A Tennis Pavilion With a Throwback Vibe

In another winking nod to old-school country club culture, just outside the locker room Ms. Viñas installed a mock trophy case, with the artist Jonas Wood’s hand-painted tennis ball wallpaper as a whimsical backdrop. The glass cabinet is filled with vintage engraved chalices and platters, most acquired on eBay by Ms. West, who sought out only runner-up awards. “There’s not a winner in the bunch,” she said. “But there are some really great mixed-couples trophies and third-place cups.”

To round out the Floritauk story, Ms. Viñas’s husband, Jaime Viñas, a graphic designer, has created a collection of Floritauk-branded hats, T-shirts, sweatbands and bags, as well as stationery, postcards, trays and cocktail napkins. There’s even a bar menu, which lists special house cocktails like the Floritaukito, the Route 27 Sour, and the Esther, named after Esther Williams, a hero of Ms. West’s grandmother.

“When you go down to the tennis pavilion, you’re just kind of delighted and transported to another world,” Ms. Viñas said. “It’s all very theatrical.”

And for this active family, the pavilion was a major blessing during last year’s Covid-restricted summer. “It was the first year we really got full use of it, and with three teenage boys, we found that they were down there more than they were up at the house,” said Ms. West.

So what’s new for this summer? Ms. West said a bocce drinks menu is in the works, as are — at the request of one of the boys — Floritauk bucket hats to give away to what they hope will be more guests than a year ago.

As a repeat Floritauk visitor, Ms. Viñas said, “the swag is unbelievable. It’s all part of the fun.”

source: nytimes.com