TRAVEL : Cottages at Gasparilla Inn

Loving this charming look at one of the Kemble Interiors designed cottages at Boca Grande, part of the historic Gasparilla Inn...

STYLE, DFID, Gasparilla in Bonita Beach

Here's one of my favorite and latest completed projects...all images via Dean Farris Interior Design.  
Our concept was to bring the quaint charm of the Gasparilla Inn at Boca Grande, and some old Key West character, to a classic vintage 1970's era condo on Bonita Beach, just north of Naples.  Enjoy!

DFID sofas in Kravet Soleil 

We decided to keep the conservative, old school styling on the pair of sofas, but added a bit of KW pizzazz with the ikat pillows...and may add a patterned rug here soon.

DFID 1960's oil painting by the client's mother!

 

Here, you can see the doppelganger effect, left over from the previous decorator's arrangement of sofas across from each other.  I love the lily pad painting we were able to save and re-frame here.  Billy found the floral fabric in Ohio and it works very well for toss pillows.

DFID Vintage Waterford chandelier, existing furniture, re-framed oil painting

I'm partial to this bamboo looking furniture in the dining area, and we kept the chairs in their original celadon texture.  That painting was done in 1968!  Love it!  We flanked it with a pair of highly distressed candle sconces.

DFID custom floral arrangement

Here, (above image) you can see one of those sconces- and this really fun sunflower arrangement we created for the bar.  Notice the new tile back splash which continues into the kitchen.  In an homage to dear Carleton Varney, we had the tray ceiling in the kitchen painted a pale sky blue.

DFID  existing floral print table cloth 

That fabulous blue is picked up again in this lamp, which sits on a draped table that serves to provide a visual "divider" between the dining area and the living room...the fabric on the table was from the previous decoration about ten years ago and it was retained to give some old Gasparilla Inn charm.  (and a nod to dear Billy Baldwin).

DFID  view from newly enclosed lanai, aka the solarium

We also re-upholstered this existing "barrel" chair in a very pretty leaf green "microfiber" material, and are keeping the existing rattan coffee table.  Those are my topsiders peeking out from under it!

DFID solarium, formerly the exterior lanai

We gained some square footage by enclosing the former terrace, and found this charming cottage vintage desk and chair, as well as the card table and chairs in a local consignment shop in downtown Naples.  Billy found the map - a perfect addition! (Old Florida from when it was discovered by the Spanish).

DFID solarium reading nook facing the beach

I love this little moment Billy had the idea for, which he calls the "library" -this is the other end of the new solarium.

DFID den, Kravet Soleil cloth on existing sleep sofa, Benjamin Moore paint

We used a bold punch of color in the small den, which pulls triple duty as a den-guest room-home office.  The ceiling is also in poppy red, and we installed some new bead board wainscoting with the help of the talented Elson, the general contractor for this job.  The painting is also by Bill's mother, circa 1965!  The original frame was simply gessoed white.  Notice the seashell glass lamp, one of a pair.

DFID time for a cocktail!  Dean in Ralph Lauren over J. McLaughlin

I haven't enjoyed a remodel/decoration this much in a long time, and wanted to share it with you.  Hope you enjoyed it.  Stay tuned for future updates on this project! DF *****

More Celerie, Please

CK fabrics for Schumacher

"Betwixt" CK for Schumacher

Celerie is her own best advertisement!

CK fabric on pair chairs, SCHUMACHER

Mimi McMakin, CK's mother

Celerie Kemble and Kemble Interiors, have created some of the most beautiful rooms imaginable. Mimi, her mother, is also a brilliant designer, and I've seen her work at the Port Royal Club, Naples, and the stunning, elegant old Gasparilla Inn on Boca Grande...where Sister Parish once worked her magic.  
MP Interiors, (formerly Webster and Company Florida) represents the CK line for Schumacher- and we'd love for you to pop in and see the full range.  
Celerie's sister, Phoebe, has a catering business- so, it would seem that there is nothing but talent and more talent in the family!  Click here to go straight to the Kemble Interiors site for more on this amazing trio of talented ladies.  Enjoy!  DF *****

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Beautiful Boca Grande

One of the "secret" places in Florida- very hard to reach by car, and unknown to all but the most discerning of Florida travellers, Gasparilla Island- also known as Boca Grande- is the most charming and "old Florida" of towns in an island setting.  We took some friends there for the day on Sunday, had a fabulous lunch at the casual restaurant called The Pink Elephant -"The Pink"- and Dickie and I had black grouper "sliders" with a Sonoma Cutrer chardonnay...then we all mosied over to the hotel, known as the Gasparilla Inn, a very interesting old building from 1911- 

Nothing is more pleasant or enjoyable than sitting on one of the rockers on the front loggia of the hotel.  First owned by Barron Collier, then Bayard Sharp, and now the William Farish family, the hotel has been freshened up and is ready for the upcoming social season.  Boca Grande is also known as the tarpon fishing capital of the world.  The decor is like a screaming old money Palm Beach-Greenbrier look- all butter yellow walls, pistachio green carpets, and pinks and blues on seating pieces.  The lounge called BZ's (after Bayard Sharp) was my favorite, done in a very updated tropical look, with murals, seagrass, rattan, and a stunning pecky cypress ceiling, with killer views of the golf course and the back bay.

Here, (above) is the old train depot, from when old Boston society would come down in the early part of the 20th century and stay a while...one can still see the tracks behind this building.

The boys insisted I get a shot of this adorable pink fuel pump- only on Boca Grande would you see this, the islanders are often seen cruising the village in their golf carts, complete with the golden retriever riding on the back.

This chair, from Hickory Chair, reminds me of the wall colour at The Gasparilla Inn...notice the small parsons table, a gift to me from the late Albert Hadley.  Rose Cumming banana leaf print in taupe on vintage chairs, small bouillotte lamp I got in the village in NYC.  Garden seat from Naples Lamp Shop, Naples.  The standing lamp behind the chair was a gift.  If you ever come and see me in Naples, maybe we can visit the island, a most charming place to visit...

Billy and I consulted on this house on Gasparilla Island, along with Carleton Varney, the New York designer, and two ladies who are the Brooke and Mimi of Boca Grande...many of the older properties on the island were designed by noted architect F. Burrall Hoffman, who is also credited with Viscaya, in Miami.  Hope you enjoyed this glimpse of an enchanted place, DF ***** 

Room of the Week: Carleton Varney

I can't think of a more prolific, talented, multi-faceted designer than Carleton Varney.  Mr. Varney bought the oldest design firm in America, Dorothy Draper, and still uses the company stationery.  I saw some of this beautiful letterhead, when working on Boca Grande, for Mrs. LaBrecque.  It has a bright coral red-pink color script on crisp white stock.  I loved it!  I saw how he had his own paint colours mixed, not using any old fan deck...
Mr. Varney has written books, fathered three sons, and I used to see his elegant wife, Suzanne, in New York, at the D and D, when I would shop the Carleton V showroom.  The showroom was always so clean, bright, and happy.  There was always a maid in a uniform there.  It was kind of like a modern throwback to the era of pre-design-center decorating, before the internet took over our business.  Before every housewife was watching HGTV.
CV has a column in the Palm Beach Daily News - it's always fun to read.  He designed a restaurant in Palm Beach Gardens called Hibiscus.  He is best known for large hotel projects, including the aristocratic Greenbrier and Grand Hotel on Mackinaw Island.  
Here, I found on the CV site, a beautiful bedroom, which I chose for today's post.  How luxurious and beautiful it is!  I love the palette, and the sense of floating high above the city.

I like the way he does everything in a big, grand way.  He also gives beautiful, evocative speeches, and I have heard him speak twice here in Naples.  We had his line for Kindel Furniture showcased in our Norris showroom years ago, it was totally elegant, featuring bright, clean colours, such as an emerald green satin slipper chair, and a fabulous chinoiserie secretary, which we offered for $28,000.00 and sold quite a few of.  Enjoy this post, enjoy the Labor day weekend, and enjoy your life!  DF *****     

The Pink Elephant, Boca Grande

Exciting news! DFS is celebrating its third year of existence - tomorrow -! It's my blog, and I built it!  Labor Day weekend is just in time to tie in with this celebration, as well as a Saturday wedding on Marco Island...( a dear designer friend from Rumson, NJ)
Didn't you just LOVE seeing Beau Davidson tonight, on C-SPAN ?!?!?! What a great talent!  
Perhaps this weekend we'll take a trip up to the charming island of Gasparilla, aka Boca Grande.  I love the hotel, and its outpost, called "The Pink" (The Pink Elephant) casual dining restaurant, perfect for lunch.  Order the grouper sandwich and a bloody mary - or just some nice, cold iced tea.  Our wonderful client on BG loves to take us there, and she bought Carleton Varney's apartment in New York.  She also knows Dorrance "DoDo" Hamilton, the Campbell's Soup heiress- who owns many properties on the island.  
I have also had the pleasure of working with JoAnn Barwick, another celebrated BG winter resident, who was the fabulous editor of "House Beautiful" from 1978-1991.  She was then followed by Mr. Louis Gropp, and today, Mr. Newell Turner is the editor. 

I so look forward to our upcoming Winter Season, here in sunny Naples, it's time to rev up the old wardrobe, pull up our socks, and pick up those Gucci loafers!  (from the repair shop)  ENJOY! DF *****