interiors

 

Enhance Lagoon Tower Penthouse
By Marcia Bradford-Strong
Having lived along the gulf coast for many years, Eddie Spence has developed a keen knowledge of and deep affection for the area’s waterways. From the vantage point of his 18th floor penthouse condominium in Lagoon Towers, situated along Gulf Shores’ West Beach Boulevard just west of Lagoon pass, he can point out various bodies of water and landmarks that are visible in all directions. Look to the northeast, and you can see Little Lagoon, Oyster Bay and Lake Shelby. To the west lies Mobile Bay. Last, but not least, the vast, sparkling Gulf of Mexico provides a dazzling southern view.

“The architect did such a good job on the design of the building,” said Spence, who partnered with Larry Calvert, owner of Calvert Construction, to develop the property. “I love the fact that you can stand nearly anywhere in this unit and see water. We get to experience incredible sunrises and sunsets all year round.”

One of four penthouses that occupy entire floors in the 20-story tower, Spence’s condo features floor-to-ceiling, tinted-glass windows that offer panoramic views from the living/dining area, the three bedrooms and the master bath. Two large, curving terraces, one overlooking the Gulf of Mexico and one providing great vistas of Little Lagoon and the back bays, offer great areas to dine or lounge outdoors.

But Spence doesn’t just like to look at the water. When he’s not working at one of his restaurants—he’s the owner of Mikee’s in Gulf Shores as well as six Shrimp Basket restaurants in Baldwin and Mobile counties and in several locations in Florida—he spends a lot of time fishing, boating and exploring. His love of nature is evident in the condo’s furnishings and was a guiding principle for interior decorator Rhonda Ballard, owner of Grand Rooms, a Gulf Shores-based interior design firm. 

“Eddie was very involved in the design process,” Ballard said. “He likes natural tones and he made it clear that the view is paramount, so we worked together to create a color scheme that complements, rather than competes with the views.”

Nearly half of the floor space in the 3,746-square-foot penthouse is devoted to the living room, kitchen and dining area, which overlook the gulf. In the large living room and dining area, off-white walls are accented by taupe-brown pillars, with a textured finish that echoes the patterns of the beige and brown Travertine floors. These colors provide an attractive frame for sea- and sky-blue hues pouring in through the windows.

While retaining an open, airy feeling, the space is made more intimate with several smaller seating areas. A grouping of a small burnt-orange sofa and two matching chairs by Rose Hill, in the southwest corner of the room, provide soft, cozy seating nearest the windows. Nearby, a semi-circular custom-made leather couch and two patterned upholstered chairs by Klaussner, which swivel and rock, are centered with a round glass-topped coffee table by Sunrise.

One of Ballard’s favorite pieces in this room is the television cabinet by Sunrise, a slightly curving three-piece set, which happened to fit perfectly into the little alcove built into the room. The wall above the cabinet features a round, flower-pattered piece of art by Palachek, which is sometimes obscured when the remote-controlled flat screen television emerges. Other accents in this area include a framed painting from a Miami art gallery, a mirror and lamp by Austin, and vases and table decorations by Peacock Décor. To the left of the television cabinet, a woven grass table with two inset vases, is complemented by six leaf prints, all by Palachek.

“Because Eddie loves nature so much, I worked to find art that reflected the natural feeling of the lagoon,” Ballard said. “Eddie is very specific about what he likes, so we’ve made some changes along the way. We have worked with about 100 different vendors in the process of furnishing this condo and I think we’ve created a nice blend of style and comfort that reflects his interests and taste.”

Form Follows Function
Although Spence, his family and friends use the condo as a second home and vacation spot, Spence said he likes every item in a room to have a function. Keeping this in mind, Ballard included some practical yet beautiful elements in the living room. Placing a three-paneled screen between two of the pillars, Ballard visually separated the dining area from the rest of the room and created a cozy spot for a chess table and chairs, all by Powell. On the other side of the screen, sculptured leaves by Austin sit atop a table by Castillion, and a desk, located near the window is decorated by a replica of a ship.

Earth tones are carried into the kitchen, which is situated at the back of the room. The granite countertops are a blend of browns and tans, while the glass-tile backsplash has a rust tone and the maple cabinets have a chocolate glaze. Like all units in Lagoon Towers, the kitchen features high-end stainless steel appliances, and the dining area has a wet bar with an icemaker. The penthouses also include temperature-controlled wine cabinets.

Although the penthouse units offer space for four bedrooms and four baths, Spence reconfigured his space to create a very large master bedroom and two smaller bedrooms for his children, E.J. and Kelly. The enlarged master bedroom can now function almost as a self-contained space, since it has its own small kitchen area, a seating area and table and chairs for dining.

Here, the colors are a bit more dramatic, but nature themes are still apparent. The bedroom set, by Legacy, features a black and white leaf-patterned cover by Victor Mills, with silk poppy-accented bedding by Mario Marlene. A table and chair set, by Coaster Company of America, which can be used for dining or card playing, is accented with another nature piece by Palachek. The leather sofa, ottomans, animal print chairs and occasional table provide a private living area for Spence and a great place to enjoy the views of Mobile Bay, the lagoon and other back bays.

Yet another room that offers a fantastic view is the master bath, which features travertine floors, walls and counters. Large floor-to-ceiling windows surround a sunken tub in the northwest corner and even the separate, glass-walled shower is situated to offer spectacular views of the sea and sky.

While Spence has been a partner on other developments, this is the first time he has been involved in a project the size of Lagoon Towers, he said. Working with WHL, an architecture firm based in Baton Rouge, Spence and Calvert put the concept for Lagoon Towers together in 2004. Construction was started in 2005 and the building was completed in February 2007. Spence said he is extremely pleased with the outcome of his first big project.

“Larry (Calvert) and I took a lot of pride in marketing this building. It’s very unique because it’s so narrow and tall,” he said. “Since there are only 32 units, it’s also very private and secure and there are no long waits for elevators.” He added that very few of the units are available for rental, because most have been purchased as vacation homes or second homes. This keeps the building’s indoor and outdoor pools from getting too crowded and allows owners to better enjoy the dedicated beach access on the Gulf side, just across the street, as well as the private fishing and boating pier on the lagoon.

“When I’m up here it feels so private and very comfortable,” he said. “The views are just breathtaking, and I love the work that Rhonda has done with the décor and furnishings. It’s a great place to spend time with my children and my friends, a place to get away without even having to leave town.”