GRAND MARSHALL

A NEW YORK DESIGNER MARCHES COMFORT AND RELAXATION THROUGHOUT A FLORIDA VACATION HOME

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During a parade, the procession can advance from a flower-covered float one minute to a marching band led by a baton twirler the next. Regardless of the entertainment, the experience is always filled with celebration.

The same is true in the Florida project that New York designer Marshall Watson created for one couple. Situated on Johns Island in Vero Beach, Florida, the home and its interiors delight with a variety of styles: formal English antiques in certain areas, sculptural modern pieces in others, and plenty of spaces with a casual, put-your-feet-up attitude. But no matter which route is taken through the house, it comes with a joyful aesthetic that nudges everyone to unwind.

"The homeowners have five children and a growing number of grandchildren, so they wanted a space where everyone could gather," Watson says. "The flow of the original house didn't work for them, so they gutted it, added two pavilions, enclosed the loggia, and reassigned rooms. It was a labor of love for them."

The updated structure, realized by architect Clemens Bruns Schaub, relies on principles of symmetry that create a grand envelope for restful appointments. Enter Watson.