Karen Abell, owner of and curator for Naples, Florida-based Patina Collection, inherited a reverent appreciation for all things with a certain “je ne sais quoi” from her great-grandfather, a custom glassblower from Alsace. Her vision for Patina Collection ensued after countless trips to Europe, visiting the grand flea markets in Paris, the weekend markets in France and falling in love with the architecture and design from Italy. In 2024, she opened a second location in Chicago and has myriad projects in the pipeline including importing and selling her San Michele olive oil, taken from her personal olive grove, a future book project, and a vision for a Patina vacation villa near her home in Tuscany.

Today Karen is taking us on a tour of her beautiful Naples, Florida home nestled along Shell Alley, a hidden corridor nestled within the city. Welcome Karen!

Q:  What year was your home built, and what is the architectural style? Is there an architect of note?

A:  Shell House was built in 2000. The architect was Stephen Hruby of Architects Unlimited. He was the original owner of the home and is now a very close friend of ours. We bought the house during COVID in Spring 2020 and are the second owners. I had just relocated my store to the downtown 3rd Street Shopping District and wanted to be closer to the store. We fell in love with the house upon first viewing. I had always wanted to live on an alley, and the back of the house is on Shell Alley, thus “Shell House.”

Q:  When did you purchase the home and what renovations, etc. did you make?

A:  We bought the house in 2020 and began renovations immediately. The original bones were incredible but probably a bit too traditional in nature for most Naples, Florida buyers looking for a light, airy, open contemporary design. We renovated all significant areas in the house. We added walls where there were open spaces, renovated and moved the kitchen, renovated the primary bathroom and closet, and updated all bathrooms throughout the home. We shrank the formal dining room and were able to create and build a china room accessed from the main brick hallway.

Q:  What was your overall vision for the aesthetic of the home?

A:  I call it our “Something’s Gotta Give meets Naples, Florida” house, meaning it has a bit of Hamptons charm with the style of our vintage home in Chicago, located on the Gulf of Mexico… Many concepts, but it is executed perfectly and suits our lifestyle and who we are as a family. As an example, in Chicago, we have an 1893 brownstone with original black wood floors. My first change at Shell House was to replicate that color on what was a very yellow oak floor. Everyone thought I was crazy, but now everyone gets it. They are beautiful!
Naples is a vacation destination for many. However, we have found that when you live and work in a vacation spot, it can be easy to forget to take vacation time. We wanted to make our weekends our “vacation” time as much as possible. From Shell House, we can take our golf cart to almost anywhere we enjoy going, so we have a “no car” policy on weekends, taking only our golf cart and walking to our private beach access area and just relaxing.

Q:  How does the decor reflect the style/direction of Patina Collection?

A:  I have antiques in every room at Shell House. Some are from the Patina store collection, and some were sourced on my European shopping trips. I am a huge collector of everything under the sun, so I have lots of cabinets and spaces to display my finds.

Q:  What are your favorite wallpapers, fabrics, furniture pieces, antiques, etc. in the home?

A:  I have beautiful wallcoverings and murals in this house. Most wallcoverings are from Schumacher and Kravet. Hand painted murals were done by a local artisan, Shiree Nichole, in Naples. Featured fabrics include Lisa Fine Textiles, Schumacher, Kravet, Cowtan & Tout, and more.

Q:  What are some of your favorite pieces in the house, or any fun stories?

A:  The burlwood cabinet in my living room with the gorgeous blue interior is hands down, at least for now, my favorite piece in the house. It sits prominently in our living room. We absolutely love the fact that the house is full of windows, but it does make an obsessive “designer” and antique collector frustrated, trying to find enough space to display our finds. This cabinet covers a small window at the entry, but it grounds the room perfectly! As most cabinets were, it was an old business desk, and I love all the drawers, locked areas, and filing shelves. We did not add any light in that area, so I pull out candle surfaces at night with lit candles to illuminate that corner of the room, as it was used in its original lifetime.

Thank you, Karen, for inviting us into your beautiful home!

To learn more, please visit Patina Collection and follow @patina_collection on Instagram. And stay tuned, as The Glam Pad has a special video tour coming up you won’t want to miss!

Photography by Carlos Moreno (interiors) and Christina Bankson Photography (portraits).