While many Twin Cities snowbirds escape to Naples, Florida, for the season, one of interior designer Tara Cain’s clients jet sets to destinations all across the country. She’s the CEO of a fast-growing, California-based company, so she logs thousands of frequent flyer miles every year as she crisscrosses the country to meet with business partners and investors. While the journeys can be taxing, when she steps into her condo and sees a meditative work on paper by artist Lilian Crum set against the sparkling blue water beyond, her jet lag magically dissipates. “This is my respite and my sanctuary,” says the homeowner.
Photography by Jane Beiles
Although Cain’s client initially envisioned the second home in Naples as a winter escape, it ended up becoming a restorative new chapter in her peripatetic life. In 2021, she rented a place at the Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón, and quickly realized that she wanted to continue spending time on the water. Fortunately, she came across a 1980s condo in Naples’ Bay Colony that ticked all the boxes. It was on the 11th floor overlooking the water with three bedrooms and two lanais, plus a swimming pool and a pristine sand beach just steps from the elevator.
Where others might have been disheartened by the condo’s condition, she was thrilled by the idea of a gut renovation. “It was an original unit that had never been updated, and being able to take it down to the studs and make it my own was amazing,” says the homeowner. “I love design and construction, so when my husband and I designed and built a house on Lake Minnetonka, it felt just as exciting as a whirlwind trip around the world.”
She knew she didn’t have the time or bandwidth to tackle the Naples renovation by herself, so she called Cain, a dear friend and owner of Tara Cain Design in Edina. “Tara and I met years ago at our daughters’ school, and we have so much respect for each other’s work,” she says. “I trust her implicitly and I adore her taste, so as she described interiors that were very different from my Minnesota home — a serene, sophisticated environment that felt more Southern California than coastal Florida — I knew we were on the same page.”
The original 2,600-square-foot floor plan had been chopped up into several small rooms, so they opened up the main living areas to expand the space and create views of the water from every vantage point. They added a center island and a cafe-style banquette in the kitchen, designed a wet bar for the living room, and reimagined the existing bedrooms to create a spacious primary suite, two en-suite guest rooms and an office. Inspired by her time spent in Laguna Niguel, California, Cain curated a calming palette of quiet colors and luxe textures. Elements such as white oak cabinetry, millwork and herringbone flooring, quartzite countertops illuminated by breezy rattan pendants, natural rugs and comfortable furnishings upholstered in high-performance fabrics created a retreat for carefree beach living.
Cain and the homeowner share a love of art as well as a friendship with Kathy Ganley of Mason Lane Art Advisory, so they invited her to help put the finishing touches on the condo. “I love collaborating with Kathy, because she always adds a wonderful dimension to the process,” says Cain. “She respects the overall design intention and is so considerate of everything that comes before the art selection and installation, including the envelope and all the layers of materials, furnishings, textiles and lighting. She’s extremely knowledgeable about all genres of art, and she has a real gift for finding unusual pieces that tie seamlessly into the spaces.”
Ganley presented a small collection of contemporary paintings, sculptures and mixed-media pieces by female creatives, including artists of color. “It’s really important to me to support women artists who are living, working and creating, and I loved every piece that Kathy selected,” says the homeowner. In addition to the piece by Crum over the banquette, the thoughtful assemblage includes “White Linear Loop IV,” a sculpture by Caprice Pierucci in the entry; “Eggshell,” an architecture-inspired abstract work by Maura Segal in the living room; “Light Patterns/Night,” a linocut by Pamela Carberry in the pantry; “New Green No. 2,” an atmospheric ombre panel by Susan English in the primary bedroom; and “Space From This Noise,” a mixed-media work by Joanna Cutri that overlooks the kitchen island.
“Every day, the art reflects the light and the rhythms of the water, filling me with calm and gratitude,” says the homeowner. “One day, it’s storming and the waves are crashing, and the next day, it’s sunny and the water is glistening. Designing this condo with Tara was like planning an exciting vacation. It was an incredible blessing to work with her to create a place that feels true to myself and this new time in my life.”
Project Partners
Interior designer: Tara Cain Design
Art advisor: Kathy Ganley, Mason Lane Art Advisory
