Elements Of Style
A Winter Park Home Encompasses
Luxurious Finishes And Surfaces

INTERIOR DESIGN Marc Thee and Michael Abbott;
Debra Martin, Architectural Design,
Marc-Michaels Interior Design, Inc.,
Winter Park, FL, and Boca Raton, FL
ARCHITECT Carlos A. Martin,
Carlos Martin Architects, Palm Beach, FL
TEXT Barbara Marshall
PHOTOGRAPHY Kim Sargent,
Palm Beach Gardens, FL

For Marc Thee and Michael Abbott, co-owners of MarcMichaels Interior Design, Inc., their new house in an older Winter Park neighborhood had to serve a twofold purpose. First, it had to meet the personal needs of the designers, who desired an elegant, private retreat. And second, it had to showcase a variety of exquisite finishes and architectural details as a source of inspiration for the designers' clients.

What finally emerged is a design that Thee describes as "comfortable high style," reflecting the individual talents of its owners. "I brought an understanding of architecture and interior detailing," he explains, "and Michael brought silver-spoon taste. We then simply designed the house around the things we love."

Still, the project posed a number of challenges. After tearing down an older, much smaller house on the property, Thee and Abbott were left with a long, narrow lot. Working with architect Carlos Martin, they designed an Lshaped house that wraps part of the way around a large courtyard. Large in scale and proportion, the house encompasses Neoclassical and Mediterranean styling, though the forms within it are not overly detailed.

Inside, the house is a celebration of architectural elements, from grand gestures to sublimely subtle embellishments. "The goal was to make each of the rooms beautiful, even before any furniture went into them, through the use of detailed surfaces," Thee notes.

The living room exemplifies his point admirably. Coffering on the 12-foot ceiling is painted a dark-mud color for a receding effect, contrasting with the surrounding flat molding painted several coats of warm white. Soft-beige walls are carved into niches, creating recessed areas to frame a sofa and accessories.

The interplay between traditional and contemporary styling imbues the living room with personality and freshness. In one corner, an antique grand piano presides over the room with classic presence, its rich wood finish offsetting the Old World sheen of silver leaf on a carved cocktail table. On the wall above the sofa, a brooding abstract by Jamali injects moody character.

Choosing a classic color palette - gold, bronze, sage green and touches of black - Thee and Abbott cover a mix of antiques and softer silhouettes in contemporary velvets and chenilles. "The styling of the upholstery keeps the room from becoming too serious," Thee remarks "Frame pieces, such as the antique French, high-back chairs, bring drama and high style to the space."

Complementing the plush textural fabrics is an antique Agra rug juxtaposed against French limestone flooring, which flows throughout the main rooms.

ABOVE: In the living room, meticulous architectural details allude to the home's Mediterranean and Neoclassical flavor. An abstract painting by Jamali hangs above the sofa.

FACING: Graceful, antique iron sconces and a glittering crystal chandelier in the dining room cast soft lighting on an elegant table. A mosaic-tile Inlay gives the look of an area rug,

Bar areas in Ritz-Carlton Hotels inspired the burnished-maple bar in the library.
The painting to the bar"s right, "Baby Tony,"" is by Donald Roller Wilson.

ABOVE: Furnishings in the library/bar area - the cut-velve sofa, leather-tufted chair by Ralph Lauren, and rose-and-leopar
print carpet - evoke the proper spirit of a country house. The bar serves both the library and the living room for parties.

FACING: Stainless-steel commercial appliances in the kitc~m blend in with clean-lined cabinetry A mosaic wall surrounding the range hood repeats in miniature, the flooring pattern. Moorish-stvle stools are covered in cheetah-pattemed chenile.

ABOVE: A barrel-vaulted ceiling accentuates the long, narrow master bedroom, where the designers use columns and velvet draperies
to set off the adjacent sitting room. A variety of luxurious finishes and muted textural fabrics create a sophisticated ambiance.

A wide arch supported by classic Corinthian columns separates the living room from the dramatic foyer. Lengths of cascading black velvet frame the arch, lending a theatrical touch. "The draperies create a private alcove and a heightened sense of arrival," Thee says.

In the foyer, a Mexican sandstone floor with blackgranite inserts echoes the shape of the coffered ceiling. Walls are wrapped in a mottled wallpaper, giving the appearance of added depth, an illusion the designers reinforce by "floating" a 19th-century French chest against a mirrored niche. An antique iron sconce and a massive stone um hint of the home's Mediterranean and Neoclassical flavor.

On the dining room floor, a mosaic-tile inlay takes the place of the expected area rug. "I'm not a big fan of rugs under dining tables," Thee admits. "The mosaic, however, still provides warmth and interest." The coffered celling, painted a dark-mud color, provides a rich backdrop for a shimmering crystal chandelier.

Stone bases with thick iron bands support a glass tabletop that reflects the light from the chandelier and curvy iron sconces. "I like a glass table in a dining room, because it adds to the shimmer you get from lots of candlelight, antique silver and crystal," Thee says.

To further soften the ambiance, wall panels are upholstered in gold-striped silk and framed with wan-n-whitewood trim. Tied-back draperies, in a muted, wide-striped silk, accentuate glass doors that lead to a private garden.

Entertaining also takes place in the library, a warm, masculine room wrapped in burnished-maple paneling. Here, a bar area - a "must-have" decreed by Abbott - is unabashedly modeled after similar ones in Ritz-Carlton Hotels. "It's practical as well, since it services both the library and the living room for parties," Thee relates.

The room's baronial splendor is further enhanced with a Gothic iron chandelier and a leather-tufted chair by Ralph Lauren. Additional touches, such as cut-velvet fabric on the sofa and a rose-and-leopard print carpet, imbue the room with the proper spirit of a country house.

A limestone floor inlaid with black-granite sets the stage for the gourmet kitchen, which is outfitted with commercial appliances. Old-gold granite countertops, yellow walls and burnished-maple cabinets offset the state-of-the-art equipment with sunny warmth.

From the kitchen, an archway leads to the airy breakfast room, where leather-covered chairs surround a stone table. An antique pine hutch against the wall softens the harder qualities of the other surfaces.

The most unusual room in the house is the master bedroom because of its configuration. "During construction this room was referred to as 'the bowling alley,' " Thee laughs. "It is unusually long and narrow."

ABOVE: In the master bath, Bledermeier-style cabinets of maple wood and black laminate complement the marble countertop and mosaic-tile inlay on the floor. A double-armed sconce illuminates the vanity area.

Thee decided to accentuate this architectural anomaly by installing a barrel-vaulted ceiling that runs the length of the room. Covered with silver leaf, the ceiling gleams in the light of an iron -and- crystal chandelier.

Within the stately master bedroom, carvedstone columns and a long fall of cut-velvet draperies distinguish the sitting room from the bed area, where a handsome stone fireplace dominates a wall. Bed coverings of velvet and silk impart an attitude of cozy luxury, as does the antique silver-leaf table next to the bed.

In the master bath, Bledermeler-style cabinetry of maple wood and black laminate is scored to add decorative dimension. The double-armed sconce mounted on the mirror appears even more impressive in the reflection of the glass. A marble countertop and a mosaic-tile "rug" further demonstrate the ereative use of fine finishes and materials.

"A Florida home has to have exterior spaces that are as well designed as its interior spaces," Thee asserts, referring to the Italianstyle loggia that borders the pool. Sturdy, lightweight aluminum furniture and Gothic light fixtures transform the space into an enticing haven. With a fire blazing in the fireplace, this outdoor room stays warm and cozy, even on chilly, Central Florida winter nights. To further blur the line between the indoors and outdoors, Thee and Abbott created yet another stone-and-marble "rug."

Traditional in spirit yet brimming with contemporary comfort, the house is both a design showplace and a private sanctuary for its owners.

SOURCES
Foyer
Chest and sconce - Marc-Michaels Interior Design, Inc.,
Winter Park, FL
Chair - Randolph & Hein, New York, NY
Living Roo
Sofa - Beverly Furniture, Peter Mandel, Inc., DCOTA,
Dania, FL
Fabric - Victoria Mournean, Pranich & Associates,
DCOTA, Dania, FL
Chair and ottoman - Marc-Michaels Interior Design, Inc.,
Winter Park, FL
Cocktail table - Quatrain, Pranich & Associates, DCOTA,
Dania, FL
Piano - Marc-Michaels Interior Design, Inc., Winter Park, FL
Piano bench - R. Jones, Jerry Pair & Associates, DCOTA, Dania, FL
Area rug - Safaviah, New York, NY

Dining Room
Table base - Stoneyard, Los Angeles, CA
Tabletop - Faour's, Tampa, FL
Host/Hostess chairs - Traditional Imports, DCOTA, Dania, FL
Fabric - Clarence House, Jerry Pair & Associates, DCOTA, Dania, FL
Side chairs - Traditional Imports, DCOTA, Dania, FL
Fabric - Edelman Leather, Pranich & Associates, DCOTA, Dania, FL
Buffet - William Switzer, KFI, Los Angeles, CA
Chandelier - Dennis & Leen, Jerry Pair & Associates, DCOTA Dania, FL
Sconces - Panache, Los Angeles, CA

Library/Bar Area
Sofa - Beverly Furniture, Peter Mandel, Inc., DCOTA, Dania, FL
Chair - Ralph Lauren, Henredon, High Point, NC
Cocktail table - Therien, Pranich & Associates, DCOTA, Dania, FL
Chandelier - Marc-Michaels Interior Design, Inc., Winter Park, FL
Carpet - Stark Carpet Corp., DCOTA, Dania, FL

Kitchen/Breakfast Room
Counter stools - William Switzer, Decorators Walk, DCOTA, Dania, FL
Fabric - Clarence House, Jerry Pair & Associates, DCOTA, Dania, FL
Table - Pompeii, Turner Greenberg Associates, DCOTA, Dania, FL
Chairs - Beverly Furniture, Peter Mandel, Inc., DCOTA Dania, FL
Lantern - Bruce Eicher, Los Angeles, CA
Hutch - Marc-Michaels Interior Design, Inc., Winter Park, FL
Flooring - Forms & Surfaces, Inc., DCOTA Dania, FL

Master Bedroom
Headboard and bed covering fabric - Victoria Mournean, Pranich &
Associates, DCOTA Dania, FL
Pillow fabrics - Rhentmeister, Pranich & Associates, DCOTA, Dania, FL
Bedside table - Panache, Los Angeles, CA
Antique prints - Marc-Michaels Interior Design, Inc., Winter Park, FL
Lounge chairs and ottoman - Marc-Michaels Interior Design, Inc., Winter Park, FL
Fireplace - Renaissance Designs, Jerry Pair & Associates, DCOTA Dania, FL

Master Bath
Custom cabinetry - Marc-Michaels Interior Design, Inc., Winter Park, FL
Sconce - Randolph & Hein, Los Angeles, CA
Marble - Forms & Surfaces, Inc., DCOTA, Dania, FL

Pool Area
Furniture and sconces - Murray's Iron Works, DCOTA, Dania, FL
Fireplace - Mantles 'N Stones, Inc., DCOTA Dania, FL

Throughout
Accessories - Marc-Michaels Interior Design, Inc., Winter Park, FL
Builder - Charles Clayton Construction, Winter Park, FL