As far as renovations go, designer Dwayne Bergmann was pleasantly surprised by the starting point of the early-2000s Bonita Springs house his clients had purchased on a lush lakefront site. “The home had an extremely well-detailed original concept,” he remembers. “It had been beautifully done for the time period in which it was built.” In fact, although the new owners favor an eclectic style, they didn’t want to lose too much of the structure’s Mediterranean vibe—just introduce a modern European aesthetic that wouldn’t fight against the existing look.
For the initial plan, the couple engaged with general contractor Shane Klepko and builder Alexandra Brennan, whose firm had constructed the residence. “They wanted to open it up as much as possible to see the nearby preserve and lake,” Brennan recalls. The team expanded the sliding glass doors and windows in spaces such as the family room, bringing in views of the double-lot property, while ensuring all interior adjustments flowed within the original framework. For instance, they updated the main floors and stained any existing parts a matching tone. “They had an oak floor and changed the sheen, so we sanded some sections back to the bare wood,” Brennan notes. “That was quite a task, blending new and old.” Pecky cypress ceiling accents—like the dining room’s detail and the primary bedroom’s beams—were also refinished. Introducing this material in other areas made dark wood a prevalent feature throughout the home.