HOMES OF THE TREASURE COAST
The fine-tuned characteristics of the kitchen include cabinet-faced appliances and gold handles and lighting fixture, evoking elegant and timeless qualities.
space and openness to showcase his art, but also to provide
a cohesive atmosphere with the water and greenery of the
surrounding outdoors.
Some of the elements of the house, such as fireplaces, extraheight
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ceilings and the enormous kitchen are impeccable,
bold features that still manage to seem discreet.
The towering ceilings amplify the main living areas and
the stark white interiors are used almost as a canvas for
presenting art, artifacts and family heirlooms that adorn the
5,000-square-foot home.
A solid family legacy is attached to the house, and Morgan
made a point of contemporizing the look yet maintaining a
classic design field that is timeless. Down a hall, family photos
rest on custom-built railings rather than hanging on the walls.
NEW ENGLAND INFLUENCE
The home is bifurcated, with one section containing the
master wing and a library, a writer’s retreat that resembles
a previous room in their Connecticut home. The fireplace is
graced by a black walnut mantel. Susan Abello’s father, S.
Prestley Blake, co-founder of the Friendly’s restaurant chain,
was an old-fashioned New Englander and a connoisseur of
wood. He had a mill in northern Connecticut and created the
mantel from a tree he planted and harvested 30 years later.
Morgan used photos from the Connecticut house for
reference in designing the library, and sample wood chips to
create similar shelving to hold the large book collection. The
rich color is called Lakeshore and it helps harmonize the elements,
including in the private bathroom.
Farther down the hallway, behind double doors, is the
master wing. The bedroom is accessed through an oversized
entry and the broad scope of drama is sharpened by large
square windows offering a view of the pool, the lagoon and
the open tropical landscape beyond.
Recessed ceiling and molding details seem to expand the
entire room, while behind the bed, an accent wall of blue
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