Bringing homes up to speed in a tech-savvy world

COURTESY PHOTOS Top, A doctor's home office in Wilderness Country Club was remodeled by Jenny Carter of K2 Design Group. Above,Jenny Carter of K2 Design Group made sure the view stayed spectacular in this Bay Colony high-rise study. Bill and Caryn Schuman requested one thing for their residence in Bay Colony. Sure, they were sold on 18th floor views of the rolling green of Pelican Bay Golf Course to the east and calm waters along the Gulf of Mexico to the west. The 3,500-square-foot-condo was dreamy and spacious.

What grounded the purchase and subsequent build-out, however, was a desire to link with the world beyond Southwest Florida.

"He's an attorney, and he's able to be here more because of his wired home office that keeps him in touch with his Chicago office and his clients," says Jenny Carter, president and principal designer of K2 Design Group.

"One of Caryn's top priorities was making sure that the study was a fully functional environment for getting down to business," Ms. Carter adds. "And in the living room, she was as concerned with electronics as she was with décor."

Virtual lifestyles are fueling a remodel craze that's sweeping high-rise towers and older communities built in the 1980s and earlier. For those who can and do squeeze every minute out of busy lives, the second home is as important as the northern home. It was not always that way.

Retired, but connected

Southwest Florida was a setting for sleepy neighborhoods back in the late 1970s, when award-winning masterplanned communities like Pelican Bay were very much in the blueprint stage. Back then, retirees came down to get away from it all. They still do, of course, but second-home buyers are increasingly tech savvy.

"My clients are all online," Ms. Carter says. "Even the ones who are not running businesses or working from home are researching every purchase and all medical information online. They look for recipes online. They read world news online, and they e-mail constantly."

For K2 Design Group, a 15-year-old company that specializes in architectural solutions, a media package is part and parcel of every design. As homeowners turn vacation condos into high-function residences, boxy units are being reconfigured to make optimum use of space and capitalize on media.

"Retirees are more connected now than they ever have been," reports Jon Guenther, vice president of Advanced Audio Designs. "Source material is where the revolution is now. It used to be that you needed cable or satellite to watch your TV with video or DVD. As far as audio, you listened to radio stations or played a CD. Now homes are wired for total technology as music and computer information is streaming in from iPods, iPhones and computers."

Mr. Guenther sees DVDs going away as everything will be streamed directly from the Internet into computers or Internetenabled television. "It's not new; we've been hooking people up for years," he says. "But more and more people are doing it. There's a subtle change in perception... Computers used to be used for work, and audio video equipment used to be used for entertainment. The technologies are converging." Another homeowner moving to one of the area's earliest golf course communities , Wilderness Country Club, also came to K2 Design looking for a wired world. A complete remodel of the 2,000-square-foot, 1970s-era condominium was necessary for the client.

In addition to space-saving built-ins throughout, Ms. Carter says, "We designed and installed a curving desk so that he can spread his work out. He prefers to rack up his work hours in his study now."

The search begins online

The Internet is an increasingly important component of real estate sales, a crucial segment of the area's economy. Even to find Southwest Florida, the enlightened go online.

"Eighty-seven percent of buyers begin the search with the Internet," says Jo Ellen Nash, a Downing-Frye Realtor and owner of Nash & Company-Luxury Estates.

"We all know that the Generation Xers are Internet savvy," she says. "What we're seeing now is that an entire demographic — people 65 and up — is embracing the technology. As agents, we'd better not forget that. More people are able to spend more time here, because they can run their businesses from wherever they choose."

Take your design dilemma to a Robb & Stucky seminar

Designers at Robb & Stucky Interiors present a variety of complimentary seminars. Here's what's coming up next at the Fort Myers showroom, 13170 South Cleveland Ave. Reservations are requested and can be made by calling 437-6959, ext. 267. >> Thursday, Aug. 13, at 10:30 a.m. "Boutique Treasures": Come and see what treasures the Robb & Stucky Boutique has in store. Boutique Manager Leah Lloyd and Design Consultant Laura Keyes, IDS Associate, are pairing up to show you creative ideas for your tabletop designs and bedding ensembles. >> Tuesday, Aug. 18, at 10:30 a.m. "Spice Up Your Kitchen": Join Robb & Stucky Interior Designer Domnick M. Minella, IDS professional, and Ruffino Cabinetry as they show you how to add some zing to your kitchen. Together they will showcase the latest trends in kitchen designs, cabinetry, and hardware. Bring your kitchen photos and your note pads for tips and ideas on how to spice up your kitchen with style and functionality.

Here's what's coming up next at the Bonita Springs showroom, 3181 North Bay Village Court, Bonita Springs. Reservations are requested and can be made by calling 949-3001, ext. 8000. >> Tuesday, Aug. 18, at 11 a.m. "8 Simple Rules: The Do's and Don'ts of Design": Robb & Stucky Design Consultant Nancy Kimbrough, IDS, offers eight helpful decorating tips and explains eight decorating myths. She also reveals the one "Golden Rule" you should always keep in mind when designing your house. >> Wednesday, Aug. 19, at 11 a.m. "Renovate With Robb & Stucky": One of the best ways to revitalize your home is renovation. Join Robb & Stucky Design Consultants Diana Hall, IDS, and Cherie Baer, along with the licensed professionals from Sandstone Builders and Ruffino Cabinetry, to learn how easy it is to get the look you want, for one project or your entire home. This seminar will be held at Robb & Stucky Casual Living · Outdoor, 26501 S. Tamiami Trail in Bonita Springs.