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Decorator Janie Molster created a lounge on the second-floor landing with a Lee Industries sectional that can morph into twin beds. The abstract collages are by Susan Hable. The curtain fabric is Tracy Circles by Opuzen, and the cocktail tables are by Ogetti.
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Molster curated the 3D gallery in the sitting room with an intentional mix of handwoven African baskets; a wooden totem sculpture; and paintings by Karen Blair, Stephanie Henderson and Susan Hable.
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The ebonized Anglo-Indian canopy bed was custom made by The Raj Company. The rattan bench is by Jeffan, the bedside tables are by Phillips Scott, and the lamps are from Visual Comfort.
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The aqua blue in the powder room is intended to match the color of the waters just outside. The shell sconces are by Cyan Designs, and the mirror is by Van Collier.
When Richmond decorator Janie Molster’s clients approached her in an airport about their multigenerational beachfront home on Florida’s Captiva Island, they said they were uninspired by the monochromatic color palettes and sandy neutrals often associated with coastal design.
As parents of five grown children with children of their own, the couple were looking to create a vibrant and colorful vacation getaway more reflective of their family’s fun personalities. In addition to the sprawling main home, Janie Molster Designs was tasked with creating a private detached guesthouse for family overflow, including a kitchen, dining nook, living room and two king bedrooms with en suite baths. “There are a lot of people there when the whole crowd rolls in, so the detached guesthouse was built to give space and privacy to families with babies or those who might be staying for a week or two at a time,” Molster says.
The guesthouse shares the design integrity of the main home, capitalizing on the natural paradise nearby in a similarly intentional way. “We love to meld indoor and outdoor spaces, and in order to make that happen, the two have to really speak to each other,” Molster says. “I always tell my clients that if you try to compete with nature, she’ll win every time, so we really tried to be respectful of the surrounding geography by choosing colors that commune with the outdoor view.”
Large windows throughout the guesthouse showcase the terrain’s lush greenery, sparkling turquoise waters and uninterrupted blue skyline, which define the main color palette for the interior. Bolder tropical hues like hot pink and yellow make playful appearances in artwork, curtains, throw pillows and florals — eclectic touches that keep the space from feeling stereotypically coastal.
The main living space is anchored by a gallery wall with brightly colored original contemporary artwork, and in the fully stocked kitchen, the sky blue oven hood perfectly matches the custom, color-drenched cabinetry. “There are a lot of little details in the cabinets and vanities that really elevate the guesthouse,” Molster says, including in the powder room, which features a handpainted mural by Savannah, Georgia, artist Bob Christian.
A deep green bedspread offsets the warm neutral walls and floor-to-ceiling drapes in the Caribbean-inspired bedroom, where framed botanicals from the property surround an ebonized wood four-post bed from India. The second bedroom is slightly more contemporary, featuring Bahamian-inspired shutters painted in blue and wallpaper with green latticework that resembles sugarcane or bamboo.
