ISLAND LIFE

Written by Blue Door Magazine on June 3, 2021

By Alexandria Abramian

Designer Sue Capelli casts a captivating take on contemporary from a single, sea-front perch on Linda Isle

In the world of exceptional Newport Beach real estate, Linda Isle stands out from other communities for its ultra-exclusivity. The horseshoe shape of land is an actual island, only connected to Newport via a bridge where a guard gate keeps the island highly private. With just over 100 homes, all are waterfront, and all come with docks, often slips large enough to accommodate residential-sized yachts. Homes rarely sell for below eight figures and can fetch as much as $7,000 a square foot for this extremely rarefied slice of island life.

Capelli worked with a canvas of limestone, quartzite, and wood created by architect David Olson and builder Tony Valentine. This was the elevated, luxurious backdrop against which she built a rich landscape of shape and texture. The resulting style offers just enough drama while keeping the focus on the views.

In the master suite, Capelli designed a cocoon-like bed upholstered in textiles from Sahco. The rug is from Stark. The master bath goes big on luxuries, including a fireplace and front-row yacht views.

Today the 5,500-square-foot, three-bedroom, three-bathroom home makes a case for modern oceanfront elegance. Ocean views flood in from every turn, including the master bathroom, where a soaking tub boasts a front-row seat as yachts glide by. Upping the experience even more are details like the fact that the bathroom comes with a generously proportioned stone-surround fireplace.

And while Capelli relied mostly on earth tones for both finishes and furnishings, she also injected moments of glamour throughout. In one upstairs bedroom suite, she gathered a collection of black and white patterns in textiles, wallcoverings, and tile to create a subtle nod to her own take on maximalism.

The guest suite goes big on bold patterns and rich materials, including a dramatic wallcovering from Phillip Jeffries that plays off an equally dramatic rug by Stark. Big-moment details include custom lighting, shagreen nightstands, stack stone walls, and geometric tile by Ann Sacks used in the guest bathroom.

In other areas of the home, Capelli calibrated the glamour in other ways: In the kitchen, for example, she selected a rich palette of ebony and high-gloss lacquers.

The open plan kitchen combines a rich mix of materials, including limestone floors and quartzite countertops. Capelli custom-designed all the seating.

Stack stone surrounds an expansive wine room, while Capelli brought drama throughout the home, including a statement-making grand piano and a custom-designed dining table surrounded by chairs upholstered in textiles by Rubelli.

Throughout, Capelli custom-designed and made the furniture, much of it lower in profile so as not to block views—a less-is-more decision to let a singular waterfront location whisper its elegance throughout.

David R. Olson Architects | 470 Wald | Irvine | 949.450.0093 | olsonarchitect.com

Tony Valentine Construction | 2435 East Coast Highway, Suite 2 | Corona Del Mar | 949.723.6449 | tonyvalentineconstruction.com

One Comment

Judith Gray
June 12, 2021 at 4:49 pm

Wow! Absolutely authentic glamour. The entire design invites the eye to take it in as a whole. Then leads you from one delicious detail to the next. Each can stand on it’s own, but together display a singular quality and balance of this very talented designer. Wow, again! Love this magazine!