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INTERIOR DESIGN BY WILLIAM DIAMOND AND ANTHONY BARATTA, DIAMOND BARATTA DESIGN, NEW YORK, NY ARCHITECTURE BY RANDALL STOFFT AND JOHN COONEY, STOFFT COONEY ARCHITECTS, NAPLES, FLTEXT BY DE SCHOFIELDPHOTOGRAPHY BY CARMELAND ROBERT BRANTLEY, DELRAY BEACH, FL

Royal palms provide a symmetrical frame around a

reflecting pond with fountains at the home’s front

exterior, where turquoise trim recalls the Caribbean.

hen prospective clients Verna and David George invited architect Randall Stofft and partner

John Cooney to walk the property intended for their new home on Captiva Island, Fla., the

initial view of the site was enough to set the wheels of inspiration moving. “When you walk toward the

rear of the site and see the beautiful Gulf of Mexico and all of that bright, white sand, it inspires you very

quickly,” Cooney says. It was also evident that the Georges were “highly educated in architecture,” he says.

We’d been coming down here to vacation for about 25 years,” David says. “At the time, we

were living in a traditional, arts and crafts-style home in Long Island, N.Y., on a natural wildlife

preserve with views of Oyster Bay Harbor. We loved living on the water with all of the wildlife

surrounding us. Spending time on Captiva, with its proximity to the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge

along with the island’s natural beauty, drew us to living here full time.”

W

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTEDA VISIONARY DESIGN TEAM CONJURES THIS CAPTIVATING BLEND OF POST-MODERNISM AND TROPICAL SPLENDOR ON CAPTIVA ISLAND

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236 FLORIDA DESIGN’S NAPLES EDITION 1-1

left: Interior designers William Diamond

and Anthony Baratta designed the

foyer’s stairway runner, fabricated by

Stark, to feature a white, woven border

that emulates waves. The wall mural,

painted by artist Eric Beare, serves as the

designers’ modern perception of Post-

Impressionist painter Paul Gauguin.

In the living room, a mirror with

an etched-glass sunburst hangs

above a Chinese chest. Baratta

found the chair at the Original

Miami Beach Antique Show and

recovered it in lime green suede.

When David retired from a career on Wall Street, the Georges relocated to their island retreat, and

contacted Cooney and Stofft to provide the full architectural design, site planning and interior architectural

detailing. Cooney designed an Old Florida-style compound that includes a 6,700-square-foot main house; a

2,400-square-foot, two-story guesthouse with two full living/bedroom suites; and a gazebo that was built

on an additional piece of property.

Interpreting a grand-scaled, modernized version of a true Florida cottage required the architecture

team to rethink design elements. To this end, the home features a new use of expanse glass revealing

panoramic vistas. An exterior palette with a standing seam metal roof references Old Florida, while outdoor

pavilions are executed with a high-tech materials palette that mimics the style’s authentic qualities. Plank

siding recalls traditional cedar clapboard siding, and outdoor railings of aluminum extrusions exhibit the

proportions of early wooden railings.

For the interior scheme, the Georges turned to the same design team they had used for their home

on Long Island — William Diamond and Anthony Baratta. “We’ve always loved their enthusiasm for color

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238 FLORIDA DESIGN’S NAPLES EDITION 1-1

and ability to personalize each project with great style,”

Verna says.

The two devised an exuberant plan that embraces the

Georges’ “fearless design aesthetic and desire for strong

color,” Diamond says. “Verna and David had great confidence

in our abilities and gave us a free hand but were intimately

involved in every aspect, and encouraged us to punch up the

colors even more than we suggested.”

The home’s signature turquoise, white and chartreuse

color scheme initiates in the living room, where an elongated

sofa emulates the iconic styles of Dorothy Draper and

Frances Elkins, and four armchairs covered in an specially

commissioned harlequin-patterned fabric radiate around a

white-lacquered, Deco-esque cocktail table.

In the dining room, a latticework installation answers

to Verna’s request for something different. “Artist and

furniture maker Paul Flammang sketched our design,

right: Needlepoint pillows pop against a sofa covered with fabric

from Brunchwig & Fils in the living room. Deep-seated armchairs

feature a scroll motif incised in silver leaf. A large expanse of glass

from Tischler und Sohn reveals a Gulf of Mexico backdrop whose

gradating turquoise hues exactly match the interior color palette.

“WE LOVE NATURAL LIGHT, SUNSHINE AND NATURE,

AND WE WANTED TO FEEL ALL THOSE THINGS INSIDE AND OUT,” HOMEOWNER

DAVID GEORGE SAYS.

above: A table with an intricately carved base in the dining room

tops an area rug whose motif honors Piero Fornasetti. The owners’

daughter, historian Marin George, helped develop the Vizcaya

theme for the mural.

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measured the room once, returned to his workshop in Connecticut and built the entire room,” Diamond says.

“When it was complete, he trucked it down to Florida and installed it piece by piece.”

The kitchen, which Diamond and Baratta designed from scratch, continues the home’s turquoise, white and

chartreuse palette, and overlooks the gazebo and koi pond outside. A circular theme seen in the kitchen recurs in

the breakfast room with a table that ascends from the center of a round area rug that emulates the design of an

Emilio Pucci-inspired scarf.

Turquoise-hued Italian linen by Scalamandré wraps the walls of the family room, complementing tropical shades

of leafy green and sunny yellow. A carpet design that Diamond calls “paisley gone wild” served as the muse for the

room’s whimsical decor, while wicker furniture covered in a Hawaiian floral fabric completes the garden atmosphere.

Because the Georges were willing to push the envelope, the design and architecture team were able to depart

from the expected. “The end product here,” Baratta says, “is a tribute to the homeowners’ passion and steadfast

resolve for a home that is exciting, unique and wondrous.”

THE KITCHEN’S ISLAND FEATURES A LAVA STONE COUNTERTOP. VINTAGE SALVIATI PENDANTS

SUSPEND FROM ABOVE, WHILE REVERSE-PAINTED GLASS FORMS THE BACKSPLASH. LES GOSS’

LIGHT FIXTURE IN THE BREAKFAST ROOM, LEFT, WAS INSPIRED BY A DOROTHY DRAPER PIECE.

WHITE-LACQUERED CHAIRS BOAST LEATHER SEATS EDGED IN NAIL HEADS.

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FLORAL ART BY ARTIST AND

PHOTOGRAPHER WENDY VROOM

WAS DESIGNED TO LIFT AND HIDE IN A

CEILING POCKET WHEN VIEWING THE

HIDDEN TV. DIAMOND AND BARATTA

DESIGNED THE FLOOR LAMPS FOR

THE EDEN ROC HOTEL.

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244 FLORIDA DESIGN’S NAPLES EDITION 1-1

SOURCES

FRONT EXTERIOR Fountain - Custom designed by Architectural Land

Design, Inc., Naples, FL

Fabricated by Nassau Pool Construction, Inc., Naples, FL

Lantern light fixture - Palm Beach Lighting, West Palm Beach, FL

STAIRWAYRunner - Custom designed by Diamond Baratta Design,

New York, NY

Fabricated by Stark Carpet Corp., New York, NY

Mural - Eric Beare, Brooklyn, NY

LIVING ROOM VIGNETTEChest - Owners’ Collection

Lacquered bamboo chest base and re-designed vintage

wing chair - Custom designed by Diamond Baratta Design,

New York, NY

Chair fabric - Abea Leather Group, Inc., New York, NY

Candlestick table lamps - Lars Bolander Miami, Miami, FL

DINING ROOM

Table, chairs, latticework, sconces and

centerpiece - Custom designed by Diamond Baratta Design,

New York, NY

Table and latticework fabricated by Flammang Woodworking,

Essex, CT

Mural and area rug rendering - Eric Beare, Brooklyn, NY

Chandelier - Owners’ Collection

Chair fabrics - Osborne & Little, D&D Building, New York, NY

LIVING ROOMSofa, needlepoint pillows, rolled armchairs, cocktail table and

pedestals - Custom designed by Diamond Baratta Design,

New York, NY

Sofa fabric - Brunschwig & Fils, New York, NY

Sofa fringe - Rogers Textiles & Trims, Inc., Chicago, IL

Cocktail table fabricated by Ron Seff, Ltd., D&D Building,

New York, NY

Sconce - John Salibello Antiques, New York, NY

Urns, coral and candlestick holders - Owners’ Collection

KITCHEN

Cabinetry and island - Custom designed by Diamond Baratta

Design, New York, NY

Cabinetry fabricated by AlliKriste, Naples, FL

Island countertop - Catherine Lagot / Artisans de France,

New York Design Center, New York, NY

Island fabricated by Ron Seff, Ltd., D&D Building,

New York, NY

Pendants - Salviati, John Salibello Antiques, New York, NY

Backsplash - Country Floors | Country Tiles,

New York, NY

BREAKFAST ROOM

Table, chairs and light fixture - Custom designed

by Diamond Baratta Design, New York, NY

Table fabricated by Gurfein Woodwork, Inc., New York, NY

Chair seat fabric - Keleen Leathers, Inc.,

Westchester, IL

Chairs fabricated by J.M. Upholstery, Long Island City, NY

Light fixture fabricated by Goss & Goss Inc. Custom

Metalworks, Long Island City, NY

Drapery fabric - Raoul Textiles, AM Collections, New York, NY

Area rug rendering - Adam Lowenbein, New York, NY

FAMILY ROOM Sofa, club chairs, cocktail table and lamps - Custom designed

by Diamond Baratta Design, New York, NY

Sofa, club chairs and accent pillow fabrics - Raoul Textiles,

AM Collections, New York, NY

Sofa and club chairs fabricated by Bielecky Brothers, Inc.,

New York, NY

Cocktail table fabricated by Ron Seff, Ltd.,

D&D Building, New York, NY

Light fixtures - Charles Edwards Antiques, Ltd.,

London, England

Artwork - Wendy Vroom Photography, Pennington, NJ

Area rug rendering - Adam Lowenbein, New York, NY

LOGGIACushion fabrics - Perennials Outdoor Fabrics,

David Sutherland Showroom, D&D Building, New York, NY

Vases - Mecox Gardens, New York, NY

Accent pillow fabric - Lee Jofa, D&D Building, New York, NY

REAR EXTERIOR Site hardscape and water features - Custom designed by

Architectural Land Design, Inc., Naples, FL

Pool - Nassau Pool Construction, Inc., Naples, FL

Landscape installation - R.S. Walsh Landscaping,

Fort Myers, FL

Koi Pond - Lotus Tropical Gardens, Naples, FL

THROUGHOUT Landscape architecture - Architectural

Land Design, Inc., Naples, FL

Stairways and railings - Custom designed by

Stofft Cooney Architects, Naples, FL

Windows and doors - Tischler Und Sohn (USA), Ltd.,

DCOTA, Dania Beach, FL

Area rugs - Custom designed by Diamond Baratta Design,

New York, NY

Fabricated by Tai Ping, New York, NY N

In memorary of William Diamond, 1952-2015

“WE LIKE TO TAKE OUR BREAKFAST OUT HERE EVERY MORNING,” OWNER VERNA GEORGE SAYS OF THE LOGGIA ALONG

THE REAR FACADE. FURNITURE BY OSCAR DE LA RENTA FOR CENTURY FURNITURE CLAD IN

PERENNIALS OUTDOOR FABRIC LENDS AN INFORMAL ELEGANCE.

Most rooms have views to the Gulf of Mexico and

the center courtyard. A gazebo stands off to one

side of the pool on an additional piece of property.

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