NAPLES, Fla. — Southwest Floridians naturally live in paradise. Having the home of your dreams is also within your reach.
Local realtor, Heather Caine, showed some of the newest homes in Naples to see some of the trends that you can do for yourself and have your own piece of Florida luxury without the million plus price tag.
Caine says only recently, we were seeing a lot of Tuscan Mediterranean, West Indies, and Old Florida styles. She says the current trend is now timeless. She suggests, "Average is 10 years, that a design tends to trend out. So, if you design timeless like this beautiful home, you don't have to worry about that."
Caine is referring to the newly constructed home by CK Homes listed at 8.75 million dollars. There are a few elements we can borrow from the multi-million dollar listing, like the designer's choice to mix textures. Brenda Canada of Canada Design Group, says, "The floor is your palette. And that's where you start designing. And my next features are the fixtures. They're the jewels of the house. The light fixtures, which I try to incorporate some unique, different fixtures in the house. I think they work."
Canada says she added the walnut features to give the warmth. She adds, "You could always add a pop of color here and there and you never get tired of it."
A luxurious home on Gulf Shore Boulevard feels like you're an exotic island. Caine says it's because the homeowners traveled to Bali frequently. Caine says don't be afraid to add your personality. She says, "Just bring character of what you're passionate about, and make a house a home."
The Old Florida style is being phased out by New Florida, utilizing a technique called tabby. Caine says, "It's an art form where they throw these shells at the exterior, so it's true Florida." Only a few people can afford the five million dollar listing in Park Shore. However, if you do have a little budget to remodel, there are a couple of trends including custom cabinetry. Greg Kutz of Naples Custom Furniture, says the advantage in the the small luxury, is to allow for higher grade materials, exact color and size for specific storage needs.
The other small luxury is having a free standing tub in the same space as the shower as seen in Linda Sonder's design. Caine says, "The fact that you don't have to worry about water being everywhere and it stays contained, who thought of that is pretty brilliant."
The timeless house featuring mixed textures, as well as the "Namaste" house are having Open Houses the weekend of May 4-5. For more information, contact Caine Premier Properties.
