Venice in Naples

"Our first home in Bay Colony had a tropical theme," Pat says, "and that was great for the vacation home it was. But when we decided to become permanent residents, we felt we needed a larger space for ourselves and our family."

As boating enthusiasts, the former Minnesotans also hoped to find a home on the water, where they could moor their 52-foot Hatteras Sportfish yacht. The search ended with a 6,000-square-foot Mediterranean villa built in 1997 on a half-acre-plus on Naples Bay. The McMunns say they loved the view of trees across the bay at the Windstar Club community and the rare natural sand beach (one of only two on Port Royal’s bay) that extends in a cozy crescent just beyond the pool.

"We were meant to have this home," Pat declares with a smile. "It is called ‘Casa de Leon,’ and I’m a Leo, so that was our first clue."

The second was the water features integrated into the outdoor space. Two fountain ponds are in front of the home. The pool’s grand design incorporates a sea-life sculpture fountain. There’s a secluded koi fish pond with stone bench nearby, and outside the tub niche of the master bath stands a tiled, fountained grotto.

Besides the generous moldings and intricate detailing, the clincher may have been the stone lion embedded in the surround of the living room’s fireplace. It not only had zodiacal significance but reminded the couple that the lion is the emblem of Venice.

"We loved the bones of this home, its Mizner-style architecture, the beadboard-and-beamed ceilings, the rough-plastered walls," Pat says. "When you walk into the place that’s right for you, where you feel you belong, you know it."

o establish with furnishings what the house evoked with architecture, Pat, a retired elementary school teacher, worked with a local design professional and began to acquire a collection of art, antiques and Persian rugs.

While two guest rooms enjoy the tropical spirit of their Bay Colony retreat, the rest of the home has been outfitted in Old World elegance, with fringed drapes and upholstery, elaborate European chandeliers, Persian rugs and rich-toned woods.

When the home was purchased in 2003, Pat says she aimed to keep within the soft color palette typical of Old World Italian style. Sage green, pale paprika, mustard, ocher and bronze enrich each space in fringed silk drapes and lustrous tapestries and damasks.

The collection of late-19th-century and early-20th-century European oils dramatically arranged throughout the main living areas seems totally at ease in its environment. The murals in the domed ceilings of the living room, dining room and master suite look like Renaissance survivors, but are actually the latest addition to the home.

Tony, an entrepreneur, recalls that the couple’s first trip to Venice was in 2005, to celebrate their 37th wedding anniversary.

"We were both captivated by the place and enjoyed visiting all the historic buildings and palaces," he recalls. "We were impressed with the beautiful art in the ceilings, and we realized we had the opportunity to recreate that effect at home."

Pat searched for local artists capable of recreating the spirit of those Renaissance ceilings. She found two artists who work as a team on many projects. After their sketches of the proposed artwork were approved without changes, Debra Stone and J.S. Geraghty began painting murals in the recessed ceilings of the dining room, living room and master bedroom. They painted the Grand Canal scene in the powder bath and a decorative treatment in the hall’s domed ceiling.

"The house already had distinctive and gracious Old World flavor," Pat says. "It was our goal to take the Old World theme to a higher level."

But she adds that the aesthetics are not just an end in themselves. "Although we also spend time in our townhouse in Vail Village [in Colorado], our children, Ryan and Meghan, like coming here. We’ve already enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving in this house with lots of family. We’re building memories here."