NAPLES — On a large city lot on the east side of Gulfshore BoulevardNorth stands a seemingly modest house typical of early 50sarchitecture. The front lawn, an expansive green carpet surroundingindigenous palms and other native plantings, leads to an elongatedfront porch where a welcoming flag proclaims SCasananas in boldgreen lettering below a stylized pineapple logo.
The name a Spanish-language contraction of casa, or house, andananas, pineapple and comfortable seating set the tone fordaily sunset watching by owner Richard L. Tooke and his partner,Charles L. Marshall, Jr. A glimpse of the sunset may be a bitharder now, but when it was built there was only a small pondacross the boulevard that permitted a clear view of the beach andthe Gulf of Mexico.
Tooke purchased the property in 1993 following the death of hisaunt, Mamie Tooke, who was Naples and Florida"s firstfemale bank president. But it wasn"t until 1999, after retiringfrom a 30-year career with the Museum of Modern Art in New YorkCity, that Tooke relocated to Naples, along with Marshall.
The pair had met in New York City in 1960 and within months hadestablished an enduring friendship based in part on their sharedinterests in the graphic and performing arts. Marshall, a Topeka,Kansas, native, was longtime architect for the New York-basedPresbyterian Board of National Missions.
Inside and out, their Old Naples property literally breathes art.
The diminutive, 109-square-foot galley kitchen is a chef"sdreamscape, and the art starts here. K. Auster"s SPineappleExpress painting, and SPortrait of a Red Pepper S by Hyunsoohang above one entry door. There"s a hand-tinted carrots etchingby Larry Glasson. Two years ago the two hired designer Susan Oakleyto push the post-World War II home"s kitchen into the newmillennium. Now, frosted sliding glass doors front the illuminatedpantry, where custom slots accommodate a MoMa stepladder, a smallwine cooler, and shelving for glassware and the usual pantrycontents.
After shopping for appliances, the three realized that onlyEuropean appliances work in such limited space. Their absolutefavorite is a combo Miele Sspeed oven an all-in-onemicrowave, broiler and convection oven no larger than a standardmicrowave.
Coffee fanciers may covet the glitzy red Illy espresso machine withits accompanying blue-and-white cups and saucers. Compact stainlesssteel appliances predominate, as does gleaming stainless steel openshelving, wall paneling, back splash and exhaust hood over thesurface cooker. Counter tops are honed limestone and cupboardfronts are fashioned from natural, high-gloss beech. Upswing doorson high cupboards encircle the room. Tooke refers to matchingphotographs to efficiently locate their contents.
Dinnerware and pots and pans are stored in several levels ofunder-counter drawers. That leaves abundant space for a picturewindow above the stainless steel sinks providing a view out towardthe emerald lawn.
The original cork kitchen floor was severely damaged during 1960Hurricane Donna. During the renovation, Oakley found natural corktiles that, like bamboo flooring, are a renewable resource that"skind to feet and legs. The tiles extend from the kitchen though thedining room, which had been extended by 8 feet to the east in 1986to incorporate a screened porch into indoor living space. The tilesSfloat on concrete, and plain old tap water and a chamois mopkeep them in tip-top condition, Marshall says.
A large picture window brings the outdoors in for both diners andthose who lounge in the multi-purpose room, Many of the furnishingsin this area are vintage collectibles some dating back to the20s including seating, coffee and side tables, lightingfixtures, and vases and clocks discovered in antique shops, fleamarkets, garage sales and the like. Both Marshall and Tooke havediscerning eyes for precious pieces with bargain price tags.Standout names among the furniture makers include Mies van derRohe, Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen.
Here as throughout the entire house, white walls showcase masses ofworks by more than 75 artists in the eclectic Tooke-Marshallcollection. WORKS by both nationally and internationally recognizedmasters are featured. Interspersed among these are Marshall"s ownwatercolors, Tooke"s oils and photos, and local creations fromthe studios of MUMTAZ (Nancy Gifford), Jo-Ann Lizio and former arearesident Christopher Poehlmann. Jonathan Green is represented, asis the late Robert Rauschenberg.
The living room is located up several original, wide oak steps andbeyond a long, low white brick divider Splanted with syntheticgrass squares from Michaels Arts & Crafts on Pine Ridge Road. Therectangular room extends from the front door between a player pianoon the right and a working fireplace on the left and carries onthrough to an entire wall of floor-to-ceiling glass sliders facingthe east garden.
A brilliant blue, trapezoidal wall panel stands out above tall,glass sliders to an outdoor terrace that"s also accessible fromthe master bedroom. The blue accent replicates the blue of theupholstery fabric of a nearby Florence Knoll chair. Cadmium redpanels on the opposite wall mark another departure from thehome"s otherwise stark white walls. There are no curtains ordrapes anywhere in the house only shades.
The warm oak floors continue on throughout the remainder of themain house, including an art-enhanced narrow hallway with anold-fashioned telephone niche. Marshall explains that it wasreferred to as the Scommunications center back when the housewas built. The original 1950s full bath and 10-by-12-foot guestroom cum library is where Marshall stores his collection of 130piano rolls and antique replica metal automobile piggy banks.
The master bedroom suite showcases yet more art work along withfamily photos and mementoes. Those includes Tooke"s entirelylocal shell collection, which contains brilliantly hued tree snailshells. Another small, ensuite bedroom with pullman kitchen andMurphy bed generally functions as working office space and isobviously the home"s nerve center.
The north garden is a fruit salad of plantings, with mangos,tangerines, oranges, bananas and calamondins in profusion duringtheir respective seasons.
Art, however, dominates the north and east gardens.Pennsylvania-based artist Steve Tobin"s massive, recentlyacquired SWhite Rainbow Root dominates views from indoors andout. Weighing some 800 pounds, the painted steel sculpture is atonce both flowing and forceful.
A small, bright red Tobin metal sculpture nestles in a bed ofliving plants as does one of his large, signature Sexplodedclaybowls. Wind chimes and Solari bells are suspended above. With Tookeand Marshall in it, the house is now fully air conditioned. Still,ceiling fans, built-in screened louvers and a funky 40s hassock fancome in handy during transitional seasons. That 50"s design iswhat they most love about their house, Marshall succinctly andemphatically says. Tooke agrees.
SFrom the very first time I saw the house in 1956 when I stayedwith my aunt for several months, I immediately knew that it was agood, very livable Florida home.
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