples cannot emit too much exterior light as it can be distracting to the turtles - who are guided by moonlight.
