FLORIDA DESIGN, August 2003 Builder Paul Courchene and interior designers Jeff Strasser and Marc Thee are accustomed to working as a team. Over the years, the trio has collaborated on numerous residences throughout Florida. “Our firms have done so many projects together that we’ve become friends as well as business associates,” Strasser says. So it came as no surprise when Courchene asked the designers to work with him on his own home. Courchene, who bought a site in Delray Beach, researched the neighborhood’s prevailing architecture before designing the house. “The community is a charming enclave between the Atlantic Ocean and Intracoastal Waterway”, he says. “Most of the homes were built in the 1920s and ‘30s, so I wanted to keep the exterior style in tune with the character of the neighborhood.” For the interior, however, Courchene envisioned a new twist on a familiar theme – something with classic bones yet with a modern Italianate feel. “He wanted the backgrounds to be authentic to the time period, but the furnishings to be like a breath of fresh air”, Strasser says. “Paul was very involved in the design process, particularly in choosing the cabinetry and hard surfaces, such as the flooring and fireplace finishes.” The foyer introduces the home’s classic theme with limestone flooring inlaid with diamonds of nero marquina marble and a curved stairway with an iron railing. The sisal runner on the walnut stairs, however, lends “an unexpected, lighter feel,” Strasser says. In the living room, a neutral palette and tactile fabrics establish a mood of understated elegance. “This is one of my favorite spaces,” Courchene says. “What’s great about this room applies to the rest of the house as well – there is no one element that is overwhelming or too grandly scaled.” Transitional furnishings include a sofa in ecru chenille, a pair of barrel chairs upholstered in ecru cut velvet and an ebonized walnut-framed armchair covered in antique-white cut chenille. Painted-silk draperies frame arched French doors that open to the loggia. For continuity, Strasser used the identical painted silk for the draperies in the dining room. Here, a mirrored, arched niche reflects the barrel-vaulted ceiling and cypress-wood beams that conform to the curvature of the ceiling. “The beams enhance the architecture and lend a time-worn sensibility,” he explains. Slate-colored walls and carpet complement rich mahogany cabinetry and molding in the library. A comfortable sofa covered in golden chenille contrasts with draperies in deep tones of slate, tomato red and caramel. “Paul wanted a room where he could retire after dinner – a place to read, watch movies or just lounge,” Strasser says. The kitchen reflects Courchene’s informal entertaining style. “Paul envisioned a high-style, European kitchen that was warm and inviting,” Strasser says. Cherry-wood cabinetry with dark green granite countertops blends with saturnia marble flooring and stainless steel accents for a bistro-like atmosphere. In the master bath, muted sea-mist walls with leaf-like stenciling soften the geometry of the flooring’s checkerboard pattern in Turkish green and white thassos marble. A richer shade of sea mist imbues the master bedroom with a calming atmosphere. Silk embossed draperies frame arched windows and doors that open to the pool area and garden. Outside, the loggia affords the perfect place for entertaining friends or simply relaxing. Iron furnishings with canvas cushions provide ample seating for everyone to gather around the fireplace on the occasional chilly night. During the day, the adjoining pool area offers a delightful spot to bask in the sun.
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