Purposely understated

The dining room at Jasmine Bay towers at West Bay Beach and Golf Club in Estero was designed by Robb & Stucky Interiors. COURTESY PHOTO Simple yet sophisticated. Casual but classic.

Those are the prevailing designs in the latest home décor, interior designers say, as home owners and buyers embrace a "less is more" approach without a departure from fine living.

A scaled-down design for upscale residences, either in master planned communities or in standard neighborhoods, has been common for several years, they say.

Developers of private communities are pitching select units furnished for immediate occupancy. Diana Hall, IDS, design consultant for Robb & Stucky Interiors, designed one unit in each of the luxury Jasmine Bay towers at West Bay Beach and Golf Club in Estero, where residences have golf course, water and preserve views.

The South tower unit, which she designed with Robb & Stucky design consultant Mylene Robert, won a Pinnacle Award from the Lee Building Industry Association for Best Interior Design for a $800,000 to $999,999 multi-family residence. It won a Sand Dollar Award from the Collier Building Industry Association for Best Interior Design for a singlefamily attached model home $900,001 to $1,250,000.

Home owners and buyers embrace a "less is more" approach without a departure from fine living. COURTESY PHOTO "People can come down from the North," Hall said, "and a lot of units are decoratorready. If people come down, they're more apt to do, I think, an impulse buy."

The Jasmine Bay units were done to reflect the Hamptons and Nantucket styles. The end unit in the North tower features pale blues — like of the sky and ocean — and beiges throughout. The 2,342-squarefoot residence has a color block wall in the twin bedroom and a headboard on a horizontal stripe in the queen room. Bed linens are mostly solid beiges. Tables of dark wood and the main area seating favor a boxy look.

"The most important thing is to make it feel fresh, to make it feel like home," Hall said. "It has a nice natural feeling to it."

The Jasmine Bay interiors were purposely understated. "They have that very relaxing kind of environment and nothing to take away from the view," said Robb & Stucky licensed interior designer Janice Maskell.

Robb & Stucky licensed interior designer Laura Miller, ASID, carried the minimalist approach into the North middle unit she completed. The palette is beige and green, with coral and red accents to reflect Southwest Florida sunsets. "They¿re all colors that are found in our environment," she said.

A light color scheme of mostly solids with a dash of brighter or darker color is agreeable to prospective buyers, designers say, because of the ease in coordinating furnishings.

Independent contractor Ruth Condit of Ruth Condit Interiors in Fort Myers is a member of the Design Referral Services program at the International Design Center in Estero, where the latest design lines are showcased.

She said she and others at the design center are seeing the same decors in their residential clientele. She cited the natural colors and fibers as reflecting the green movement. Accents she sees include hot pinks and kiwis on accessories. The square shape of furniture creates a simple look, with clean lines. "This is a contemporary look that would fit anywhere," Condit said.

COURTESY PHOTO Robb & Stucky Interiors designed the Jasmine Bay units to reflect the Hamptons and Nantucket styles. Busy layouts don't work nowadays, especially when there is inventory to move. "These homes are done with minimal accessories," Hall said. "There is still enough space to add some of their own things."

Miller said her task was to transform living and dining areas and breakfast nook into a workable arrangement. So she replaced the generously sized nook with additional living space to make the unit functional. She placed two sofas in the main living for entertainment and four user-friendly chairs to anchor the room. The entertainment center and four chairs are dark java brown wood. "Each of these areas is defined by a chandelier," she said.

She included mirrors, such as a mirrored screen in the main area, because she said, "Using a mirror well can expand the space and give a crisp, reflective sparkle."

Maskell, too, used beiges and off whites in the North unit she designed. She used an accent of soft green in the living room, an area rug, drapes, accessories and on one wall of the guest bedroom.

She also introduced texture, noting the presence of wallpaper by the elevator lobby and a chair of woven material in the living room. Mixing wood, glass, metal and fabric will prevent a room from becoming mundane, particularly if the main color is light.

Splash

Design elements that are in . . .

>>Casual, contemporary look
>>Natural palette, with light browns, blues
and greens
>>Solids, though occasional patterns on
elements such as pillows
>>Dark wood furniture, with the occasional
fantasy (lighter) finishes
>>Boxy, not curvy, look for furniture
>>Metal accents, such as chrome on lamps
>>Natural cottons, linens and silks
>>Mixture of textures, such as wood, glass,
metal

Sources: Ruth Condit, interior decorator and owner of Ruth Condit Interiors in Fort Myers; Diana Hall, design consultant for Robb & Stucky Interiors; Laura Miller, licensed interior designer for Robb & Stucky; and Janice Maskell, licensed interior designer for Robb & Stucky.

Crash

And elements that are out . . .

>>Formal, period styles
>>Heavy window treatments
>>Patterns, especially floral
>>Busy layouts

Sources: Ruth Condit, interior decorator and owner of Ruth Condit Interiors in Fort Myers; Diana Hall, design consultant for Robb & Stucky Interiors; Laura Miller, licensed interior designer for Robb & Stucky; and Janice Maskell, licensed interior designer for Robb & Stucky