How I Transformed a Naples Mediterranean into a Maximalist Showcase...
While staying away from Coastal Clichés
This project was recently featured in The Wall Street Journal - "She Loved Her Living Room Until She Didn't. A $500,000 Remodel Changed It Up."
A Playground of Pattern, Color & Unexpected Design in Naples' Coquina Sands
Nestled within Naples' coveted Coquina Sands enclave—where old Florida charm meets Gulf Coast grandeur—our residential project became our canvas for pure, unapologetic maximalist joy. Here, against the backdrop of coastal vibes, my client and I dared to reimagine coastal living as something far bolder, far richer, infinitely more daring than the beige neutrality that typically defines it.
This wasn't decorating. This was liberation.
Every creative impulse I'd ever restrained, every bold pairing we'd second-guessed, every fearless color combination we'd dreamed of—this Coquina Sands home became the place where "too much" transformed into "exactly right." Alongside the client, I approached the project as artists approach a gallery opening: each room its own bold vignette, each space a deliberate statement, every corner an opportunity for visual drama. It was our opus for fearless curation.
My client had an interior design background which made the process extremely enjoyable in being able to speak a design dialogue that was our shorthand. From the initial meeting, she expressed a strong desire to showcase their extensive art collection and antiques. Both homeowners were from Canada originally and had settled into the Naples scene years prior as they raised their kids. Their home had undergone some remodelling in the previous years. Now it was time to focus on the finishes and the decorative elements of the design. Give their strong eye for design and detail, I knew it would be a strong collaboration.
Coastal Living Redefined Through a Maximalist Lens
This Coquina Sands home represents my design philosophy through and through. When it came to it being a coastal town, I had no intention of restraining: coastal living deserves better than beige linen and driftwood. Gulf Coast residences can embrace color without sacrificing sophistication. Beach houses can layer pattern, texture, and vintage treasures while still honoring their setting. The cherish elements are what give it personality and that timeless quality.
I revisited the notion of Naples interior design through fearless maximalism—proving that confident design choices create homes more memorable, more personal, more alive than any safe neutral palette ever could. This is coastal maximalism: bold enough to compete with paradise, layered enough to reward years of living, joyful enough to make every homecoming feel like discovery.
Read more about each space further below
Unexpected Moments Delivered Room-by-Room
The Wine-Toned Lounge Living Room: Dramatic Sophistication
The living room, re-envisioned as a swanky hotel lobby bar, embraces evening's moodier possibilities. Deep wine tones—bordeaux, burgundy, plum-shadowed crimson—envelope this gathering space in sumptuous drama. Layered textures create depth upon depth: velvet catches light differently, emitting a sheen that is sexy and intimate. The mirrored façade of the pill-shaped bar gives a deco vibe that is timeless, while the uniquely rosé pink countertop makes it next-level chic. The recessed wall niches were clad in a geometric tile to add texture to the walls. The chandelier was sourced while we were on a business trip to Paris. Made of vellum, it is an unexpected piece that is large but not overpowering. To ground the room, a stripped, amorphous rug creates artwork on the floor.
The Chartreuse Breakfast Nook: Morning Radiance Amplified
A dose of chartreuse was in order for the eat-in area —a breakfast nook so confidently colored it turns morning coffee into ceremony. The custom upholstery banquette was an exercise in precision. For the backrest six different textiles were used to create a unique backdrop. For the seat, a leather was channelled, aligning precisely at intervals with the backrest. The custom table features a rounded end on the open side and a squared edge on the closed end of the corner piece. Fluting details on the pillars of the table create added visual interest.
Playful Checkered Textiles Meet Dramatic Wallpaper Executions
Throughout the spaces, I petitioned for pattern become protagonist. Playful checkered textiles—bold abstracts, graphic checks, unexpected scales and colorways—dance across furniture, pillows, even unexpected surfaces. These aren't safe, predictable patterns. These are statement-makers that demand attention and reward it with endless visual interest.
Against this pattern play, I used wallpaper throughout the home in a design-forward manner. To balance the emphasis of the millwork in the Living Room ceiling, I added a geometric wallpaper. In the entry foyer, a more organic wallpaper fills the space while a mirrored wallcovering adorns the ceiling to create a sense of openness.
Artful Vintage Accents & Collected Treasures
True maximalism isn't about buying everything new and cramming it together—it's about fearless curation across eras and origins. Throughout this Naples estate, the homeowners' collected pieces provide soul and grounding. A Baker credenza anchors a vibrant dining room. Collected ceramics create vignettes on custom shelving. Curious finds elevated to gallery status prove that provenance matters less than presence.
These artful discoveries transform designed spaces into collected homes, adding layers of history and narrative that new pieces alone could never achieve.
For Those Looking for an Alternative to the Expected Coastal Interiors
For homeowners who believe more is more, who see their walls as canvases for self-expression, who understand that the opposite of minimalism isn't chaos but confident curation—this Coquina Sands residence stands as proof. Proof that pattern can layer beautifully. That color creates joy. That bold choices age better than safe ones. That coastal homes can be as rich, dramatic, and personality-filled as any urban penthouse or countryside estate.
Welcome to maximalism under the Florida sun. Welcome to coastal living as done by mr alex TATE Design.
-Alex
Explore our Coquina Sands (Naples) project in more detail
ready to discuss your project?
Key Take Aways
Design Philosophy - Coastal living doesn't have to mean beige and neutral—bold colors and patterns can thrive in beach settings
Design Elements - Layered textiles create depth. Lighting creates moments of wow. Custom upholstery makes a statement
The Role of Vintage & Collected Pieces - Vintage accents provide soul and grounding to bold spaces. Collected treasures add layers of history and narrative that new pieces alone cannot
Working with Florida Light - Natural light reveals pattern details and creates deeper shadows with texture
The Maximalist Manifesto - Pattern, color and texture can layer beautifully when done with intention.