John’s Island Home Unveils a New Look

Jim and Diane Francis never saw themselves living in Florida. Their happy place was Park City, Utah. Then one of their three daughters met and fell in love with a young man from John’s Island. Before they knew it, a ring was on her finger and a wedding was being planned. A trip south was in order.

“We came down to check things out and just loved John’s Island. We’re both golfers, there’s a wonderful social atmosphere, and JI’s philanthropic reach out into the larger community is amazing,” Diane enthuses as she recalls some of the things that changed their minds about living in the Sunshine State and prompted them to start looking at real estate listings.

At the top of their wish list was a house where they could be close to the newlyweds, a house large enough that their other two daughters as well as friends could come and stay awhile. It sounded simple. It wasn’t.

The Francises had been consulting with architect James R. Stein, who showed them a house overlooking the Indian River Lagoon. The view was wonderful, and so was the property. What wasn’t so wonderful was that there were only three small bedrooms, and it needed serious updating.

“At first we said the house wasn’t going to work,” says Diane, “but my husband has this ability to envision what could be, so he sketched out some ideas he had and we showed them to James to see what he thought.”

Stein liked what he saw. “I had taken five or six other people to the house, and the reaction was pretty much the same. Jim and Diane were the first ones with open minds who were willing to explore options,” Stein smiles.

“We looked at different ways to have more bedrooms by adding another story to the house, but that became too complicated, so we ended up doing a second story with two bedrooms and two baths over the garage. Simple, doable, and a really good solution for their lifestyle.”

In the meantime, Jim had been interviewing builders and connected with Keith Baker (Keith Baker Construction); meanwhile, thanks to a friend’s recommendation, Diane had been in touch with interior designer Leah Muller.

“Jim and I didn’t want our home to be ‘mountain-esque,’” says Diane; “we wanted it to reflect the water. A lot of ideas came from Leah—she would say, how about this, or how about that, or this needs to move here, or there. She was great.”

Muller found the Francises to be pretty great as well. “From the very beginning, they were fearless about mixing traditional with contemporary trends,” she says. “They love color, texture, and playful details. Collaborating so closely with Diane and Jim allowed us to push creative boundaries while keeping the spaces warm, livable, and full of personality.”

Muller adds, “Our goal was to create a home where every element—the sun-washed cabinetry, floral wallpapers, even trims and tassels—feels intentional and layered, never loud or predictable. We wanted a sophisticated color story to run quietly throughout the home, reflecting Jim’s love of blue and introducing a cohesive palette without ever feeling matchy-matchy or predictable. The various shades are easy on the eyes, harmonizing with textures, woods, and finishes for a space that feels serene and curated.”

While Muller and Diane were creating those serene, curated spaces, Stein and Jim were busy tackling structural issues that needed to be dealt with. “What frequently happens is that people buy a home and think, ‘Oh, I just need to do this,’ and they end up rolling from one thing to another, saying, ‘Well, since we’re already doing this, why don’t we do this, and this?” Stein points out.

“For instance, at first the Francises weren’t going to do a new roof or a new AC system,” he adds. “Then they thought about it and realized, ‘Do we really want to keep an old roof and all the old guts in the house? We’re already here, so why don’t we just do it?’”

The result is basically a new house with a fresh look and attitude, beginning with the exterior. The former faded yellow facade is now a perfect shade of white, with sky-blue shutters framing windows. At the entrance, multicolored flowers bursting forth from tall ceramic containers form the perfect welcoming committee.

Inside, the home’s transformation balances playful patterns, soft textures, and an interplay of old-world character with contemporary design. Wide, random-length white oak floors throughout add a natural warmth while echoing the stain and texture of the den’s wood paneling and accent furniture pieces.

In the kitchen, white oak cabinetry was stained to a soft, sun-washed tone. Muller created a playful surprise behind the glass-front doors by lining the insides with colorful floral wallpaper. Over the large island, modern Ralph Lauren light fixtures offer a striking contrast, their circular sculptural silhouettes set against the home’s more traditional architecture.

This is where Diane happily spends a lot of time. “I’ve always loved to cook and try out new things. My daughters do, too. At Thanksgiving they’ll say, ‘Don’t start anything, wait for us,’ and we all gather in the kitchen and cook, cook, cook,” she says, gesturing toward the eye-catching blue Ilve gas range.

“In all of the houses we’ve had, there’s always been something in the kitchen with a little pop, something that stands out, and in this case it’s the blue Ilve, which is hand built in a little Italian town,” explains Diane.

“It was quite a process getting it here,” she smiles as she launches into the mixed-up, multicolored tale. “The first stove that was delivered was bright orange, so it went back. The second one was yellow and it went back. Finally, the blue one arrived. I remember the people from Jetson’s said they’ve never seen one before or since.”

Would the Francises take on the task of renovating an older home again? Diane’s eyes light up when, without hesitation, she says, “Definitely—if we can have the same team! James, Leah, and Keith did a terrific job keeping in touch with us while we were up in Park City. They were always on-site, always accessible, and we knew exactly what was going on.

“This move has been good for us. Our son-in-law’s family has been generous introducing us to people, so it’s been an easy transition. We’ve made a lot of friends, and I’ve been able to help others through the John’s Island philanthropic efforts. Jim’s helping, too. He played basketball in college and loves the game, so he’s been volunteering with Crossover Mission. There is so much for us to do here. This is where we were meant to be.”