When designer Jay Jenkins began dreaming up the interiors of a part-time Jupiter, Florida, home for a Maryland couple, he didn’t struggle at all. “It’s our seventh residential project together,” he explains. “This was intended to become their primary residence, so it was important for us to maintain a certain level of warmth the Northeast has to offer while embracing the best of Florida design.”
The owners were drawn to the property’s location off the Intracoastal Waterway. However, the existing house didn’t meet their needs so they decided to tear it down and build anew, blending classic architecture with contemporary updates.
“Our inspiration was to build a northern Georgian home, with a traditional exterior and modern interior,” describes architect Benjamin Schreier. “The exterior is stucco, instead of brick, and has classic black shutters and a red-tiled roof.” Yet the interior offers quite a surprise. “Inside, a conventional Georgian house tends to be compartmentalized, but here the expansive rooms are on an open floorplan,” the architect says. “Every space connects effortlessly to each other and to the outdoors.” This is especially true in the back of the house, which is sheathed in glass, offering direct sight lines to the infinity pool and the lovely vista beyond.
Jenkins, though, didn’t want a visitor to enter the home and focus primarily on the view of the water. Rather, he believed revealing the grand scenery in a subtle, measured way would heighten its impact. “That’s how I came up with the idea of creating ‘visual destinations’–places where you might pause for reflection before moving on to the expansiveness outside,” he says.
An early “visual destination” is a niche in the foyer, where an oceanic photograph hangs above a white-lacquered console. Cove lighting illuminates and enhances the vignette, eliminating the need for a possibly distracting pendant. “One of the interesting things about this home was creating spatial definition with the use of drywall detailing and integrated lighting,” says general contractor Scott Mustapick, who worked on the residence with his brother, builder Glenn Mustapick.
In contrast to the home’s Belgian oak flooring, Jenkins incorporated touches of mahogany–a nod to the Northeast, he explains. “We started with these quieter, cool-toned floors and then introduced warmer woods in vertical built-in elements as well as in the wood furniture,” he says. “It brings more dimension and character.” Mahogany appears on the living area’s bar, coffee table and media center built-ins, which Jenkins designed; the rich wood also backs two of the three sofas.
In addition to blending northern and southern elements, the design needed to encourage leisure. “Our job was to create a relaxing yet sophisticated refuge,” Jenkins says. “We did this by keeping the interior architecture clean and crisp, yet highly detailed.” The team paid particular attention to the kitchen, which was assembled and refined in Chicago until it was ready to be installed in the abode. Dominating but not overpowering the space is taupe-colored horizontal rift-oak cabinetry complemented by glass storage towers trimmed in polished stainless steel.
While neutral hues pervade the residence, Jenkins made sure to introduce a few lively tones as well. “We favored carefully edited color, rather than using lots of distracting patterns and different fabrics,” he says. “Our overall palette is pale and pure, with pops of raspberry and citron.” The living area’s white linen sofas, for example, are topped with berry-colored pillows in a pattern that reflects the wife’s fondness for butterflies. A cozy sitting area by the kitchen beckons with a pair of sunny yellow armchairs atop a fiery orange rug. And down the hall, the designer transformed the den into a glowing cocoon by wrapping the walls, sofa, armchair, rug and coffee table in similar shades of raspberry. An oak ceiling and built-in help balance the bold look, and a series of framed butterflies adds a feminine touch.
The white master bedroom, meanwhile, shows off cheery yellow accents, appearing prominently on pillows, bedding, an ottoman and draperies. The color flows into the en-suite bathroom–which is clad in a contemporary floral wallcovering–and even to the outdoor shower, embellished with yellow tiles. “It’s the most extensive outdoor shower I’ve built,” Scott Mustapick says. “This one is full-height, with double shower heads, special glass tiles and complete access from inside.”
Outside, the loggia offers a covered dining and sitting area by the pool, plus a replace and white exterior furnishings accented by pink pillows. One final “visual destination” appears across from the loggia: a custom artwork of aluminum butterflies fluttering against an exterior wall–a finishing touch for Jenkins’ seventh project with the homeowners. “It’s rewarding that you can still surprise and delight old clients with new things,” he says.
