LUXE September 2024

Suzanne Lovell is a storyteller, although not in the traditional sense. Her narrative isn’t oral or written but, rather, architectural. This was the approach she used when renovating an amoeba-shaped Naples penthouse with sweeping oceanfront vistas. “The architectural language had to play together throughout the home,” the residential designer explains. The main plotline, she adds, is “all about the views.”

Having designed the clients’ Chicago condo, Lovell had a deep understanding of their wants and lifestyle. Lovers of entertaining and unafraid of making daring choices, they desired a fun, relaxed atmosphere, in which every room pops with personality. “The husband teased us, saying the first home was a test,” the residential designer shares with a laugh. “They were ready to go big in this space.”

That began with rethinking the layout alongside general contractor David Gordon, weaving a tale that begins as soon as one steps out of the elevator lobby and enters the great room. “Suzanne knew we wanted this area to be usable for enjoying the view as well as entertaining,” he says.

With prior experience working in the building, Lovell knew they’d be able to take down non-load-bearing elements that blocked sights of the white sand and blue ocean beyond. “The line of windows needed to flow from the front door all the way around the home,” she explains. “I wanted people to be able to walk to the edge of the architecture.”

The material palette was essential in moving the story forward. Lovell maintained the box-shaped millwork, adding bright white shiplap and wrapping columns in rope. Walls were transformed with plaster, grass cloth and linen. Other nautical nods – like brass kitchen pendants on chains that bring to mind boating knots, the yacht-inspired game room with its woven panels and leather seating, and the great room’s curved wood-back sofa – serve as reminders of the beachfront location.

Lovell carried this aesthetic into the great room with a neutral color scheme that sets the stage for the views while using art to make a bold statement. The wife had first turned to the designer for help building the couple’s collection when working with her on their Chicago home. “This time, the husband wanted to get educated in the world of fine art,” Lovell notes. “Their goal was to buy art they’d love to live with and that would create a dialogue.” A mix of mediums congregates, including a monotype by Cecily Brown and works on paper by Yoshitomo Nara and David Shrigley. Then there are the functional art pieces throughout. See the great room’s sculptural lamp by Rogan Gregory, the nest-like pendant by artist Lucy Slivinski in the cabana room and the sculpted sliding doors by woodworker Caleb Woodard that open from the family room to the home theater.

While traveling the residence along the window walls, Lovell created a through line by using the same patterned neutral draperies in all the public spaces. “It works well in the rooms with quieter, subdued palettes as well as the more colorful and lively spaces,” she observes. From there, vibrant accents pack a punch. Pink, blue and chartreuse provide geometric pattern play on the dining room chairs. Blue cheetah-print fabric, meanwhile, envelops the deep seating in the theater. And black lacquer glimmers on the moldings and ceiling of the game room, which also showcases a zebra-print paneled bar. This all culminates in the jaw-dropping cabana room, with its black-and-white banquette, patterned Moroccan-style rug and chairs in chartreuse, orange and yellow. Grounding the space is a floor-to-ceiling charcoal image of a cat by Robert Longo. “He keeps watch over this party room,” Lovell muses.

For those needing a respite from the revelry, Lovell designed two primary suites on opposite ends of the penthouse. The owners’ – complete with his-and-her offices and bathrooms – is a luxurious sanctuary of ivory, tan, rust and black, with patterned drapes and a Ross Bleckner oil painting adding oomph. The guest suite, which has its own separate entrance, is an ode to the sunny locale with its palm-print wallcovering, rattan touches and yellow-and-green scheme. It all makes for a compelling tale Lovell was thrilled to write. “This apartment is fascinating to me,” she reflects, “because it’s very relaxing but also quite bold. The clients were brave.”

Written by Shannon Sharpe
Photography by Eric Piasecki/Otto
Styling by Anita Sarsidi

Architecture and Interior Design: Suzanne Lovell, Suzanne Lovell Inc.
Home Builder: David Gordon, Kurtz Homes Naples

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