Seaside Design Shines in Vero Beach

The first time the owner of a beachfront condominium stepped off the elevator into the foyer and looked out and saw the sparkling waters of the Atlantic Ocean, she knew it was exactly what she and her husband had been hoping to find during their far-too-long search for a place somewhere along Florida’s coastline.

“We were in Vero and had seen a few places, but nothing was quite right,” says the owner. “We had one more night before we were to fly home, so I turned to my husband and said, ‘I think we missed a place we need to see.’ I remember meeting our Realtor there the next morning, looking out at the view, and saying, ‘This is it. The ocean’s the star!’”

She was right. The four-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bath condominium with a panoramic view of the Atlantic was perfect. What wasn’t perfect was that there were far too many walls blocking that view; but the wife knew that could be taken care of. She also knew the architect and construction firm that could make it happen. What she needed was a local interior designer, someone she would feel comfortable working with from her home in the Midwest.

The architect was Paul Minto, the contractor was Ryan A. Jones, and Gregory Ness-Vasko was tapped to be the interior designer. She had collaborated successfully with both Minto and Jones on previous projects; Ness-Vasko, recommended by Jones, was a question mark.

Ness-Vasko explains how he got on board: “Ryan, who I’ve worked with for years, called and said, ‘Greg, I’ve got this really unique job. The owner is a retired high-end interior designer from out of town who needs someone here in Vero to bounce ideas off of, so I recommended you.’ She and I met and we’ve been like peas and carrots ever since. She’s just amazing, very open to ideas.” His enthusiasm shows as he talks about the project, which took longer to complete due to the extensive amount of work involved and COVID-related delays.

The condominium, originally designed by architect and developer Charles E. Ricci, is part of Carlton Vero Beach, a 36-unit luxury beachfront complex built in 2001. Ricci had a fondness for angles, which may have been a huge hit 25 years ago, but not with the owner and her team. It was agreed they had to go.

“Our design concept was that when you step off the elevator, nothing would interfere with your view of the ocean. There would be no interruptions,” Ness-Vasko points out. “The condo was basically taken down to the studs. No one is allowed to do that again because of the huge amount of construction, noise, and time that was involved, so it’s a special unit, the one and only.”

The same can be said about the decor, which features an all-white background with soft shades of sand, custom furnishings and accessories, and an abundance of textures in the use of fabrics, woven screens, shades, and trays.

The owner, who has traveled extensively, has a penchant for simplicity. There’s an Oriental feel of calm, an artistic harmony in the way circular shapes flow throughout the condo, starting in the open living area, where a striking rattan chandelier casts a warm, welcoming glow.

There’s a story there, and the owner is happy to share it. “I had looked and looked for lighting fixtures, and Greg had suggested things, sent pictures, but nothing was right. My feeling is if something isn’t there, it will be; you just need to be patient. Take your time. Then one day Greg called and said he’d seen something I might like at Vintage Vero and wondered if I thought it would work. It did!”

With that Ness-Vasko smiles and adds, “There are vendors who have original, unique pieces we could work with, so she and I would constantly be on the hunt. When one of us would find something we thought would work, we’d run it by the other, and most of the time it would be perfect. We know each other so well. It was a complete collaboration. Of all the houses I’ve done, there were no shortcuts; we were willing to wait, to make it perfect, to make sure everything worked.”

That includes the custom twin 10-foot sofas in the living area that offer plenty of seating options when family members gather for sun and sand time, which the owner encourages and delights in. “I had slipcovers made of indoor-outdoor fabric, so when the grandkids come in from the beach and they’re tracking in sand, their swimsuits are still wet, there’s no worries. We bring them here during the summer when there’s no school, and they love it. Also, my granddaughter had her bachelorette party here and everyone had such a good time!”

On an interior wall opposite one of the sofas, the husband’s passion for photography and obvious talent are seen above the 10-foot linear gas fireplace. Taken during a trip the couple made to Iceland, it’s in barely discernible panels that, when open, reveal the television.

The photo is framed in the same shade and size of wood used to detail shelving in alcoves on both sides, perfect for showcasing woven trays, containers, oversize shells, and travel treasures.

A mini-tour of the condo shows more of the same, with a few surprises added to the mix. In the master bedroom, the owner and Ness-Vasko could have elected to drape the king-size, four-poster bed’s finials with sheer fabric. Instead, they chose to artistically arrange folds over the two posts at the head. Tailored white bedding and plump pillows promise a good night’s sleep, and here as elsewhere in the condo delicate flowers resembling cherry blossoms sprout forth from a simple white vase on the nightstand.

In one of the guest bedrooms, a mirrored wall doubles the beauty of a circular chandelier adorned with graduated tiers of iridescent shells. The white background and accessories in various shades of sand are seen here as well. Simple, stunning, and calming.

A tour wouldn’t be complete without spending time on the balcony, where custom teak furnishings form an inviting conversation area, and a round table with six chairs beckon at meal time. All not only provide comfort and calm, but also a view of the ever-changing waters of the Atlantic. After all, as the owner says, it truly is the star.