048 PERSPECTIVE

INTERIORS Orange Blossom Tower / Sarasota, Florida

049 PERSPECTIVE
In a penthouse at the Orange Blossom Tower in Sarasota,
an opulent world of glamour and mystique awaits
al k i nLo Lhe 0sLorey mi xeduse
Orange Bl ossom 1ower, whi ch
leaLures mosLly arLs and inLeriors
sLores on Lhe ground level ol Lhis main
sLreeL in SarasoLa, Florida. 1ake Lhe
el evaLor Lo one ol onl y seven penLhouse
residences. Now enLer Lhe Lhreebedroom home
ol owner/designer KurL Lucas and be jeLLisoned
inLo Hollywood's mosL glamorous days. 1he
LransiLion lrom Lhreshold Lo loyer is as dramaLic
as LhaL lrom silenL lilms Lo Lalkies, and lrom
which Lhe unassailably mysLerious CreLa Carbo
emerged, her magic clearly evoked wiLh Lucas'
inLerior design sensibiliLies.
"Because Lhe building was builL in 926, l
wanLed Lo creaLe someLhing LhaL had Lhe look ol
a greaL silenL screen movie sLar in all ol her
elegance. lL's almosL like you're a sLar yoursell
when you live in Lhis building. We sLarLed wiLh a
whi Le box. We wenL Lo Lhe ul Li maLe i n
everyLhing, in Lrim carpenLry, wall coverings,
window coverings," says Lucas, who shares Lhe
space wiLh his parLner. "1here are a loL ol shiny
surlaces in Lhere. l believe LhaL opposiLes
aLLracL in every scenario. 1herelore, wiLh all ol
Lhe rough sLone and greaL LexLures, l have
added sexy chrome Lables in a classic sLyle Lo
add a liLLle dazzle. Lven Lhe pillows have some
sparkle Lo Lhem."
A checkerboard lloor ol handcuL canLerra
sLone Liles ushers guesLs along librarypanelled
walls ol ruby red, dusLy black onyx and Oscar
gold. A red chair rail eliciLs images ol velveL
ropes guiding guesLs lrom backsLage inLo Lhe
spoLlighL ol Lhe main sLage. One enLers Lhe
^,000 sqlL sLage Lo lind iL a smorgasbord ol
l eaLher seLLes, oversLulled oLLomans, a
mahogany piano, and a 6looL orange silk chaise
LhaL Lucas says is "quiLe a conversaLion piece".
So are Lhe sLone lireplace and colossal
columns. 1he bespoke handcarved pieces were
made in Mexico, again in canLerra sLone. 1he
room, like mosL ol Lhe house, is Lopped by
ceilings 9.5 leeL Lall. Here in Lhe greaL room, Lhe
collered ceiling granLs verLical dimension in
shades ol PlymouLh brown and Shaker beige.
1he crown moulding, carried over lrom Lhe
loyer, is gilded in gold aL Lhe momenL.
j[nj 0d_Y^eb[bh[X[h
f^eje]hWf^o 0Yekhj[ioe\ihg),& f^eje]hWf^o
N
Resurrecting
Hollywoods
golden age
051 PERSPECTIVE PERSPECTIVE
INTERIORS Orange Blossom Tower / Sarasota, Florida
050
"l ' m bored ri ghL now, so Lhey wi l l be
pl aLi num very soon, " Lucas says. Hi s
unwillingness Lo be LradiLional or convenLional
also explains why Lhere are Lwo large old arL
pieces lrom a Lravelling Luropean circus in
addiLion Lo a conLemporary painLing on Lhe
walls ol Lhe greaL room.
l n Lhe ki Lchen are Uba 1uba grani Le
counLerLops, rusLic gold LraverLine lloors, sulLry
cabineLs painLed lirsL red Lhen handrubbed in
bl ack, and anLi que mi rrori ng al ong Lhe
backsplash. "lL creaLes a nice rellecLion, buL is
compleLely muLed so you see nice lighL and
silhoueLLes ol movemenL," says Lucas and iL
also evokes images ol LlizabeLh 1aylor on Lhe
seL ol CleopaLra.
1hen, Lhe masLer suiLe. Open double doors
Lo wiLness Lhe sheer size ol Lhe bedroom, again
conj uri ng i mages ol Hol l ywood and i Ls
behemoLh naLure. 1he col our scheme ol
neuLral, lighLer shades pares down Lhe size,
however, while abundanL windows quieL Lhe
scene. 1he ceilings are laux painLed, granLing iL
a sul Lry paLi na, and wal l s are done i n an
oaLmeal hue. 1he bed's headboard leaLures
handcarved wood wiLh an inserL ol chocolaLe
mohair. From here iL mighL be a conundrum
deLermining il a lazy, rainy Sunday should
perpeLuaLe in Lhe masLer baLh or on Lhe paLio.
BoLh oller equal grandeur.
1he palaLial masLer baLh could have come
ouL ol Charles FosLer Kane's Xanadu. Uba 1uba
graniLe counLerLops conLinue lrom Lhe kiLchen
and Lhe laux painLing adds conLinuiLy Lo Lhe
bedroom. CusLomdesi gned mi rrors are
enhanced by Schoenbek chandeliers. His and his
vaniLies are elaboraLely bedecked wiLh muLed
gold sinks and lauceLs. Cold lion accouLremenLs
seem Lo have come lrom Lhe home ol a MCM
sLudio exec. 1his den ol decadence rounds ouL
wiLh a luxurious spa Lub housed "in iLs own liLLle
spa world", as Lucas says.
OLherwi se, LreaL yoursel l Lo Lhe lronL
Lerrace ol Lhe ,000 sqlL ol ouLdoor space
leading lrom Lwo ol Lhe bedrooms and Lhere is
also a back Lerrace via Lhe oLher bedroom.
"BoLh paLios have greaL Lopiaries and are a
Lropical paradise. LveryLhing loves Lo grow
Lhere. 1he large paLio wiLh Lhe iron Lrellis is
shelLered lrom winds and geLs Lhe righL amounL
ol sunlighL. lL is perlecL lor grilling ouL and
having lriends over lor drinks," says Lucas.
052
PERSPECTIVE
INTERIORS Orange Blossom Tower / Sarasota, Florida

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