It’s All in the Details

    
Looking at the Merrick’s stunning residence in Park Shore today, it’s difficult to envision the 1970s era house that once stood here. Situated on a large lot with breathtaking, Southwest facing views across Venetian Bay, the house suffered from a constricted floor plan, dark rooms, and dated architectural details, making it necessary for the Merricks to demolish 75 percent of the former home and begin almost from scratch with an extensive remodel by The Lykos Group.  

As it stands now, the Merrick residence is replete with Old Florida charm and a few eclectic touches added for good measure. The ceilings have been raised, the windows enlarged and the five bedroom, five-and-a-half bath floor plan now flows easily and is conducive to both comfortable living and gracious entertaining.

Homeowner Nan Merrick was decidedly hands-on in working with The Lykos Group’s project coordinator, Cyndi Burge, on the project, beginning at the custom made, 10-foot-tall metal front doors that Mrs. Merrick personally designed in order to add impact to the front of the home and to match the triple set of French doors in the dining room. With a courtyard fountain and bougainvillea covered pergola, the front entry to the home is now welcoming and far from “cookie cutter” in style. 		 
     
  In the dining room, as elsewhere in the home, the ceiling height was raised to 12 feet. Three French doors with decorative custom metalwork open to the entry courtyard and portico, creating a spacious and unique space for entertaining. The dining table, from the Robb & Stucky Robbie collection, is hand-scraped reclaimed mahogany, as it was important to Mrs. Merrick to include green elements into the renovations. The wrought iron chandelier has a Mission flavor, with bulbs resembling melted candles, for an Old World feel that corresponds to the Oriental rug beneath the dining table.  
     
  Offering the glorious views of Venetian Bay that attracted the Merricks to the home, the family room now boasts a Nana Wall glass door system opening to a covered lanai and a decorative bump out bay window featuring windows that seemingly disappear into the floor. This made for the perfect spot to place a round table and chairs affording the Merricks a place for casual meals accompanied by water views. Because Mr. Merrick is quite tall, Mrs. Merrick, like Goldilocks, had to find a couch that was just the right size for her husband, just the right shape, and covered in leather with just the right “hand” or suppleness. In the end, Mrs. Merrick not only found the perfect couch – but a matching ottoman, as well.
     

     
The original windowless kitchen featured a low ceiling and totally white décor. The made-over kitchen is now a showpiece with custom wood cabinetry by Ruffino. The cabinetry is made of Lyptus wood, selected for its green properties (as it regenerates itself every six years.) Hand finished and with lighted upper cabinets, the built-ins are complemented by a backsplash of imported tile and stone in shades of olive drab, gold, and sienna created by Ruben Sorhegui. The kitchen flooring is Imperial Old World tumbled Travertine stone with a chiseled edge and brushed antique finish that has been laid in a modular pattern, which appears throughout the residence. Now open and joined to both the family and living rooms, the kitchen offers additional counter seating at the pass-through into the living room. The Merricks, who love to entertain, can use all three rooms when hosting a large group, because no matter where their guests may congregate, they’ll be treated to sparkling bay views.  

Each guest bedroom in the Merrick home acts as a separate enclave and Mrs. Merrick wanted to make each unique, thus making it difficult for her guests to choose a favorite. In the balcony bedroom, a deck had been built over the setback line in the former house and it was decided to retain the feature and simply enhance it during the remodel. The balcony, which looks out over the rear of the home, received a pergola and flooring in a composite material, made from a blend of recycled lumber and plastic, that is both low maintenance and green.

Today the master bedroom is virtually unrecognizable as the white box it was formerly. The Merricks knocked down walls in order to combine the former master bedroom with an existing front bedroom and small closet, so that it is now a private suite with floor-to-ceiling views, two walk-in closets, and a stunning master bath. The new entrance to the suite was given a vestibule feel by adding French doors, columns, and custom tile work. The spacious master bedroom received two separate ceiling treatments, with a faux finish of gold, green, and copper at the tray ceiling in the seating area, and an application of stained cypress in the sloping ceiling above the bed, that is accented by a decorative fan wrought from filigreed iron.
     
     
The adjacent elongated master bath offers custom cabinetry with burled wood door insets and a Venetian plastered barrel ceiling. The cabinetry extends to the tub surround. Attention to detail is evident even in the walk-in shower, with its mix of polished and tumbled stone, the polished stone being placed under the shower heads and body sprays so that the water will sheet vertically. Always thinking ahead, Mrs. Merrick went so far as to source a hand-held shower head with a hose long enough for her to easily wash their dog.  

Mr. Merrick’s height again came into play in his study, where Tony Myers, of New Age Design, single-handedly crafted the rich paneling, custom built-in cabinetry, and fitted desk. The room had to be reconfigured as the stairs in the original house originated here. A fireplace was enhanced and the large picture windows were fitted with impact glass and now frame a lush garden view.

The Old World stone flooring used throughout the residence was also used on the lanai and pool deck. In the covered living area, a cypress tongue-and-groove ceiling was installed, complete with Sola-tube skylights.
     
 
     
Initially drawing the design for the pool on a napkin, Mrs. Merrick’s concept includes long graceful curves, depth enough for her tall husband, a sun-shelf for the grandchildren, and space enough for her to do laps. In addition, Mrs. Merrick searched high and low for an interior pool finish that would mimic the color of the bay visible beyond the pool. Using her exacting eye, Mrs. Merrick also added a fire pit to the seating area that is dramatically framed in the long views one sees upon entering the home.

Working together, the Lykos Group, project coordinator Cyndi Burge and the Merricks braved the dust, dirt and disarray of an extensive remodel in order to revamp a tired house and create a stunning masterpiece that benefits from an exceptional level of design detail. The Merrick’s home now possesses both the stamp of their individuality and abundant livability. 		 
     
By Helena Wellesley
Photo Credit: Giovanni Photography

The Lykos Group, Inc.
1989 Trade Center Way Ste B
Naples, FL 34109
Phone: 239-594-8510
www.LykosGroup.com
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