Dream Home - Naples Daily News

M
DREAM
DREAMHOME...
HOME...
By
ByAnne
AnneClaire
ClaireShilton
Shilton––Photos
PhotosbybyMichael
MichaelMcVay
McVayPhotography
Photography
Coastal
Castle
Gulf
Gulf views
views and
and ocean-inspired
ocean-inspired
design
design elements
elements make
make this
this Marco
Marco
home
home fit
fit for
for aa king
king
Mike
Mike McKenna,
McKenna, aa Cincinnati,
Cincinnati, Ohio
Ohio native,
native, knew
knew he
he wanted
wanted to
to live
live in
in
Southwest
SouthwestFlorida
Floridawhen
whenhe
heretired,
retired,but
butthe
thebig
bigquestion
questionwas
waswhere?
where?“I’d
“I’d
looked
lookedfrom
fromSanibel
Sanibeldown
downto
toNaples
Naplesto
tohere
herebefore
beforefinally
finallydeciding
decidingMarco
Marco
was
waswhere
whereititwas
wasat,
at,””says
saysMcKenna.
McKenna.And
Andthe
theproperty
propertyhe
hefinally
finallydecided
decidedto
to
buy
buyon
onMarco
Marco—
—lovingly
lovinglycalled
calledthe
theSpinnaker
SpinnakerSandcastle
Sandcastleby
byMcKenna
McKennaand
and
his
hisrental
rentalagent
agent—
—was
wasdefinitely
definitelyworth
worthall
allthat
thatsearching.
searching.Just
Justfeet
feetfrom
fromthe
the
entrance
entranceto
toTigertail
TigertailBeach,
Beach,the
thehome
homehas
hasunobstructed
unobstructedview
viewof
ofthe
theGulf,
Gulf,
asaswell
wellasasviews
viewsof
ofmost
mostof
ofMarco
MarcoIsland.
Island.
But
Butwhen
whenhe
hebought
boughtthe
thehome,
home,not
noteverything
everythingwas
wastotally
totallypicturesque.
picturesque.“It
“It
was
wasdark
darkand
anddreary,
dreary,aareally
reallydark
darkMediterranean
Mediterraneanstyle,
style,””says
saysDawn
DawnKuhn,
Kuhn,
McKenna’s
McKenna’sRealtor.
Realtor.
The
The4,500-square-foot
4,500-square-foothome
home(that’s
(that’snot
notcounting
countingthe
thefinished
finishedgame
gameroom
room
downstairs
downstairsor
orany
anyof
ofthe
thehome’s
home’smany
manyoutdoor
outdoorspaces)
spaces)underwent
underwentaatotal
total
remodel.
remodel.Kevin
KevinLaValle
LaValle
of of
Lavco
Lavco
Construction
Construction
handled
handled
the structural
the structural
24 |
Marco | FEBRUARY
The Spinnaker Sandcastle features stunning views
of the Gulf of Mexico, as well as three stories of
living space, an upstairs upper deck and more.
FEBRUARY
|
Marco | 25
changes to the home, including adding crown molding and
beautiful new closets. Meanwhile, interior designer Karin
O’Leary changed the entire aesthetic of the place, bringing it
from dark and drab to light and bright with a coastal
inspiration.
house than crashing at a starchy and sterile vacation rental.
“I wanted to get beyond Tommy Bahama island-style décor; the
brown, khaki and more brown,” explains McKenna, of the home’s
interior. “This is a whole different feel and people who come in are
really warmed by the effect.”
The home’s first floor was once a three-car garage and a giant
The tone is set from the minute you walk in the front door. Cool
blue walls mix with nautically inspired décor, including two rustic
wooden oars and beautiful prints of sandpipers. Immediately you
feel like you’re in an oasis.
The Spinnaker Sandcastle is made lovely by its abundance of natural
light, the contemporary color palate of sea foams, sky blues, clean
greens and grays and its casual-yet-classic furniture. Another appeal
is that it was almost purely a Marco Island effort. “This was really a
collaborative effort between many people from Marco Island. For
me, for people coming to the Island to have this kind of
craftsmanship available to them makes all the difference in the
world. To have really professional people here, that made the
process so much easier,” says McKenna, about the remodeling and
decorating endeavor.
Technically the home is a seasonal rental; McKenna lives in another
property on island. But O’Leary did a magnificent job making the
space feel comfortable and intimate. Being at the Spinnaker
Sandcastle feels more like staying at your friend’s swanky beach
OPPOSITE LEFT: The dining room has
floor-to-ceiling windows which allow for an
abundance of natural light. ABOVE: The
family room has a large L-shaped leather
sofa and a media center for guests. The
kitchen area is equipped with state-of-theart appliances and has an attached eat-in
dining space
26 |
Marco | FEBRUARY
depicts a different tropical scene. Between the murals, a big wooden sign reads: “for your enjoyment and delight.” While the sign
hangs over the game room, it might as well hang over the home’s
entryway, which really is built for enjoyment and delight.
The second floor (which you can access via the hardwood stairs or
the home’s elevator) opens up to a two-story dining area, complete
with floor-to-ceiling windows. A striking pendant light fixture
adds a much-needed focal point to the very tall space. “I love that
light fixture. I’d been trying to get a client to use it forever, and
when I first showed it to Mike he wasn’t so sure but it really makes
the space. It’s just beautiful, it’s like an orb,” says O’Leary.
storage area, but the storage area has been converted to a finished
game room. Ping-Pong, pool and shuffleboard beckon guests with
competitive impulses and three tropical-themed murals add
character to the space. “It was just terrible down there before,” says
designer O’Leary. “We decided to do murals because the walls were
just so tall and I kept saying to Mike, ‘this space is going to get used
a lot. We need to do something special.’”
Local artist Jennifer Hogue created the three murals, each of which
One thing that McKenna knew his guests would want was a kitchen
space that met or exceeded what they cooked in at home. In the
Spinnaker Sandcastle’s kitchen, beautiful dark granite countertops
provide plenty of workspace, while an oversized side-by-side
refrigerator and freezer provide an abundance of storage space.
“We’ve got a family coming in and they are going to have a chef on
call. We wanted everything in the kitchen to be high-end enough
that a chef could cook on it,” says McKenna.
Also on the home’s main living floor is a plush great room. Outfitted
with a comfortable, dark leather L-shaped sofa, a huge media center
and a working fireplace, there’s plenty of space for everyone to
gather.
But you may have trouble getting them in from the pool. Just
outside the main living area is a six-foot-deep pool with a small
FEBRUARY
|
Marco | 27
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: The light blue walls of
the upstairs hallway blend with the coastal theme.
An upstairs guest bedroom also continues the
coastal theme, with pale blue walls and silk
bedspreads. This guest bedroom utilizes dark
woods in its decor, a nice contrast to the blue
walls. The open layout of the game room creates
an inviting space.
waterfall. “You can sit on the ledge and let the waterfall come over
you if you like,” says McKenna. The pool is actually built on the
second floor of the home, which is a rather unusual feature, but it
means that if a hurricane brings a 20-foot storm surge, the pool will
likely survive!
While there are two bedrooms on the second floor, most of the
sleeping areas are on the third floor. Designer O’Leary worked to
create sleeping spaces that are bright and cheerful yet cozy. Silk
bedspreads with fish scale motifs elegantly incorporate the coastal
vibe, while neutral tan accent walls temper the mostly bright blue
paint. “We really wanted to bring in a bit of color without overdoing
it. We didn’t want to overpower the room with color, so we thought
accent walls might be a good way to go,” says O’Leary.
28 |
Marco | FEBRUARY
Two of the bedrooms open out to a deck with Gulf views. And for
those who want even more of a view, climb up to the home’s outdoor
overlook. Outfitted with a few lounge chairs, you’ll want to sit and
stay awhile as you take in the 360-degree view of Marco Island. The
homeowner sums it up best: “I can’t think of another place I’d
rather be.” n
For vacation rental Information:
Marco Escapes
MarcoEscapes.com
To view the virtual tour visit:
Tinyurl.com/Iwdd8uv
239-285-8661
*Rates vary