CONFIRMING
THE BELIEF THAT a great client is the best inspiration, the
“
dream team” that collaborated on this 20,000-square-foot
residence in Boca Raton, Fla., unanimously credits the home’s
visionary owners as the primary ingredient for its resounding
success. The team was assembled
by interior designer Louis Shuster, whose long-term relationship
with his clients spans nearly three decades.
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| High
ceilings, arched thresholds and bird’s eye
maple flooring with onyx inserts lend a rhythmic
feel to the long hallways that are found throughout
the home; this view shows the hall leading to the
wine room. |
“ We have
a very high level of trust working together, with this project
marking our seventh since 1983,” says the designer,
who called upon the talents of builder Steve Paskoski and
landscape architect Krent Wieland. The only newcomers on
the scene
were architects Robert Jay Colestock and Mark Allen Muir,
whose firm was a direct referral to the homeowners.
Having
outgrown their previous residence, the discriminating
couple decided to look for another lot within the same community
on which to build a home. And they found one with a desirable
waterfront location with golf course views — one of
the few double lots in the club. But this project was not
without challenges,
most notably a near-impossible, 17-month completion schedule.
Additionally, the site itself involved a huge setback requirement
from the lake, but a creative
solution to line the pool edge with stepping stones of custom-cut
flagstone lends space. “By their very nature, these
types of projects create adversity,” Paskoski says. “But
these particular clients inspire people to be the best they
can
be, which resulted in a spirit of camaraderie and
enthusiasm.”
The
architectural concept originated from the wife’s vision for
a home conducive to family enjoyment, elegant yet lowmaintenance
with tall ceilings and lots of windows to take
advantage of the outdoor view. “She afforded us tremendous
creativity,” Colestock says, adding that her only caveat
was
that the house not be a full two-story design. A timeless
unification of a Mediterranean theme balanced with warm,
contemporary articulation resulted in a partial two-story
format
with finely detailed architectural elements. Such elements
define the voluminous living room, where meticulously crafted,
curved-glass window walls flood the space with natural light.
Here, herringbone-patterned bird’s eye maple flooring
bordered
by onyx sets the color palette: an organic mix of jewel-toned
gold and amber with near-emerald accents.
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| Grounding
the breakfast area’s Ebano Soberon table and
custom banquettes, the bird’s eye maple flooring
was created in pie-shaped sections to underscore
the ceiling, where a Fine Art Lamps amber glass and
iron fixture from Judith Norman hangs in suspension. |
“This
space is all about entertaining,” Shuster says,
citing the trio of seating groupings designed to work
individually for cozy conversation or together to accommodate
large gatherings. Custom-designed sofas are clad in nubby
chenille, while a pair of lounge chairs near the fireplace
are upholstered in floralpatterned
cotton. Seating near the window includes four custom lounge
chairs covered in brushed chenille with hand-loomed silk
cushion fabric, all grouped
around an oversized, chocolate-toned leather ottoman with
hand-embroidered detailing.
Space for entertaining continues in the adjacent dining
room, where dual dining groupings
accommodate both small and large parties. “The wife
fell in love with these trestle-based tables,
and their slightly rustic feel is a great counterpoint
to the refined dining chairs,” Shuster says.
A bit
more casual, the sunny breakfast area features custom banquettes
upholstered in linen
and suede that wrap around a table made of honey-toned
milpa wood. Above, a dramatic
domed ceiling with spoke wagon-wheel woodworking echoes
the room’s circular motif. Rendered in an opulent
palette of gleaming wood, stone and tile, the wife requested
that
the master bath feature the same golden amber hues as the
main living areas.
 |
Swaim
host chairs clad in Duralee’s paisley suede
add a sense of formality to the dining room, where
Dessin Fournir side chairs from David Sutherland
surround
a pair of
Gregorius Pineo tables. Candlelit light fixtures from Wired Custom Lighting lend
romance. |
Jerusalem
stone
flooring inset with hand-cut tiles provides the backdrop for a custom tub surround
and vanity
cabinetry of exotic muvinga wood, with shower walls clad in a mosaic of multi-colored
tiger’s eye.
Architectural
elements and lush finishes continue into the master bedroom,
where a
backdrop wall of walnut and lemonwood features a centerpiece
headboard upholstered in
soft cotton. Shuster’s custom-designed bedside tables eschew drawers
to allow easy access
to books and periodicals, and feature pullout trays incorporated in the tabletops.
Looking
back on the project,
Shuster’s expressions of synergy
and satisfaction are emblematic of
the project itself, which has been
lauded as “House of the Year”
by the Construction Association
of South Florida. “I’d credit this
endeavor as a most successful
collaboration, foremost being the best clients anyone
could hope for,” he says. “It was a true
labor of love for all involved.”
Landscape
architect Krent Wieland was responsible for
the home’s spectacular lagoon pool with infinity edge and
water features. The installation is equipped with aeration
jets that replicate variations of water, from a calm spillway
to a raging rapid, all via the touch of a button.
Draperies
in Bart Halpern fabric from Jeffrey Michaels lend
subtle texture to the living room while framing the lakeside
view. A quartet of Italian glass table lamps from Donghia
and a pair of Ironies’ amber glass side tables speak to the
wife’s penchant for reflective materials that catch the light.
A custom
platform bed features silk pillow shams hand-embroidered
with semi-precious stones. Contrasting applications of walnut and lemonwood
in the bedside tables and headboard wall compose a textural effect, while
wall-to-wall carpeting from Carpet Source features a bronze silk nub.
The rear exterior features Ledgestone columns with hidden
tracks between the stone that hold phantom screens that
descend mechanically. A meticulously crafted slate roof
highlights
hand-forged copper detailing. Brown Jordan furnishings
in a
bronze-framed finish echo the home’s trim.
"The
owners love comfort and warmth, and tend towards
neutral palettes with textural interest. This space features a variety of textures
but still manages a clean-lined, simple elegance."
LOUIS
SHUSTER
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