Palm Beach
A Juno Beach Residence Transforms From Mediterranean Villa To Hamptons Chic
By Amy Lynn Hayes
It's the crowning jewel in a 17-year relationship. Designer Lisa Peterson and homeowners Sharon and Jack Luther, former CEO of Dunkin' Donuts, transformed the Juno Beach residence from a Mediterranean-style villa to a Hamptons-inspired coastal chic home. "They always wanted to be on the ocean… so when they did this one, it was a complete gut job," Peterson explains.
Peterson, who co-owns Jupiter-based interiors store Pineapples, Palms, Etc. with her sister, Shelly Bascetta, and design partner, Melanie Hayes, spent two years reimagining the space. They removed walls, relocated a staircase and elevator, and expanded the second story. The result is an open concept floor plan with a clean, contemporary palette of white, natural woods, and blues inspired by the ocean view.
A Family Retreat
The Luther family has long had ties to the Jupiter area. Though they moved frequently throughout Jack's career in the restaurant industry, Florida stood out as the one place where they always got together. The couple, now in their retirement years, bought the Juno Beach home with their two children, their children's spouses and five grandchildren in mind.
Family get-togethers are frequent events. "Because we have the grandkids nearby they're over here all the time, so we're always out on the beach," Jack says. "The kids love the water," Sharon adds. Their daughter lives in Palm Beach with her husband and three children, while their son, his wife and two children live in Charlotte, North Carolina. Major renovations made the home, dubbed "Ocean's Eleven," more equipped for regular visitors.
Living and Dining Rooms
The ground floor living space features a sitting area and a family room, separated by the staircase and an open dining room. Crisp whites, rich wood tones and pops of gold give the sitting area a formal feel. In the family room, floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors open to the pool and ocean. "When you get into the family room it gets a little more playful," Peterson says.
An oversized custom-made wood table surrounded by chairs draped in white linen slipcovers is centered in the dining room. Antique mirrored doors, which had been in the Luthers' previous home, bounce the natural light from the windows and add to the feeling of space. A custom glass chandelier, called "The Wave," provides light as well as gives a subtle reference to the beach.
Kitchen and Pantry
A large marble island anchors the open space of the kitchen. White cabinets offset the stainless steel in the fixtures and hardware, while the natural wood of the exposed beams and cabinetry details match the wood of the floors. "There's a lot of organic qualities," Hayes says.
The couple loves to entertain, so function was taken into consideration when designing this part of the house. The pantry is just off the kitchen and provides the perfect spot for prepping, staging and keeping any mess out of site. It's beautiful in its own right, with white penny tile flooring, open shelves and the same white cabinetry as in the main room.
Master Suite
Upstairs, both rooms in the master suite put the coastal view on full display. In the bedroom, two pairs of armchairs—one inside, one on the balcony—offer an invitation to sit and soak in views of the ocean. A white vaulted ceiling adds height to the room, accented by a beaded chandelier. White velvet fabric on the upholstered headboard and touches of gold bring a refined elegance to the space.
The bathroom continues the upscale style with marble tile and a freestanding bathtub, but it's the ocean that truly captures the center stage. "This bathroom is the million-dollar view," Peterson says. "It's just fabulous." An antique gold finished chair, upholstered using the terrycloth of high-end towels, white wallpaper and white sheer linen drapes finish the look.
The Twin Room
One of three additional bedrooms on the second level, the twin room features two antique beds the family already owned. They were recovered, stained to a darker tone of wood and accented with a pink China Seas fabric. "I think what's so charming is that we took those antique beds that can be really stuffy and made them so playful," Hayes explains.
In the bathroom, wallpaper mirrors the pink linen bedding in reverse. That delightful element of surprise belongs to the home away from home for the Luthers' two granddaughters. "The girls love being in here," Sharon smiles.
The Staircase
The original staircase was torn out in order to open the ground level floor plan, and a new one was built in an area that housed an elevator. The skylight, which was the top of the elevator shaft, allows more natural light to filter through downstairs.
The removal of a load-bearing wall required the expertise of 27 engineers. The old wall could not be removed until structural reinforcements were made, and the new wall could be guaranteed to support the second level and roof. "It didn't move a 16th of an inch, it was so well engineered," Jack says.
Outdoor Space
As for any South Florida home, the design takes year-round use of the outdoor space into consideration. The pool area includes an outdoor kitchen, Jacuzzi tub and private beach access with a deck. A comfortable sitting area brings the inside outside, under the cover of a "haint blue" painted ceiling.
Sea turtles presented a design challenge. Due to nesting habits and local turtle codes, residents along this strip of beach are unable to install outdoor lighting on parts of the property facing the water.
A second seating area on the side of the house is far enough removed to feature subtle evening light. Its sheltered location also provides protection from any wind coming off the shoreline. The outdoor fireplace completes the elegant ambiance.