Florida Buildings I Love, No. 1: The Chapell Residence, 2000, Sarasota

A fantasy of colors and curves, the 6,800-square-foot Chapell Residence was designed by Don Chapell as a home for his family. But the architect died during construction in 1999. His widow, Heather, finished the house with the help of contractor Pat Ball and interior designer Wilson Stiles.

Don Chapell had splashed the colors on the outside, designed most of the interior built-ins and left drawings for other features.

“So much of it was in Don’s head,” said Stiles, a good friend of Chapell’s who worked with the architect on the project, in an interview with the the Herald-Tribune in February 2002. “It’s an exceptional house. It’s Don’s best work and one of the most important houses in Florida.”

The house stands out among the rich architectural diversity of Lido Shores because of its postmodern front elevation and pastel colors. Behind the tinted-glass front door is a courtyard that’s surrounded by various sections of the house, which looks out on Pansy Bayou.

“Florida Buildings I Love” is Harold Bubil’s homage to the Sunshine State’s built environment. This article originally ran on Dec. 18, 2016.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Buildings I Love, Harold Bubil: No. 1: The Chapell Residence, 2000, Sarasota