The rule of thumb today is that you can’t make that outdoor living room big enough

Sometimes, practicality precedes aesthetics. But with a good design team, the two elements don’t have to be mutually exclusive. 

Such is the case in a Naples house for a client who wanted a seasonal home on the Gulf Coast where her children and grandchildren could congregate comfortably during holidays,  family vacations, or any other occasion. The homeowner’s challenge lay in finding the right design professionals to tackle pragmatic matters while still considering décor integrity. After some research, Stofft Cooney Architects and Soco Interiors were hired. 

In terms of structural matters, architect John Cooney came through with an interior devoid of obstacles or multiple separations. The look inside is clean and neutral, a stark contrast to the home’s exterior West Indies style. Cooney and his team delineated some common rooms with the use of ceiling beams, stained in dark charcoal, that help the transition from the grand room to the kitchen, two areas where the family likes to spend most of their time. Additionally, “dark framed windows and expanse glass panels that allow natural light in, all lend [themselves] to a cleaner, transitional style of architecture,” says Cooney.