For two discerning, design-minded Hollywood Hills ex-pats and their very young children, creating a main residence and 1,000 square foot guest house at the beach was a rare opportunity. As owners of a Sarasota fine home furnishings boutique, Black Bird Home Gallery, the homeowners wanted a serene, comfortable living space (or two) in which to showcase their high-end chic and eclectic wares for family, friends and guests without overpowering the items.
With a commission to transform an existing 1960s Mark Twitchell (founding member of the Sarasota School of Architecture) home into a family compound, work on the two-bedroom, two-bath guest house lead the charge helmed by family architect Charles Heydt of Pak-Heydt & Associates in Atlanta.

The owners chose a neutral color palette to shift the focus out the solid teak hurricane windows to the beach and sea, while its gentle hues support custom-milled teak interior doors and trim. Montag windows and doors were favored, and nickel fixtures from Rocky Mountain Hardware gild the woodwork.

Key pieces such as an Oly oyster shell mirror, slatted ipe dining table and white marble lotus platters from the homeowners’ gallery provide focal points in the bathroom and dining area, respectively. In time the guest house will be connected to the planned main residence by a screened pavilion, with Italian travertine marble flooring imported from a Vatican-owned quarry.

Designed by Pak-Heydt in Atlanta, Georgia
Interiors by Todd Bienz