It may seem odd to say luxury high-rises are having a moment in Southwest Florida. Towers have long populated the shoreline, and buildings like AQUA at Pelican Isle in the early aughts and Mystique and Kalea Bay in the 2010s raised the region’s expectations for high-rise living over the years. But now, with The Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons and Rosewood Residences planting their flags along our shores, the future of ultra-luxe living is even loftier.

Modern projects draw on modern tastes for a diverse clientele. On top of the expected plush amenities (fully staffed lobbies, private everything, pet grooming), new condos deliver the ultimate in resort-style living with five-star hotel interiors to match. Claudine Léger-Wetzel, of the STOCK Development group behind the much-anticipated The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Naples—which broke ground on Vanderbilt Beach in November­—says condos are evolving to meet the diversifying demographic. “You need to think of Naples the way new people who come here are thinking about Naples,” she says. Newcomers still want to connect with the natural beauty but also crave the higher level of sophistication of larger cities.

STOCK called on Key Biscayne-based SUSURRUS designer Cristian Pinedo to create sweeping configurations that reflect the Gulf setting. Pinedo—who worked on The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad, which stuns with its ceilings full of cascading greenery—is anchoring the Naples property with a majestic, spiral staircase in the grand lobby that snakes its way up, mimicking the curve of Naples’ labyrinthine estuaries. Vertical 3D wall features and lighting nod to the mangrove trees, while blue-green glass outside mimics our waterways.

The unifying of landscape views and interior spaces is a prevailing theme among the new class of luxury builds. Among the grandest of the developments is London Bay’s The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Estero Bay. The team pulled in the revered Miami-based firm Arquitectonica (also behind Gulfshore Playhouse’s upcoming Baker Theater and Education Center) to create the 500-acre complex as an ode to nature. Opening in 2026, the two, 22-story towers promise floor-to-ceiling glass windows, foliage-patterned walls and earth-toned furnishings from New York-based Meyer Davis Studio. Outside, EDSA landscape architects use tiered gardens, asymmetrical hardscaping and a lush palette to integrate a host of outdoor gathering spaces between the complex and estuary, with about a mile of waterfront and 80 percent of the site preserved.

A glimmering reflection of the ultra-cool factor defining the emerging Naples Design District, Aura at Metropolitan Naples, touts 9-foot-tall ceilings, glassed-in living rooms, wine walls, and a rooftop infinity-edge pool—all overlooking Naples Bay, downtown and the Gulf. Further north, The Irving Downtown apartments, hitting Fort Myers in 2026, is working with Naples Botanical Garden to incorporate native plants onto its rooftop.

Designers are also playing with texture. For The Irving Downtown, which sets a new precedent for ultra-luxe rentals in Fort Myers, the regional designer Dwayne Bergmann is sourcing cement-like porcelain tiles, matte brass light fixtures and black rift-cut oak cabinetry for an urban aesthetic. Exposed brick and metal on the exterior blends the 12-story building with the area’s historic district, Bergmann says, adding that they wanted the property to act as an extension of the River District.

The amenities keep getting better, too. On top of being connected to the Saltleaf Golf Preserve (which Raymond Floyd came out of retirement for to build) 18-hole course, The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Estero Bay, developed concierge Experience Studio to coordinate water adventures, an anniversary dinner on your balcony, dog walking and beach days—all with The Ritz lauded standard of hospitality. At ONE Fort Myers—an intimate high-rise with 34 residences across 21 floors—a manmade beach brings the coast to First Street.

Delivering luxury in its purest form (read: unbridled comfort) is top of mind. That means, allowing plenty more space for residents to sprawl out. Epique Pelican Bay, sister property of Naples high-rise Mystique and the final tower that can be built in Pelican Bay, and Omega Bonita Bay (ready to move in now) deliver super-sized floor plans for residents, with none smaller than 4,000 square feet and penthouses topping 10,000 square feet. Epique doubles up the glam with gilded accents and one of the most stunning primary bath renderings we’ve seen—honed marble encases sizable steam showers with floor-to-ceiling glass views of the mangrove forest and Gulf. Such details continue to shine. Renderings for the Rosewood Residences Naples—coming to Gulf Shore Boulevard North in early 2025—foretell marble-clad, glass-wrapped interiors and Kallista Argile tubs to soak and enjoy the view. Known for drawing on local culture for its designs, the hotel stalwarts called on Naples’ MHK Architecture for the project.

Craig Klingensmith, vice president of the group developing The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Estero Bay, says 20 years ago, luxury condominiums were more bare-bones, so clients could model as they pleased. Nowadays, design plays a starring role from the onset. “Over time, people wanted great designs already done; they wanted finished units,” Craig says. “Even though your neighbor above or below you may have the same scheme and color of the flooring and cabinetry, if it’s great, it’s great.” In other words, there’s never been a better time to move on up.

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The post The Next Wave of Ultra-Luxe Condos in SWFL appeared first on Gulfshore Life.

Arielle Valle emerges from her studio with her long, brown hair tied into a bun, concrete smudged on her face and flaking off her skin from elbow to fingertip. “Today's a concrete day; we're like, ‘Pretend I'm not here.’ I'm locked in my little cave like a gremlin all day long,” the multihyphenate maker says.

Arielle and her mother, Beth, run Cape Coral’s The Wallflower Shoppe, where they sell their handmade ‘soulful essentials,’ including Arielle’s concrete pottery, Beth’s natural beauty and home products, and the duo’s signature eco-friendly, nontoxic candles, which they mix and pour in house.

On 47th Terrace, just a few blocks from Cape Coral’s Midpoint Memorial Bridge, the shop is marked by a mural from Fort Myers artist Gabrielle Kesecker. The whimsical doodles of mushrooms and flowers span the windows of the 1976 former real estate building the Valles renovated over seven months. The women spent five years building their brand of sustainably minded home decor and wellness products at artisan markets nationwide before opening their shop.

[ngg src="galleries" ids="436" display="basic_thumbnail" thumbnail_crop="0"]The peaceful, eight-month-old boutique prompts guests to linger, explore and try the goods. A rattan seating area, dubbed the ‘day room’ for its sunny exposure, fronts a coffee bar with brews from Cape Coral’s Bones Coffee Company and gluten-free and vegan treats from the next-door Sweet Real bakery. In the center of the spacious front room, tables and shelves house a mix of Wallflower’s artisan wares alongside goods from other makers with a similar ethos (think: sustainable yoga mats and blocks from the Cape’s 42 Birds).

Opposite the day room is the cozy ‘green room,’ named after the many plants surrounding the space’s plush, burgundy furniture. Mood lighting from a farmhouse chandelier and a nearby floor lamp make this area a perfect reading and study nook. “We have a group of high school girls that comes every week,” Beth says of the growing band of regulars the Valles nurture. “To take a break, they wander around, smell things and have tea.” They’re so cute,” Arielle adds.

Arielle started making candles as a way to unwind after years of working multiple jobs in her 20s. She was living at her parents’ house with her brothers, sisters-in-law and a few close family friends. “It was like everyone decided, ‘Well, she's got this big house, we’ve got to fill the rooms,’” Beth says with a laugh.

To help Arielle out of a funk, she and her sister-in-law went to Hobby Lobby on a whim for candle-making supplies. Soon, Arielle started selling her organic, minimalist products at local markets. Mom would often help, and she brought along expertise from her lifelong interest in healing essential oils. After Beth retired from her career as a firefighter-paramedic in Broward County earlier this year, she moved to Cape Coral and went all in on her daughter’s venture.

Behind the coffee bar, two separate workspaces help the tight-knit duo keep up with Wallflower production. In the lab to the right, Beth translates her obsession with plant-derived oils into a beauty line, with an aloe-based shampoo and conditioner, moisturizing cold-pressed face oils and vitamin E-infused hand scrubs. Both women produce the flagship coconut soy-wax candles, and Arielle hand-casts the containers for their Signature Concrete Candles line. The younger Valle woman added concrete pottery to her repertoire a few years ago, eager to offer eco-friendly, refillable vessels.

[ngg src="galleries" ids="437" display="basic_thumbnail" thumbnail_crop="0"]Working on-site, Arielle mixes rapid cement concrete with water to pour into molds, sourced from a fellow artist on Etsy. She manipulates the industrial material into organic shapes using plant-based pigments to yield earthy hues and marbled effects on miniature busts of Michaelangelo’s David, sculptural vases inspired by historic aristocrats, and an assortment of dinnerware and trinket catchalls. She’s now also dabbling in furniture-making, starting with a concrete tabletop for her home kitchen.

Arielle finds magic in the craft. “Literally, it was a bag of frickin’ sand a few hours ago, and now look how pretty it is,” she says, palming an in-process desert-hued candle jar. A water-based, food-safe sealant—her ‘secret ingredient’—gives the pieces their satin appearance, a nod to the collection’s Old World sensibility.

On the opposite side of the Valles’ workspaces, a moody hallway covered in dark, botanical wallpaper leads guests to a more experiential side of Wallflower: a yoga studio and workshop. The intimate studio—outfitted with 42 Birds’ biodegradable, chemical-free, grippy cork mats—hosts yoga classes and full moon meditation sessions. In the nearby candle-making workshop, another mural by Gabrielle cheekily plays off the shop’s name with the title of Stephen Chbosky’s book The Perks of Being a Wallflower. There, small groups learn mindfulness-centric practices, like the Hindi tradition of henna tattooing, terrarium building and candle-making. “If you take a candle class with me, I give you the science—the firefighter in me comes out—the measurement and why we do this,” Beth says, laughing. “[Arielle’s] just like ‘Eh, pour it in.’”

The space also serves as a DIY refill station for regulars who’ve got the process down and like to experiment with the add-ons from the shelf, stocked with scented oils, crystals, dried flowers and aromatic herbs. Everything in the space is designed around the women’s mission to promote holistic, Earth-friendly practices locally. “It’s always about the community,” Arielle says.

The post Cape Coral’s Best Shop for Eco-Friendly Homewares appeared first on Gulfshore Life.

Stepping inside this Marco Island apartment, you’re prompted to take a deep, cleansing breath. Inhale, a space done in subtle variants of cream with every detail conceived to exalt the Gulf views—exhale, the worries of the day. A generous Burton James sofa covered in performance fabric beckons family and guests to enjoy the view of the Ten Thousand Islands in the living room. “We wanted your eye drawn out to the beautiful water without busy patterns interfering with the peaceful vibe,” the homeowner says.
Previously, the four-bedroom condo in the Veracruz at Cape Marco paraded an ornate, Tuscan-inspired style. For a while, the family lived with the pomp; their three sons were still in school, so they only visited their Marco retreat a few weeks a year. Now, with the boys off to college and the husband and wife logging about six months in their subtropical abode, they’ve commissioned a space created in their image.

Bonita Springs-based Signal House Builders connected the couple with Naples’ Little Palm Design Group, where interior designers Dawn Harmon and Kirsten Young took on the project. “The floor plan was dated, it was dark and broken up into smaller rooms, so the first thing we did was open it up,” Dawn says. Structurally, that meant removing a wall between the kitchen and living area, squaring off some of the bedrooms for a better use of space, redoing cabinetry and adding beams in the ceilings to house overhead lighting. The Little Palm team also replaced the condo’s baseboards, molding, flooring and hardware. “There’s not a surface that wasn’t touched,” Dawn says.

The directive was clear when adding back decorative touches: “Soft and creamy, light and airy, and comfortable,” Dawn says. She and Kirsten worked toward a plush, contemporary style with classic touches. “We wanted it to feel timeless, not trendy,” Dawn says. “Clean-lined, clean colors but with accents like crystal and marble—the sorts of materials you never get tired of.”
The tone is set from the entryway. The duo replaced the solid doors with five-panel frosted glass versions to allow light to flood in. Dawn laid the entry’s white oak flooring in a herringbone pattern to set the area apart from the rest of the home, lined the vestibule in grasscloth wallpaper for a rich effect and added furnishings with soft gold accents to enhance the laid-back elegance. “We tried to offer a yin and yang with textures—the nubby, textured wallpaper contrasts with the slick mirror; the earthier, warmer wood on the flooring is a counterpoint to the crystal chandelier,” Dawn says.

The tone-on-tone palette of neutrals continues throughout the home. Two living areas, the dining room and kitchen stretch beyond the vestibule, with quartzite, shellstone, walnut, glass and burnished brass creating a sophisticated but unfussy blend.

The ‘must’ for the great room was a giant sectional that could accommodate the family of five. “This is where everyone hangs out to watch TV or play games,” Dawn says. Low-slung side tables are integrated into the sectional, and a pair of ottomans have sliding tables on top to hold more food or drinks.
A feature wall, with a shellstone fireplace surround, holds the TV and walnut built-ins with a custom neutral-brown stain. “We worked really hard to get the red out with that finish,” Dawn says. The cabinetry is anchored with a Taj Mahal Quartzite, a nod to the Crystal Quartzite of the kitchen countertops. “It’s a nice way to bring in the elements of the island and offers a contrast to the wood,” she adds.

Warmly tinted walnut continues in the adjoining dining room’s built-in bar. “The bar is the highlight of the space,” says Dawn, noting that the doors can pocket back to display the content of the cabinets. Above the round table hangs a chandelier with clear extruded glass tubs and a burnished brass base.

On the other side of the room, the bright-white kitchen cabinets flaunt brass hardware, and the backsplash incorporates a wavy tile pattern—a nod to beachside living. The team added a second island to allow plenty of space for prep and entertaining. “One’s more a working island, the other is for gathering and eating,” Dawn says. The kitchen wall stretches down to a smaller family room that culminates in what the designer calls the “magic window.” “It has the prettiest view in the whole apartment,” she says. “That’s the artwork, the wow of the room.”

In every space—from the larger gathering areas to the more intimate bedrooms—the Little Palm team mixed textures. Textured chenille chairs, a wool rug, velvet pillows and fuzzy knit throws offer coziness without distracting from the view in the family area. In the primary bedroom, rod pocket drapes above floor-to-ceiling windows cover blinds and hardware, and a silk bedcover, faux fur throw and pale leather bench soften the stark white walls. “They make the room feel gentle, serene and quiet,” Dawn says. “After all, that’s why they come here.”

Builder: Signal House Builders
Interior Design: Little Palm Design Group
Photography: Diana Todorova

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The post A Luxe, Minimalist Family Retreat on Marco Island appeared first on Gulfshore Life.

The things in our homes speak volumes. A Jeff Koons pooch portrays whimsy. A black-and-white Clyde Butcher print boasts regional pride. A Noguchi table proves design sense. But what about the home’s bones—without the furniture and decor, what do our walls say?

Self-expression on walls dates back to Paleolithic cave dwellings. For centuries, humans have plastered, painted and covered their walls for necessity (massive tapestries insulated medieval rooms) and vanity (Victorian-era floral wallpaper was a real vibe at tea time, with every pattern steeped in symbolism). Trends from stucco to shiplap have come and gone—and come back again. The early 2020s wallpaper resurgence—a product of pandemic-induced cabin fever, Bridgerton-inspired nostalgia and the rise of modern maximalism—saw designers and DIYers turning feature walls into fully papered rooms.

Designer Audrey Healey of EBL Interiors views innovative tiles and panels—such as Miami-based Alex Turco’s dreamy handmade coverings combining photography and digital art and Italian maker Cotto d’Este’s ultra-thin porcelain tiles in the Wonderwall collection—as the next big thing in wall decor. “There’s more opportunity for creativity because of their durability,” Healey says. “You can put coordinating panels on your doors or closets to make them sort of disappear in an artistic way.” Wonderwall tiles are less than 1 centimeter thick (backed with fiberglass to keep the stone from cracking during shipping and installation) and come in more than 20 designs. Santa Monica-based purveyor M|R Walls by Mario Romano takes a synthetic approach for similarly sleek wallcoverings, using Corian—a mix of acrylic polymer, petroleum and natural materials—which can be heated, bent and intricately carved to make sculptural panels for interior and exterior walls.

In May, Polish tile purveyor Tomasz Salamon launched the LuxArt Decor showroom in Fort Myers, where they stock tiles made with naturally sourced raw materials, eco-friendly dyes and sustainably sourced clay found around the Tubądzin tile factory in Salamon’s home country. We’re obsessed with their Wall Art Tiles, which go above and beyond the standard mosaic design to bring full-scale murals printed on glossy tiles across an entire wall. (Check out the Heron collection for a perfectly Southwest Florida bird print.)
Hudson Park Interior Design’s principal, L.A. DeRiggi, offers an architectural designer’s perspective: “My approach is to create details and applications that become a part of the home, so even when you walk into an empty, unfurnished home, it’s still just as beautiful, just as breathtaking.” Think crystal-crusted wallpapers reflecting the sea in an ocean-fronting family room. Constantly seeking new textures and designs, DeRiggi looks to companies such as Italian leathermaker Studioart for supple yet sculptural coverings or London-based MeyStyle for wallpapers incorporating tiny lights and crystals for a luminous texture.

Beyond aesthetics, DeRiggi seeks innovative approaches to practical applications, like sound-absorbing felt walls, which can also function as cork boards in live-work spaces. Brands such as Knoll’s FilzFelt bring crafty felt into the design world with carved 3D arches, geometric cutouts and custom designs. A bonus: The wool felt panels are 100% biodegradable and compostable.
For an even greener effect, the team at Miami-based BEMOSS, a go-to for stunning moss wall designs, works with sustainably sourced cork (the material is made from branches, meaning no trees are felled in the process) for maximum durability and insulation while maintaining a contemporary look. The team installed a 3D divider wall in a Miami residence with cork carved into undulating peaks and valleys. Others kick it up a notch, weaving in moss, ferns and tropical greenery for a wild look.

You can keep the vibe organic but still sleek with materials like leather and metal, which lend contemporary energy without sacrificing warmth. To break the mold, Healey looks for curving, mirrored metal surfaces and intricate metal screens. Our top choice for Southwest Florida homes? Luxe Surface Design Studio. The husband-wife duo, Mariusz and Justyna Dejcz, prove metal doesn’t need to look smooth and shiny. Mariusz sculpts liquid metal into wispy, textured designs, turning clients’ walls into original artworks. Justyna posits, “This is for sure a new era of design.”

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The post How To Turn Your Walls Into Works of Art appeared first on Gulfshore Life.

When a husband and wife bought a 2015 home by one of the original Port Royal builders, A. Vernon Allen, they called on their Midwestern hometown designer, Carrie Long, to make over the interiors. Carrie could see the home’s bones were strong. The space already had gracefully vaulted ceilings, gentle archways and generous windows; it just needed to reflect the clients’ cleaner aesthetic. “It was more about stripping back to reveal the beautiful detailing,” the Michigan-based Carrie Long Interiors founder says. With a style that’s neither too modern nor too traditional and a willingness to experiment, the couple let the designer loose with her vision.

Carrie first removed existing wallpaper, window dressings and hardware, then painted the walls, ceilings and trim in soft shades of white and gray; she also redid some of the finishes on the flooring and ceiling. “We wanted to let the classic architecture shine,” she says. Carrie used the home’s lines as a starting point to furnish each space, working in rich wood tones and deep hues like navy, fuchsia and cognac to add depth and create a flow from one room to the next.

The formal living room is all about curves. Carrie repeated the rounded shape from the arched entryways in a navy A. Rudin sofa and pair of white side chairs, the arms of two vintage wicker chairs, and the two étagères near the fireplace.

The desk in a nearby nook—which Carrie designed to seat two people comfortably—is a curvy take on a Parsons desk.

In the dining room, the theme continues with a circular coffered ceiling as the focal point, emphasized by a round table, round-backed chairs and a tiered chain-mail chandelier. Nearby, two dark wooden beams in the casual family room create a strong angle on the white-paneled ceiling and pick up the walnut tones in the furniture. Following the geometric lines, the furnishings are more angular, with a boxy L-shaped sofa, a square side table and side chairs with right-angle arms. A custom long, curved banquet and stone-topped table in the kitchen fit perfectly within an arched window opening. And on the lanai, the ample, squared-off seating echoes the patio and pool area openings.

With those nods to the homes’ geometry as a foundation, Carrie filled out the furnishings with an eye toward function and ease of care, as the couple has several pets and frequently hosts grandkids and houseguests. “Everything has to make sense; it has to be durable and look amazing,” Carrie says. “They want whoever is there to feel comfortable.” She used the colors of the furnishings to add depth and balance to the rooms. In the living room, the sofa and decorative accessories pick up the purples, blues and blacks in the color-inverted photograph of a daisy over the fireplace and a contemporary geometric painting in the alcove. In the dining room, Carrie used a gold-leaf triptych and fashion photographs within traditional frames to lend what could have been a sterile room a sense of history. In the kitchen, the gray upholstery of the banquette harkens to the perimeter countertops for a sense of symmetry throughout the room.

The final touch was finding statement art, lighting and accessories that spoke to the owners, who have diverse tastes. “The wife was like, ‘What can you dream up?’” Carrie recalls. The five-bedroom home includes two primary suites with their own bedrooms, sitting rooms and bathrooms—one’s designed with the wife in mind; the other for the husband’s taste. In the wife’s sitting room, Carrie used a Victorian era-inspired painting the wife owned as a starting point, riffing on the blush tones and floral themes within the frame with a panoply of pillows that pull in aubergines, ochres and rich reds. In the husband’s suite, the designer channeled five-star hotel design, decorating in tones of gray and draping the differently sized windows in floor-to-ceiling ombré curtains.

Carrie and the couple tinkered with other small visual moments, too: The designer suggested the bold Phillip Jeffries floral print wallpaper to create drama in the powder room. “I’m not a wallpaper person, but Carrie convinced me I should have it somewhere, and now I love it,” the wife says. The wall covering brightens the room, and the stylish subject in the print by Nigerian artist Adekunle Adeleke unites the gold and blue hues in the space.

For the landing on the second floor, Carrie built a stand with integrated lighting to illuminate a statement piece—a sculpted female form encased in resin—creating a hybrid work of art and lamp. It’s paired with a painting the homeowner fell in love with on a trip to Puerto Rico. “At this point, I could just say, ‘Carrie, go and surprise me,’” the wife says. “I love watching her work.”

Interior Design: Carrie Long Interiors

Builder: A. Vernon Allen

Photography: Diana Todorova

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The post See a Transformed Naples Port Royal Mansion with all the Right Curves appeared first on Gulfshore Life.

In an area known for excess, there is one thing we are dearly lacking—yard space. And that’s a big part of the appeal of Naples’ Pine Ridge Estates neighborhood: many of the properties stretch out over an acre and are right in the heart of Naples.

“It all starts with choosing the right piece of land,” says Richard Donnelly of ROI Naples, which developed the property. Here, the ROI team knocked it out of the park—the home’s greenspace could easily double as a community space.

Richard and his wife, Linda, kept the same siting as the previous home on the lot when building the new Brutalist-meets-farmhouse abode. The modern manse sits on the left, with a sports court (tennis, basketball, volleyball) and a detached guest house within view out front. Out back, there’s a sunken firepit, a play area for kids and a pool with a cabana.

Everywhere you look, there’s ample vegetation. “I wanted to incorporate the existing old-growth trees, like lychee, black olive, tamarind and oak, into the design,” Richard says. New landscaping was designed to complement the inherited specimens, with evergreen podocarpus, ficus for shade, and a perimeter made of areca palms. Zoysia grass makes for a low-maintenance carpet and completes the lush, mature botanical experience not often found in this area.

But lest you think some standout trees are all this property has to offer, a quick trip around back leaves jaws agape from the plethora of outdoor lounging options. Stone patios and slate gray stepping stones connect the fully stocked, indoor-outdoor lanai with a sunken fire pit—flanked by two water features— and a pool cabana, equipped with a bar, changing room, powder bath and an outdoor shower. Being in Florida, the home doesn’t skimp on its pool. In addition to the cabana, with a 12-foot bar, the splash pad has a swim lane, cold-water plunge pool, sun shelf and hot tub.

Everything’s illuminated with a sophisticated exterior lighting package, intentionally planned to make the entire estate shine. The suite of perimeter lighting, tree uplights and modern sconces is all conveniently controlled by phone. To emphasize the home’s striking architecture, the team placed sconces low on the exterior walls, creating a visually dynamic look that casts light up the facade and downward toward the landscaping.

Still, for Linda, the backyard takes top billing. “The sunken fire pit area is a standout,” she says. While most properties have the pool directly out back, this 1.23-acre estate has its pool off to the side. “It gave us the opportunity to have a unique feature [off the lanai],” she says. The firepit was engineered for relaxing and socializing—fountain features at ear level mitigate any noise from the busy road nearby. And, the set-up makes for a stunning visual moment when looking out from inside the home, with its Italian slate steps lit by LED ropes that set the entire section off in a spellbinding glow. The effect makes for a tranquil and luxurious guest-magnet during gatherings.

The massive lanai also gets plenty of use. The space essentially doubles the great room’s footprint, thanks to the 32-foot expanse of floor-to-ceiling glass doors that can disappear into their pockets. Remote-controlled screen panels at the outer perimeter enclose the cypress-clad lanai to keep bugs at bay. And, an outdoor kitchen with a barbecue, pellet grill, refrigerator, and teak and porcelain dining table and chairs from Casa Italia in Naples, help elevate the definition of outdoor entertaining.

Those wanting to stay alfresco after dinner can choose from two Casa Italia matching teak sofas wrapped in high-performance fabric and flanking a RH (formerly Restoration Hardware) coffee table in the center. A counter in gray Quartzite—matching a bar in the great room—is a fun place to post up on game days, especially given the lanai’s beer keg and 75-inch TV. Let the good times roll.

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The post The Ultimate Outdoor Oasis is in Naples’ Pine Ridge Estates appeared first on Gulfshore Life.

Beyond the turquoise waters and wide stretches of sugary sand, the charm of Boca Grande is sealed by the porched and columned facades that convey the bygone days of Old Florida—and its charming Southern drawl.

Sandy Stilwell Youngquist has been enchanted by the quaint town at the end of Gasparilla Island since she strolled under the boughs of Banyan Street, near the Downtown Boca Grande Historic District, in her early 20s (she says the tree-lined way is the perfect spot for photos—the street’s so scenic couples often choose it to exchange “I do’s”).

[caption id="attachment_70924" align="alignleft" width="200"] Boca Grande’s historic charm, seen in places like the circa-1911 The Gasparilla Inn & Club, has beckoned Captiva Island restaurateur Sandy Stilwell Youngquist since her early 20s.[/caption]

It’s no surprise the Captiva Island queen—who owns an inn, five restaurants and a shopping center on the nearby barrier island—chose Boca Grande to expand her epicurean empire in late 2022. A love for preservation and exalting Old Florida is at the heart of Sandy’s ventures.

On November 1, weeks after Hurricane Ian wreaked havoc, she opened her second Keylime Bistro in Boca Grande’s old train depot, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (Look out for her third locale in the new terminal of Southwest Florida International Airport in 2025.)

“To this day, it’s a breath of fresh air when I go over the bridge in my car or pull up to the docks in our boat—it feels like stepping back in time to a place that is not overdeveloped or overcommercialized,” Sandy says, emphasizing how Boca Grande offers a perfect blend of nature, small businesses and beautiful homes. 

She wants others to discover the town’s appeal and how it’s possible for an area with blocks upon blocks of multimillion-dollar estates to remain unpretentious. Much of it starts with the people who frequent the island, a quiet-luxury crowd that likes to drink their sweet tea rather than spill it and ride around on golf carts before a few rounds of backgammon with a Gulf-inspired Boca Punch in hand.

No visit to the town is complete without seeing one of Sandy’s favorite spots, The Gasparilla Inn & Club, notably a longtime winter retreat for the Bush family. The restaurateur urges venturing into the striking Colonial Revival main building on Palm Avenue and booking lunch or dinner at one of the inn’s iconic dining venues, such as The Pink Elephant—called “The Pink” by locals.

[caption id="attachment_70930" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Mom-and-pop shops like Boca Blooms florist give the island its character. The canopies of trees that envelop thoroughfares like Banyan Street make for ideal photo-ops.[/caption]

In a time and place where anything goes sartorially, the inn clings to tradition, with a formal dress code that requires whites on the croquet lawns and collars and/or jackets throughout most other spaces. Sandy recalls a few years back when she and her husband, Tim, invited friends to celebrate the Kentucky Derby at the inn. While Boca Grande’s ‘season’ was long over the first weekend in May, they dressed to the nines to take in all the pre-race coverage at main floor lounge BZ’s. The inn indulges Sandy’s penchant for history and Old Florida charm. “It’s beautiful and exudes elegance with its white rattan furniture, pinks, greens and turquoise,” she says. “It’s very reminiscent of Southern hospitality.”

As she ventures deeper into the island, Sandy loves how innately walkable—and bike- and golf-cart- friendly—the community is (rental spots abound, but there’s not a single gas station). “You can park your car and bike all over the island,” she says.

Her favorite trail, the Boca Grande Bike Path, transformed the old railroad tracks, dating from the Gilded Age, into a verdant rail-trail that flows into Gasparilla Island State Park, home to the Port Boca Grande Lighthouse and Museum (a unique, two-story, square-shaped, shingled structure with a light nestled in a widow’s walk).

You can ride the trail to and from the historic train station that’s now home to Sandy’s Keylime Bistro and Loose Caboose ice cream parlor. The depot, which ushered industrialists and winter residents until its closure in 1958, still marks the heart of Boca Grande. “You can shop, you can dine; you can even bring a picnic. But to me, the dining is half the fun,” Sandy says.

Aside from her place (known for crab cake benedicts, grouper sandwiches and cocktails), she cites a tiny spot called The Temptation Restaurant that has a great wine list and a sign urging “Please, no profanity.” The bar Miller’s Dockside at Boca Grande Marina also draws her and Tim when they dock their boat after a day of exploring. The couple often opts to spend the night aboard their vessel, and Miller’s provides a lively scene in the evenings.

[caption id="attachment_70927" align="aligncenter" width="300"] “To this day, it’s a breath of fresh air when I go over the bridge in my car or pull up to the docks in our boat—it feels like stepping back in time.” —Sandy Stilwell Youngquist[/caption]

When it comes to dressing for days out (or picking up a souvenir), Sandy mines hidden gems. Sunsets of Boca Grande is her stop for cute handbags and resort wear; or, she’ll head to The Palm on Park - A Lilly Pulitzer Signature Store to channel the preppy-pretty Florida look. She wouldn’t let you leave town before swinging by the 1916 emporium Fugate’s and the town’s oldest marina, Whidden’s, which covers all your bait-and-tackle needs, along with offering a solid dose of local color via old photographs and artifacts.

[caption id="attachment_70923" align="aligncenter" width="199"] From the recently renovated The Gasparilla Inn
& Club to The Palm on Park — A Lilly Pulitzer Signature Store, Boca Grande suits Sandy’s love of history and preppy-pretty Florida style.[/caption]

Sandy delights in Boca Grande’s history and many singularities. Though the entrepreneur’s well- traveled through Gulf waters, she says there’s something special about witnessing the leaping silver-back tarpon that make the deepwater Boca Grande Pass renowned for sportfishing. She recalls springtime tournaments so packed with boats that you could hop from one deck to another, and likely be welcomed aboard by each new host.

[caption id="attachment_70934" align="alignleft" width="199"] Weeks after Hurricane Ian tore through Southwest Florida in 2022, Sandy persevered, opening the second location for her long-loved Keylime Bistro in Boca Grande’s old train depot.[/caption]

In many ways, Boca Grande is ideal for mariners, and that speaks to the core of this ocean-loving gal. Only boaters can access the island’s best beach—a crystal-clear swatch surrounding a sandbar at the former rail bridge on the island’s north side. It’s only fitting the best beach evokes nostalgia in a town that celebrates its cherished past.  

[caption id="attachment_70925" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The longtime Captiva Island businesswoman likes to visit Miller’s Dockside bar at Boca Grande Marina after a long day—or night—on the water with her husband, Tim.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_70935" align="aligncenter" width="200"] Sandy says there’s something special about witnessing the leaping silver-back tarpon that make the Boca Grande Pass renowned for sportfishing.[/caption]

Photography by Anna Nguyen

The post An Insider’s Guide to Boca Grande appeared first on Gulfshore Life.

Stick around long enough, and second acts become a lot more frequent. Just ask landscape architect David Young. As the founder of Naples- and Sarasota-based DWY Landscape Architects, he spent the last 25 years building a reputation for his thoughtful integration of sustainable horticulture and modern architecture. Recently, David found himself in an increasingly common situation: tasked with a new project on a property he’d worked on years before.  

David designed the original landscape for a modern manse, drawn by architect Guy Peterson, in Sarasota’s Bird Key neighborhood nearly 20 years ago. When new owners called, offering quite a bit of latitude on the design and budget (both were restricted the first time around), David jumped at the opportunity. “They wanted something more lush, and there was less concern about maintenance,” he says. “We were able to really bring to light some things we had wanted to do years ago.”  

[caption id="attachment_70033" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Photo by Ryan Gamma[/caption]

The home was already stately, with its angular edges, several courtyards shielding the inner sanctum, and a raised footprint with straight views from the entry to the bay. David introduced a major, previously unrealized upgrade: adding a reflection pool to the courtyard. “The idea was to replicate the little ponds and small lakes you frequently see when you drive across Florida,” David says. “You’ll look across these pastures and see a little depression with a small pond reflecting the nearby trees with grass tucked up on the edge.” The whole thing contributes to a verdant feeling—despite the sharp lines of the contemporary home, the space feels lush and a bit wild. “We’re always thinking about how we can elevate the experience and create something where the architecture and the landscape are unified,” he adds.  

David also renovated the motor court, adding cooling, high-reflectance pavers and a meditation bench shrouded by tall royal palms. In the courtyard, the landscape architect brought in plenty of no-mow zoysia tenuifolia grass, along with various types of palm trees, bromeliads and monstera, to create layers of texture, tapestry, shade and shadow. To intersperse more greenery among the built surfaces, David moved the entry walkway away from the house to allow more room for plantings and tucked bump grass between steps and walkways. “We’re creating a threshold, but we’re also inviting residents to come outside and enjoy nature,” he says.  

David leaned into his appreciation for famed modernist Luis Barragán when updating the contemporary fountain in the inner courtyard. “Barragán was known for building brilliant water features,” he says. Now, pavers stretch across the water basin, and an adjacent wall is painted orange and illuminated, nodding to the Mexican architect’s flair for saturated hues. The scene feels alive with movement as water flows from the updated scupper down below, and the lights cast ripples across the space. “It’s also visible from the glass floor inside the home, so it brings that beautiful quality of refractive light to the interior,” he adds.  

[caption id="attachment_70034" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Photo by Ryan Gamma[/caption]

Water plays as important a role as any plant in David’s designs. “In a residential project, you have guests going from the public realm of the street to something private. We want to create an important moment before guests move inside the house,” he notes. In the courtyard’s reflection pool and the back swimming pool, water reflects the house, palms and sky and drives home the sensory experience for a lasting impact.  

David had different goals for the backyard, where mature plants, including a curved coconut palm installed during the first iteration, help create a veil above the property. “Typically, the landscape in the front of a residence is intended to screen for privacy,” he says. “In the back, you want foreground planting that’s porous enough to allow unobstructed views of the water and skyline beyond.”  

Rugged greenery from the front yard continues in the back, starkly contrasting the home and hardscape’s clean lines. Native palmettos and small-leaf clusia frame either end of the pool, where lounge chairs and a built-in bench with a fire feature allow space to relax and mingle.  

[caption id="attachment_70035" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Photo by Ryan Gamma[/caption]

To give the pool a “sexier” disposition and continue the plan to emphasize the Sarasota Bay views, David raised the water line, creating an infinity-edge look; he also changed the tile to an aquatic hue and the liner to a thinner porcelain. Softly tumbling Cotto d’Este porcelain decking, resembling the look of raw stone, spans as a thin strip across the width of the pool and continues for all hardscaped areas for a cohesive experience. When you arrive at the property, you feel like you could float from the courtyard through and under the home to the bay. “Good design is not arbitrary; it should be intentional,” he says. “It should draw people outside and inspire them to smell the roses and take it all in.” 

Landscape Architect: David W. Young, Architect: Guy Peterson

The post This Sarasota Home Seems to Float on Water appeared first on Gulfshore Life.

Water drew most of us to Southwest Florida, and water keeps us here. The effect of this core element on our lives is manifold. Color theory says blue hues are calming. Psychology posits that, due to our dependence on it, the mere sight of water releases happy-inducing neurochemicals. The 2015 Blue Mind book famously introduced the idea of water as a scientifically backed mood and wellness-booster. But, in Southwest Florida, we have long intuited—water equals peace of mind.  

Here, design pros deftly use aquatic features to connect residences to the paradisiacal setting, with infinity pools that seem to vanish into the ocean, water gardens reflecting swaying palms and cascading water walls (charmingly referred to as ‘weeping walls’ by some) adding to the ambience. “Water, and the shaping of water and how water’s presented in a project, is really important,” Naples-born landscape architect David Young says.

In a stilted Siesta Key property, where the Gulf of Mexico is visible from the front of the home, David flowed water gardens throughout most of the first level. Walk - ways bisect the zero-edge-like pool, which extends under the house. Standing inside, you look down and see the cerulean water flow right up to the home; look up, and the azure views continue out and into the Gulf. “We like to play with the idea of continuation,” he says.  

[caption id="attachment_70028" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Courtesy DWY Landscape Architect[/caption]

Famed Mexican modernist and proponent of water in architecture Luis Barragán, whose ethos informs David’s work, notably said, “In fountains, silence sings.” White noise from moving water can be doubly beneficial—the subtle murmuring and smooth pitter-patter drowns out traffic, noisy neighbors and maybe even the chatter in your mind.  

Visually, water’s reflective quality is hypnotizing. Still bodies of water like zero-edge pools (where the surface and deck are on the same plane and water seemingly disappears into the edges) create a mirrored effect that reflects its surrounding landscape and architecture, like a living canvas. Meanwhile, the moving water in fountains and rippling ponds refracts light, casting patterns and creating glimmering moments nearby. Young recently completed a project on Bird Key, inspired by Barragán, with a scupper-like waterfall. “It gives more ambience than flat, still water,” he says. Strategic lighting can enhance the effect—from a fountain oriented toward the sun to soft white LEDs illuminating a weeping wall to sultry neons inside a pool. David lit the Barragán fountain from below to create a dance of light and shadow on the exterior walls. “That’s all visible from the glass foreplay inside,” he adds. A Wiel Arets Architects project, dubbed the Jellyfish House for its ample use of aquatic elements, has a glass-bottom pool on the home’s upper level, casting watery patterns onto the sitting space below.  

Ralph Choeff, of Choeff Levy Fischman Architects, also likes bringing water views into the home. But, he recommends caution with aquatic features directly inside in South Florida. “It creates issues with humidity and can interfere with the AC, causing sweating in the ducts,” Ralph says. Though intricate engineering can help offset the con, Ralph’s firm mostly keeps water outside and relies on steady doses of glass to make exterior water features visible inside. They’ll take it a step further, creating the illusion of indoor flows by cutting a slit into the home where water seemingly comes in. “You might have a pool with a shallow channel that extends toward the residence, and the residence is split with a room on either side,” he says. Ralph once installed a glassed-wrapped atrium with a water sculpture garden. Pavers cut across the pebble-lined pool, so residents walk over water through the atrium or around it, to and from the surrounding liveable spaces that overlook the bay. “It creates a different experience each time,” he says.  

[caption id="attachment_70025" align="alignright" width="504"] Courtesy Rene Gonzalez/Venjhamin Reyes[/caption]

Ralph touches on the spiritual potential for water in the home. “For feng shui- or Vastu Shastra-[mindful] cli - ents, we might use water to balance out a portion of the residence,” he says. Jun Feng Shui owner Jun Sun Filthaut, who consults on the traditional Chinese practice, says water symbolizes good fortune and prosperity. She suggests placing water near the entry at the “dragon side” (to the left, when you’re standing in front of the house, facing out) to enhance abundance. “The water should flow toward the house, not away from it,” she explains. Still, she advises using aquatic features mindfully. “An excess of the water element could create an energy of spaciness and feeling overemotional,” she says.  

[caption id="attachment_70027" align="alignleft" width="490"] Courtesy Khoury Vogt Architects[/caption]

When it comes to water-enhanced transcendent residences, few do it quite like Naples architect Mark Leonardi. In one of his Port Royal homes, a stream follows a limestone wall in the forecourt leading toward the home. As you approach the front door, the wall starts to fragment, and water cascades through, flowing from a fountain inspired by Italian master Carlo Scarpa. In Mark’s designs, aquatic features may begin at the front of the home and continue out back, so the entire building seems to float on water; reflection pools may run along glass walls, visible within; or a faceted glass sculpture may stand in front of a tall window at the end of a hallway, playing off the water and reflecting the sun throughout the space. The architect often uses dark stone to line his water features, enhancing the reflective quality and the element’s organic origins.  

Water adds a sensory layer to a design through reflections, sound and spatiality, fostering a distinct sense of tranquility. “It’s something that kind of draws you to it,” says David Corban, the architect behind such projects as Naples’ Celebration Park and Rebecca’s Wine Bar. “That’s why they use it in Japanese gardens to draw you to a certain space.” Architects might also use water to de - fine an area, draw attention, or create a divider, guiding people through a space. “You can move people where you want without putting a wall there,” David says.  

Despite—or perhaps because of— water’s potential for greatness, architects advise keeping the overall forms clean. “The sexiest pools are long and lean,” David says. David’s projects are often free of harsh breaks. “Joints are like acne of architecture,” he says. “We do everything we can to get rid of them.” The best water features, he proposes, are seamless.  

You can have your watery landscape and enjoy it more, too, by following sustainable practices. While aquatic features (the non-chlorinated kind) can attract wildlife and provide habitat for birds and butterflies, they also require a lot of water. To ensure a more harmonious design, opt for recirculating systems that use the same water for extended periods. Ralph suggests sticking with shallow reflection pools that need less water. Using rocks or pebbles along the bottom also lessens the maintenance load.  

Create an aesthetic feature that doubles as a net-positive stormwater retention system, and you’ll do your part to help prevent flooding and keep our waterways clean. Ralph likes to integrate rain gardens, shallow trenches filled with Florida-friendly plants that capture, filter and slowly release water into the aquifers. “At Naples Botanical Garden, water flows off into rain gardens between the two parking areas. People don’t really even think of them as being water retention systems—they’re just areas with nice tropical landscaping,” he says. A naturally treated pond with a waterfall or aerator—to keep water moving and oxygenated—can also qualify.  

Ralph notes that we have a particularly special relationship with water in Southwest Florida. “Like with Hurricane Ian, it came in, and it was this sort of malevolent force. Then there are other times, like [last] summer, when we needed water, and it wasn’t there,” he says. Living so closely interlinked with the element keeps us in constant reverence and attuned to its power. 

The post The Power of Water in SWFL Architecture appeared first on Gulfshore Life.

Outside Doris and Steve Colgate’s bedroom window, overlooking the Caloosahatchee River, clouds take and release sunlight like stained glass. Dragonflies zip in and out, coursing across a widening channel. Their translucent wings disappear into a translucent sky.  

The couple is absorbed in the reopening of the Fort Myers Beach location of their US Sailing-certified Offshore Sailing School. The beach site and their 36-year-old Fort Myers office were lost to Hurricane Ian, along with five boats and so many paper memories. Their scrapbooks, filled with newspaper clippings marking races won and medals earned, and relics commemorating business and wedding anniversaries—all of it was left in tatters.  

There were photographs of the boats Steve and Doris helmed from one edge of the earth to the other, including the 81-foot racing yacht he steered in stretches of seven hours; hours that felt like minutes. There were portraits of Doris in her florid red sail jacket and Steve peering over a map filled with islands looped like constellations.  

[caption id="attachment_70015" align="alignleft" width="574"] Vintage 1973 photo courtesy Offshore Sailing School[/caption]

Doris buried the books in baking soda, hoping to salvage, well, anything. But the scrapbooks were a loss. “We’re survivors. We always have been,” she says. “When you know how to navigate through the challenges at sea, the challenges that occur in life become inconsequential.” Their commitment to each other and their work continues to carry the couple as they move through their 80s and consider handing the reins to trusted staff.  

Doris and Steve met in 1968 when Doris, a sailing novice, took a job at Yachting Magazine in New York. Her coworkers recommended she take a course at Steve’s Offshore Sailing School. Doris recalls the first time they met—the bathing suit she wore, the floral cover-up. “I walked down to the docks to find him. He was working on the boats out there, and the minute I saw him, I fell in love,” she says, her voice lilting. The scrapbooks may be gone—their loss is immeasurable—but the memories remain.  

While Offshore Sailing School has locations in St. Petersburg, Key West and the British Virgin Islands, the Colgates call Fort Myers home. They have cultivated strong relationships with local resorts, like ’Tween Waters Island Resort & Spa, where they run their Captiva Island school, and Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina, where their Fort Myers Beach site recently reopened.  

Offshore students navigate between Pine Island Sound and the Gulf of Mexico, both ideal for sailors with enough wind to keep boats from running aground. A few decades ago, sailboats were a rarity on our Gulf shores. Now, they can be seen as easily from land as from water. Sailcloths dot the azure waves beneath the Sanibel Causeway, like puffs of cotton, carried to and fro, waving at the cars above.  

Steve discovered his passion for sailing while out on the water with his family as a 9-year-old boy on Long Island Sound. He was tasked with bailing water out of the sailboat—a chore he happily took on. “I feel whole out on the water,” he says. A part of the notable Colgate family (his ancestor, industrialist William Colgate, founded what would become the multinational personal care products company Colgate-Palmolive), Steve was a member of the 1968 Olympic sailing team, wrote textbooks on the sport and became a fixture on the racing circuit. Doris echoed Steve’s passion, then matched it, becoming a champion of women’s sailing. “[It’s a] mutual admiration society,” Steve says. “I can never believe how much Doris is capable of on the water, and off it.” 

In the early years, when Steve competed along, Doris ran the company. Long-distance races, from Massachusetts to Spain, proved difficult, as the two went weeks without contact. “No one had cell phones, and the boats kept a code of silence, so their competition couldn’t track them,” Doris says.  

Back home, the couple spent their days in close quarters, aboard a sailboat or in their 300-square-foot apartment, with only a folding table and roll-out couch. The distance when they were apart was immense, but Doris was lifted by thoughts of Steve skirting the Spanish islands and pushing the boat through wayward winds on the open water.  

On the boat together, Steve likes to steer while Doris scans the water for navigation marks, each empowered and working in partnership with the ocean. Through sailing, the couple has been able to crisscross the globe, going ashore in tiny villages and hamlets from Greece to Tonga in the South Pacific. They’ve immersed themselves in local foodways in Norway and Sardinia, where they’ve spent days meandering earthen streets awash in saffron. Plenty of times, they’ve dined on fish gathered in baskets straight from the sea and mangoes plucked from low-hanging branches on an island.  

The couple imparts the gift of exploration to the hundreds of sailors they’ve trained. “‘I can’t believe I did this’ is the reaction we hear most,” Doris says. In the school’s most popular course, the eight-day Fast Track to Cruising, students find their sea legs on a 26-foot training boat before taking the helm of a mid-size cruiser. Newbies are astonished each time the wind picks up their sails, their boats reliant on nothing but air and water.  

The Colgates no longer sail as much as they used to but remain committed to their students and the community they’ve cultivated. Both of them were inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame (Steve in 2015 and Doris in 2022), and Doris is on the board of directors for Florida Repertory Theatre.  

[caption id="attachment_70014" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Photo By Brian Tietz[/caption]

The future of sailing in Southwest Florida and beyond concerns Steve, especially as powerboats turn electric and silent, rivaling one of the sport’s main draws: the noiseless glide. Still, Steve says, no machine-powered vessel can match the challenge and adventure you experience when it’s just you and the elements. On a sailboat, you’re feet from the water, with nothing to deaden the sounds of the lapping waves, the wind’s whisper in the sail. “Once a person has experienced sailing, they are converts,” he says.  

As the sun sets over the Caloosahatchee, the Colgates watch the sailboats glide across the water, their silhouettes etched against a fiery sky. When the couple thinks of the future, they’re confident Offshore will endure and continue to grow as it has since 1964, blossoming from a one-branch, two-boat passion project to a celebrated institution, unrivaled in the industry.  

[caption id="attachment_70012" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Photo By Brian Tietz[/caption]

With time, the school will chart its own course, propelled by the constant winds of change, and a new generation of sailors will take the helm. But the Colgates’ spirit will remain, woven into the billowed sails flashing against the coral sky, a testament to the enduring power of their love and the sport that brought them together. 

The post Fort Myers’ Steve and Doris Colgate Built their Lives and Love Sailing Around the World appeared first on Gulfshore Life.