Lido Shores BeachfrontLocated on the Gulf of Mexico and surrounded by a 60 acre park with a private entrance was a most unusual and rare site to work with. Realizing the strategic and environmentally sensitive location, Carl Abbott, AIA and student of Paul Rudolph, former Dean of School of Architecture at Yale, was engaged to design a contemporary home that would capture and speak to the unique surroundings. The architectural design inspiration came from the National Museum of Art in Washington D.C. The criteria included creating a house for large social gatherings utilizing both the inside as well as the terrace. The lap pool was elevated and is a continuation of the 10 step entry staircase. The house was all about capturing the drama of nature as well as showcasing the owner’s art collection. In keeping with the spirit of the architecture and the importance of circulation space, the designer settled on 6 oversized Thayer Coggin chairs around a group of 3 Chinese lacquered stools with a large glass top in the living room.
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For the dining room, an overscale marble cube pedestal was custom designed to have the appearance it literally grew out of the marble floor with proportions to hold a 6' square glass top. The Ritz dining chairs were designed by Ben Baldwin and covered in Craig fabric for Jack Lenor Larsen. The open loft like second floor housed an art gallery for a major Pescina collection and an informal den sitting area as well as master bedroom. The home also included a self-sustaining one bedroom guest apartment on the lower level.