Greeting you at the front door to the 6,000-square-foot, five-bedroom home design are commissioned leaded glass panel entry doors, custom-designed by Dave Daily of ArtGlass Studios. They create an immediate look of elegance when entering the great room. The Bensons wanted this very large room, with a twenty-three-foot ceiling, to be a stunning space that would be wonderful for entertaining while still reflecting their relaxed style of living. They enlisted the help of Barbara Krai, of Barbara Krai Interior Design to help them achieve their dreams.
Overhead resides a distinctive iron chandelier with an antique gold leaf finish and rock crystal pendants. The first object that greets guests and sets the tone for the room is a center table with a stunning glass vase by artist Chuck Boux. The piece is specifically placed to help define the zones in such a large room.
Krai decided on two seating zones, one facing the windows and the other facing the fireplace, for easier conversations.
A dramatic dining area featuring a commissioned, twelve-foot, hand-sculpted table comfortably accommodates ten to twelve guests. Three gorgeous, tiered selenite chandeliers provide plenty of light over the table, and a large commissioned watercolor by Jim Holehouse hangs at the far end of the room. It is a scene of the Benson’s boardwalk to the bay.
Since the ceilings were so high, Krai warmed up the room by “lowering” them with bamboo in the coffers. She painted the walls a dark navy, selected since Ron and Kathleen love a nautical look. The darker color makes the room less cavernous, while the coordinated area rugs placed on the wire-brushed oak floor also help define the zones. Large lighted shell sconces between the upper and lower windows and molded plaster plaques adorned with abalone shells and blue coral add interest.
Ron and Kathleen’s previous Westchase home was very nice, but the two of them could never seem to agree on style, color…anything. When a friend of Ron recommended Krai, the Bensons wondered whether they would be able to work as a team when picking out new furnishings. Well, Krai worked miracles, according to Ron. “Once we got to know Barbara and she got a feeling for our individual tastes, she seemed to be able to find things for our home design that we both completely liked,” he says.