Magnificent Obsession

The romantic notion of Venice is embodied in Sarasota, from our backyard canals and barrier islands to our own Lido Beach and John and Mable Ringling’s bayfront residence, Cà d’Zan. The home’s name, which translates to “house of John,” is as Venetian as its architecture. No expense was spared as artisans carved paneling, crafted columns, and gilded and hand-painted ceilings in the Ringlings’ quest to re-create the exquisite Venetian Gothic architecture of their favorite canal-front palaces and hotels. Mable’s attention to every detail in Cà d’Zan’s design and construction is legendary, and unrivaled in Sarasota. Until now.

A retired Midwestern couple has just completed their grand obsession: a 21st-century incarnation of 15th-century Venetian Renaissance elegance. Their new home on Longboat Key took six years from concept to completion. It’s huge: 19,000 square feet under air; 36,000 under roof including loggias and garages. In comparison, Cà d’Zan is 22,000 feet, with 32 rooms and 15 bathrooms.

With far fewer rooms, and embellished with every modern bell and whistle, the new beachfront property is a more contemporary ode to the art, history and architecture of Italy. The finished product is eclectic rather than a literal translation, says architect Clifford Scholz. “It’s a mix of the Italianate Renaissance period and beachfront Florida original,” he says, explaining that most people today want homes of eclectic style.

Still, the lure of Venice is unmistakable. “There is a certain order in Italian architecture that we find very appealing,” says the wife, whose background is in art history and interior design.

That order is evident in the gathering room, a remarkable atrium lined with Tuscan colonnades supporting ethereal groin vaults. Designer Fabiola Softas, ASID, of Anne Folsom Smith Interior Design, which provided design services for the home, explains that this is the core of the house, reminiscent of an Italian Renaissance courtyard. It soars three stories high, with natural light flowing through a domed skylight and custom palladium-crowned windows. All living space in the home opens to this sun-drenched atrium.

“The attention to detail is what I love most about the project,” says the wife. “The architects, designer and builder [Collingwood Construction Group] were told in the beginning that we would have very strong opinions about the house design. They were all pros and didn’t object.”

Softas agrees. “This was not a case where the owners said, ‘Go build me a house,’” she emphasizes. “They were intimately involved in every step, from concept to selection of the very last lamp.”

The care taken with interior craftsmanship and the breathtaking choice of materials are impressive. Indeed, workmanship in the home rivals that of the Ringling era, when it was common to import artisans to achieve this level of detail.

“We are very proud that all the artists and craftspeople except the muralist were local,” says Softas.

The embodiment of the Venetian theme, the dining room’s 30-foot-high barrel ceiling and groin vaults are completely hand painted. Joe Brown, a classical muralist whose work appears in Oprah Winfrey’s Fisher Island home and is often photographed in Architectural Digest, built a special scaffold to paint the ceiling with images important to the client.

“The ceiling incorporates Neptune, pearls and horses, all elements she loves,” Softas explains. Even corner cameos of the owners’ grandchildren are included. On a dining room wall, Brown painted a Venetian gondola scene on site. “Before coming to Sarasota, he found clothing of the era, hired live models and photographed them,” Softas says. The mural includes musicians at the request of the owner; a doorway to the service kitchen is camouflaged, integrated into the painting.

In the grand salon, Brown painted Italian landscape scenes on the wood of recessed arches in the custom entertainment wall by EuroTech Cabinetry. Columns in the cabinetry aren’t mere ornaments: they open for storage. Still, the grand salon’s most memorable feat of craftsmanship is Eurotech’s 46-by-26-foot coffered ceiling.

Although the size and scale of the room could have been overpowering, the overall effect is inviting. “As formal as the house appears, there are very informal spaces throughout,” says Anne Folsom Smith. “Every space has comfort levels and fun places, so it never feels stuffy or overdone.”