COTTAGE CHARM | The Reinvention of a Naples Home

The milestones in building a home are countless: selecting an architect, finalizing the plan, pouring the foundation – every activity marks progress and everyone involved is aware of what comes next. Bit by bit, things get checked-off the list and then—almost out of the blue everything changes.

“Up until the last couple of weeks of construction, it just looks like a job site. And then all of a sudden, you gain momentum, and it starts coming together,” shares Mike Assaad, President of Waterside Builders. “It starts looking like a home.”

Interior designer Heather Garrett concurs, “There is a three week period at the end of a project during which the tile work is getting finished, the walls are being painted, the landscaping is going in, and the shutters are going up. That’s when everything really changes. Suddenly there’s an atmosphere that’s created. There’s a feel about it. It’s almost an emotional feeling that what was once just a bunch of rooms is…becoming a home.”

Garrett and Assaad, in partnership with Matthew Kragh of MHK Architecture & Planning, are familiar with this feeling just completing a masterful renovation of an Old Naples cottage-style home. It blends the classic design elements of Old Florida with modern functionality and easy livability on a grand scale. Because the home sits on a large lot, the team had the creative freedom and flexibility to push the design direction in innovative ways and they certainly took advantage of it.

Today, behind the simplicity and scale of the original façade, there is a spectacular home with soaring ceilings and light-filled spaces. The three-bedroom main house is flanked by an expansive pool deck, well-appointed outdoor kitchen, and cabana with roomy guest quarters. “It’s really deceiving from the street,” says architect Kragh. “It’s got a real wow factor.”

“We had good communications with the client, and lots of upfront design work right from the very start of the project,” notes Kragh. “Synergy like this makes a big difference when it comes to the character and integrity of the home. Our shared vision has become a reality, and it’s even better than any of us could imagine.”

“It turned out great,” comments Assaad. “It was a thrill to talk to the owners when they first saw it all together. They were exuberant. They are so proud of it. We all are.” As a matter of fact, the owners are so enthusiastic about the home that Waterside Builders is joint venturing with them again in the near future on other Old Naples Cottage-style projects.

“We pulled it off,” exclaims Garrett. “The client is amazed and delighted at how it all came together. It’s no longer just their dream; it’s the home they wanted.”