On a road that winds past protected preserves and picturesque beaches, homes and condominiums of Marco Island’s gated Hideaway Beach community arise majestically along the shoreline to provide a quiet respite from the seasonal business underway on the rest of the island.
Throughout past winters, two Chicago business owners had been hearing about the weather daily from a good friend staying on Marco. Eventually, the couple visited the island and soon bought a condominium for quick getaways. They sold their business and embarked on a grand project involving the complete renovation of a 6,000-square-foot condominium in the building next door to the first one they owned.
They located their designer, Jenny Provost of K2 Design, from a local magazine and immediately connected. Together, the three stood in the kitchen and re-envisioned their entire new space. “If you do it right,” Provost says, “it will last. It doesn’t look like a renovation waiting to happen.”
Due to restrictions regarding building construction during the season, the project was ongoing for two years—allowing the homeowners to rethink some possibilities. For one, they gradually decided to incorporate a large lanai into the living space, requiring them to level the floor, remove sliders and add strong windows as required by law.
Structural improvements in glass since the building’s construction in the early 1990s have allowed large, clear windows to replace others that were divided into two panes, explains the husband, who is an engineer. This provides an uninhibited view from their new space.
“He always sees the opportunity in things,” says his wife, an attorney, who worked with him in the business they sold. Of the two, she’s the detailed partner who watches the spreadsheets and manages protocol. After years of practice, the two worked well during the renovation process, but they admitted it was helpful to have Provost as an intermediary at times.
“The place needs to be practical and it needs to be easy to maintain,” the woman adds. “I think if you do too much sometimes it can be overdone.”
Thus, the couple achieved balance by emphasizing the views while creating a warm, transitional environment that’s perfect for two—or a party of 20. An open floor plan allows for group interaction with friends or when their young adult children bring along others from the Midwest. Multiple televisions were wall-mounted because it’s not unusual for the couple to throw a party that surrounds an important ball game or another event.
Balance was struck again, this time with nature, when Provost re-created a photograph of the Everglades by mounting it on a folding screen that covers the large television in the living room when it is not in use. Photographer Doug Thompson set up the original photo ala Clyde Butcher style.
“I wanted to feel like you were in the swamp,” says the woman of the house. Nearby, a glass coffee table is supported by a silver-leafed tree trunk, resembling those that grow nearby.
On any given day, when they’re not outside enjoying nature, the couple enjoys the surrounds of their new home, overlooking the sparsely inhabited islands to the north as well as the sparkling lights of the Isles of Capri at night.
Photographer: Doug Thompson
Interior Design: K2 Design
Contractor: Josh Brown
Eye Candy
An eco-friendly kitchen involving solid-surface countertops with only special accents in granite gives a nod to the quickly depleting world supply of granite, says designer Jenny Provost, founder of K2Design. The footprint of the spacious kitchen in this condominium was completely upgraded, enlarging the space and adding more storage.
Stylistic Dining
In the midst of the project, the homeowners decided to incorporate the original lanai into the interior living space. Doors were removed and the lanai’s floor was raised 3 to 4 inches, before the entire space was resurfaced with tile limestone from Portugal. “We just really fell in love with the views,” says the woman of the house.
Centered on Entertainment
The sitting room adjacent to the kitchen is a focal point for big parties and small gatherings. The homeowners enjoy entertaining for big ball games and other events, and this well-designed family room is a cozy space that opens to other rooms.
The Study
A curvy desk for two was designed along one wall in the spacious study used by both of the homeowners.
A New View
The master suite now easily opens to a sitting area on the former lanai. Shutters that divide the two spaces add privacy, while a chaise lounge for two gives
perfect views when they are open.
Master Splash
The master bath was completely updated with modern fixtures and adornments. “The place needed to be practical and it needed to be easy to maintain,” says the woman of the house, regarding the condo’s renovation.
