Moroccan Masterpiece Indoors and out, this Florida beach home pays homage to classic Moorish style with a relaxed approach that allows visitors to slow down. WRITTEN BY MARA BOO PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSICA KLEWICKI GLYNN STYLED BY ELEANOR LYNN NESMITH PRODUCED BY ANDREA CAUGHEY 114 Elegant Homes
Thick walls allow for sculptural recessed niches in Jennifer and Mitch Boult s Florida vacation home, such as this tented alcove in the living room.
THIS PHOTO: Ebony-stained ceiling planks and window frames ground the living room s airy furnishings. Walls are coated with a thin veneer of luminous plaster. OPPOSITE: Taking advantage of its corner lot, the home is anchored by a four-story tower. It s a compact design that s flexible and efficient, architect Erik Vogt says. 116 Elegant Homes
There s little more than an hour s flight between them, but the Boult family s Nashville farmhouse and their sleek, chic getaway on Florida s Panhandle might as well be worlds apart. Life slows down at the beach. Way down. In fact, it moves at the exact speed the Boult family Mitch, Jennifer, and daughters Katharine, Caroline, and Mary are able to pedal. The first thing I do when we get to the beach is walk 100 steps down the road to rent bikes, Mitch says. It s the only transportation we need. Vacations here harken to a simpler era, but they also feel like a journey to an exotic Moroccan hideaway. We were inspired by the country s architecture after a visit, Mitch says. We thought it could work quite well at the beach. Husband-and-wife architects Marieanne Khoury-Vogt and Erik Vogt agreed. Sited on a corner lot and featuring a four-story tower that maximizes views to both the Gulf of Mexico and the town of Alys Beach, their design places equal emphasis on indoor and outdoor spaces. Similar to a Moroccan home, it s conceived around a series of courtyards, each with a different function, Khoury-Vogt says. The courtyards some covered, some screened, some tented, and all cooled by sea breezes offer myriad options for alfresco dining, swimming, and lounging. They guide your eye from one space to the next and encourage you to move seamlessly between indoors and out, Vogt says. Arches are another Moroccan motif repeated throughout the house, eloquently expressed through niches, curvaceous door openings, and headboards, as well as via a laser-cut screen crafted of ebonized hardwood that subtly divides rooms while casting filtered light and shadows. To complement the architecture, interior designer Chelsea Robinson infused the house with a soothing elegance far removed from common orange-and-turquoise decorative Moroccan stereotypes. This house is all about neutral indoor-outdoor fabrics, abundant texture, aged brass finishes, and having one antique in every room to warm things up and add character, she says. We wanted guests to feel transported some place worldly. RESOURCES BEGIN ON PAGE 138. TraditionalHome.com/ElegantHomes 117
CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT: An eight-sided star motif is mirrored above a dual-sink vanity. The laser-cut screen dividing the living and dining areas is attached to a cabinet concealing a television. Guests can engage with passersby while relaxing in the poolside loggia or close the curtains for privacy. A series of shuttered windows above the master tub allow for custom light alterations. A banquette backs up to the kitchen island, maximizing seating. Dramatic arches define a corridor. OPPOSITE: The kitchen features ebonized Spanish cedar cabinetry and aged brass hardware. THIS PHOTO: Edit ut in corias sant excerroria ex et voleser ibercip ienditintet, mi, Soloribero illo que OPPOSITE: In Poreiur? Us dolorem inusda id estotatus pro mo modis coratus as exerro occaereri debis minveli quat 118 Elegant Homes
Floor plan TOTAL SQ. FT: 3,683 BEDROOMS: 3 BATHROOMS: 3 full, 1 half ROOF TERRACE 18x19 TOWER LOGGIA 18x19 TOP LEVEL UPPER LEVEL MAIN LEVEL BEDROOM 14x13 BUNKS MASTER BEDROOM 16x16 BEDROOM 16x12 MASTER BATH 16x10 DINING COURT LOWER LEVEL TRELLIS/ LOUNGE SAND COURT LOGGIA POOL ENTRY LOGGIA LIVING 16x20 DINING 14x6 IWAN KITCHEN 16x10 Floor plan Khoury & Vogt Architects Cocooned entirely in gauzy linen fabric, the master bedroom reflects the home s hallmarks: neutral fabrics, dark accents, and exotic elegance. An antique desk and inlaid motherof-pearl bedside table lend texture and old-world character. 120 Elegant Homes
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