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REIMAGINING an Icon HOME + DESIGN

I CO N I C MUSI C ALBU M INSPIRES BESPO KE LIV I NG

S E P TE M B E R 2 02 6

We Design Custom Solutions That Are Both Practical and Beautiful. Many of our clients assume that transforming their closet with a custom design would be a long, tedious process. So you can imagine that they’re always happy to learn that it’s actually simple. In four easy steps — consultation, design, preparation, installation — we turn disorganization into beautiful organization. We do consultations for FREE. From start to finish, your designer will guide you through the process offering expert advice and making it fun and easy to design a closet that’s both practical and beautiful.

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LIFESTYLE LETTER

Heading Into Fall With Style and Substance

September 2026 PUBLISHER

Suzanne Pope | suzanne.pope@citylifestyle.com E D I TO R

Will Estell | will.estell@citylifestyle.com

It’s hard to believe the summer of ’26 is practically in our rearview mirror as we all prepare to head into another beautiful -albeit, still hot- fall across Pensacola and Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast. The power of seasonal changes seems charged with possibility, as fall brings a certain urge to say goodbye to the whimsical and fun-focused thoughts and sounds of summer, while ushering in a more subdued and disciplined approach to the months ahead. It’s a time when we buckle down, get things done, and make things happen, after a summer of fun and play. This is an excellent opportunity to recalibrate, refocus and reprioritize where we are, where we want to go, and how we get there. There’s a subtle reeling in from the footloose and fancy-free feels that summer often infuses into our days, and an embrace of the cooler -more serious, if you will- season ahead. In this issue of Pensacola City Lifestyle you’ll find both enlightening and empowering editorials that help direct these seasonal changes. We begin with the aesthetics that surround us, from ‘A Signature Style,” highlighting Ardie Pearce and Mint Décor, to “Suit Yourself Pensacola”, with the remarkable style guidance of Johnny Lee and Pearce Bespoke. The entrepreneur in you will appreciate “The Space Between Ideas,” highlighting Pensacola’s Cowork Annex, just as your inner foodie will relish “The Ideal End of Summer Crab Boil.” It’s an enticing invitation to help you welcome a wonderful fall ahead with a spirit of renewal and celebration, and it’s all inside. As we move forward into the final quarter of 2026, my hope is that this and each issue of Pensacola City Lifestyle continues to both entertain and empower you to look ahead, to move and plan with purpose, and to do everything you do with a touch of your very own personalized style and substance. After all, nobody does you quite like you!

P U B L I CAT I O N M AN AG E R

Sydney Steffen | sydney.steffen@citylifestyle.com M AR K E T AR E A C O O R D I N ATO R

Madison Drinnen | madison.drinnen@citylifestyle.com S O C I AL M E D I A C O O R D I N ATO R

Arielle Alston | arielle.alston@citylifestyle.com STAF F P H OTO G R AP H E R

Addie Dalton | addiesjphoto@gmail.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Suzanne Pope, Leann Parker, Kelsey Huber C O N T R I B U T I N G P H OTO G R AP H E R S

Johnny Lee, Cowork Annex, Mint Interiors, Janie Jones

Corporate Team CEO Steven Schowengerdt President Matthew Perry CRO Jamie Pentz CoS Janeane Thompson AD DESIGNER Jenna Crawford LAYOUT DESIGNER Kathy Nguyen QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Brandy Thomas

W I L L E S T E L L , P U B L I C AT I O N M A N A G E R @ P E N SAC O L AC I T Y L I F E S T Y L E Learn how to start your own publication at citylifestyle.com//franchise. Proverbs 3:5-6 Pensacola City Lifestyle™ is published monthly by Lifestyle Media Partners LLC. It is distributed via the US Postal Service to some of the Pensacola area’s most affluent neighborhoods. Articles and advertisements do not necessarily reflect Lifestyle Media

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L I F E ST Y LE LE T T E R

Partners’ opinions. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent. Lifestyle Media Partners’ does not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. Information in Pensacola City Lifestyle™ is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but the accuracy of all information cannot be guaranteed.

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inside the issue SE PTE M B E R 2 02 6 | STYL E

Featured

10 16

Print Prestige Meets Digital Power.

WHY CHOOSE BETWEEN PRESTIGE AND PLACEMENT?

Departments

A Signature Style

Ardie Pearce reveals how trust, integrity and personal style transformed Mint Decor into something extraordinary

Suit Yourself, Pensacola

Lifestyle Letter

Home Update HOME + DESIGN

Fashion Forward STYLE + BEAUTY

Curb Appeal HOME + DESIGN

Must See LOCAL SERVICES

Culinary Creations FOOD + BEVERAGE

Johnny Lee transforms personal expression through Bespoke tailoring, timeless craftsmanship, and unmistakable individual style.

The Space Between Ideas

Cowork Annex proves the best business ideas often happen through connection, not at a desk.

On the Cover Reimagining music and art, Mint Décor Pensacola and Pearce Bespoke unite fashion, creativity and personal style in a striking celebration of collaboration and Pensacola’s artistic spirit. Photography: Addie J Photography

With City Lifestyle’s co-branded print + digital packages, your business captures attention wherever our community is looking. Build unmatched local credibility on the page, and drive immediate action online. Ready to double your local reach? Contact your local publisher by scanning below.

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A SIGNATURE STYLE

Long before Ardie Pearce opened Mint Decor, design was already part of her language. Her mother was an interior designer, her father was a builder, and Ardie jokes that she crawled across wallpaper books as a baby. Still, she never assumed she would follow the same path. “I always thought that was my mom’s thing,” she says. Her own entry into design arrived gradually, first through decorating work in California and later through helping people along the Gulf Coast. In Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Ardie recognized a need that went far beyond selecting furniture. Many clients were buying investment properties while living somewhere else. They might arrive for one weekend hoping to accomplish everything, yet they needed flooring, window treatments, furnishings, contractors and bids. Most of all, they needed one person who could see the property in their absence and whom they could trust. “They needed somebody who

H OM E U P DAT E | HO M E + D E SIGN

ARTICLE BY SUZANNE POPE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ADDIE J PHOTOGRAPHY & MINT DECOR

FOR MINT DECOR FOUNDER ARDIE PEARCE, BEAUTIFUL DESIGN BEGINS WITH TRUST AND REFLECTS THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE A HOUSE HOME.

could handle everything,” she says. Ardie became that person. “I became the one-stop shop because I was saying yes to everything,” she says. She found contractors, walked properties, gathered bids and coordinated the details clients could not manage from another city. Her philosophy was straightforward: say yes, then determine how to make it happen. A friend’s medical office became a turning point. Vendors and customers saw the completed space, and calls for more design work followed. What began organically was becoming a business. The decision to create Mint was also a decision about how that business would operate. After working through two companies that did not treat customers properly, Ardie told her husband they could build something different—something grounded in integrity. They cashed in his 401(k), committed their savings and took the risk of opening Mint. Trust was not a marketing phrase added later. It was the reason the company existed.

That promise was tested almost immediately. A former store owner closed his business and left town with customers’ money. Although Ardie had already separated herself from him and Mint had no responsibility for his transactions, she and her husband set aside the last $5,000 they had. They contacted the fraud detective in Orange Beach and offered to honor customers’ purchases until the money was gone. If someone had paid for a chair that never arrived, Mint reordered it. “We spent our last dime helping people who had been conned by somebody who had nothing to do with us,” Ardie says. Then something remarkable happened. A replacement chair became an entire living room. Another customer returned for a bedroom. People shared what Mint had done and sent their friends. By choosing the right thing when it was financially difficult, Ardie established the reputation that would carry the company forward. The business grew because customers understood that her word meant something. CONTINUED > S EP TEMB ER 2 0 2 6 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/P EN SAC O L A F L

Today, Mint works with approximately 300 vendors and can design across an expansive range of aesthetics. Ardie may describe the look as “elevated coastal,” but quickly widens the definition: “Any lifestyle elevated.” She does not believe a designer’s role is to press every client into one recognizable style. Instead, a home should be a reflection of the people living inside it. The designer’s job is to listen closely enough to discover what makes those people feel at home. For Ardie, access matters because it allows the design to begin with the client rather than a limited inventory. The question is never what is available. It is what belongs in this particular person’s home and life. That belief also shapes how Ardie approaches budgets. Rather than attempting to transform every room at once, she asks, “Where do you gather with your family?” The answer identifies the place where an investment will have the most meaning. Beauty does not depend upon decorating an entire house or following every trend.

H OM E U P DAT E | HO M E + D E SIGN

It begins by creating one space that supports the way a family actually lives. Ardie loves wallpaper and art, but she understands that personal style cannot be reduced to a designer’s preferences or the latest passing design trend. Even then, her personal taste does not become a rule for someone else. When clients worry that something they love may eventually go out of style, she asks whether it still excites them and feels true to who they are. If it does, then it is not out of style for that home. “It’s wherever that person finds peace within their home,” she says. Pensacola has brought another creative evolution. “Pensacola has forced me to elevate even my own style,” Ardie says. Entering a new market has asked her to stretch, refine her eye, and continue growing without abandoning the principles that built Mint. The setting may change, and the aesthetic may shift, but the foundation remains the same: understand the client, honor the trust being placed in her and create a space that feels personal.

That willingness to grow extends beyond design. Ardie is embracing sailing with the same all-in energy she brings to her work. “I’m going big,” she says. “I’m getting certified.” The statement sounds like Ardie: decisive, optimistic, and ready to learn what comes next. For Ardie, a room is never simply a collection of beautiful objects. It is an expression of identity. Style is not about copying a showroom or surrendering to a passing trend. It is the personal imprint that makes a house unmistakably yours. “Style is what sets you apart,” she says. “It’s your calling card. It’s how you introduce yourself to the world.”

“STYLE IS YOUR CALLING CARD. IT ALWAYS SETS YOU APART.” S EP TEMB ER 2 0 2 6 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/P EN SAC O L A F L

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S U I T YO U R S E L F, PENSACOL A

Photo by: Addie J Photography

Johnny Lee turns clothing into confidence, creating pieces as unforgettable as the people wearing them ARTICLE BY SUZANNE POPE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ADDIE J PHOTOGRAPHY

FASH ION F OR WA R D | STYLE + BE AU T Y

Before Johnny Lee takes a single measurement he is already studying the person in front of him—the hand tugging at a collar, the sleeves that never sit quite right, the flash of a treasured watch. By night, he reads a different room, performing music downtown and finding the song someone needs to hear. To Lee, tailoring and music share the same first note: listen.

“When a client looks in the mirror and sees who they are, that moment is bigger than the clothes themselves.” Lee has called Pensacola home for 27 years, but his early life carried him through San Diego, Virginia Beach, Baltimore, Michigan and Chicago as part of a military family. His mother retired from the Navy, and the constant movement taught him to notice people, adapt and understand how appearance can affect confidence. Growing up, Lee was always bigger than other children and once grew 10 inches in a single year. At nearly six feet tall, with arms proportioned for someone taller, clothing rarely fit correctly. He wrestled, practiced martial arts and watched his body change, but the rack was designed for an average that did not include him. That experience now informs his work at Pearce Bespoke. Lee creates custom clothing for men and women of every build without asking anyone to force a unique body into a standard size.

His service is completely mobile. Lee meets clients where they are, taking measurements, discussing preferences and noticing subtler clues—the colors they repeatedly wear, whether they gesture with their hands, tug at a collar or need greater freedom through the shoulders. Each garment is then built from scratch, with a turnaround of approximately four weeks. A design may be classic or carry a personal secret: a distinctive lining, hidden zippers for a traveler, a pocket positioned precisely for a watch or even a beloved dog printed inside a jacket. Lee creates suits, shirts, trousers, jackets and dresses, but cloth is only the beginning. The true reveal comes when the client looks in the mirror. “The look on their face when they get what they want—that is amazing to me,” he says. Lee’s path to the business was not linear. A self-described workaholic since high school, he held CONTINUED > S EP TEMB ER 2 0 2 6 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/P EN SAC O L A F L

positions in fast food, retail, call centers, hotels and banking before building a two-decade music career in downtown Pensacola. Every experience strengthened his belief in showing up prepared, presentable and ready to serve. The deeper reason behind this new chapter emerged through loss. Lee’s best friend—a larger man who shared his enthusiasm for clothing, suits and ties—died last year. During a solo drive home from a cruise assignment in January, Lee considered the life he wanted to build and what would have made his friend proud. When the opportunity to lead the clothing business appeared, his friend was the first person he pictured. Photographs in Lee’s office keep that connection close. The company’s ribbon cutting became another defining moment. After months of networking, traveling and explaining a service many had never encountered, standing with the Chamber of Commerce made the venture feel real. For Lee, the ceremony represented more than an arrival. It was a public promise to do the work well. That responsibility runs through everything he does. A musician may occasionally miss a chord, he says, but a client entrusting him with a garment deserves his complete attention. Whether someone hands him $20 to perform a beloved song or invests $2,000 in a custom suit, Lee understands that the exchange represents trust. His own style is intuitive, adaptable and comfortable. His wardrobe essentials are straightforward: every man should own a crisp white shirt, a black shirt and a versatile suit that can be separated and mixed with other pieces. Every woman, he says, needs “a little black something” that makes her feel prepared for business or celebration. A steamer is nonnegotiable. After resisting Pensacola’s slower pace as a teenager, Lee came to appreciate its “big little city” character. Here, connections travel quickly, kindness carries weight and one person’s effort can influence several neighboring communities.

FASH ION F OR WA R D | STYLE + BE AU T Y

“A custom garment should do more than fit the body. It should recognize the person, reflect their story, and give them the confidence to enter any room feeling entirely, unmistakably, authentically, and comfortably like themselves.”

His philosophy is simple: people do not have to perform niceness, but they should choose kindness. Even during difficult seasons, Lee believes in arriving fully for the person in front of him. Asked whether he most wants to be remembered for craftsmanship, style or the confidence he gives clients, his answer returns to service.

“If I’m onstage or building something for you, you will always get 110 percent from me,” he says. In Lee’s hands, a custom garment becomes more than something beautiful to wear. It is proof that being truly seen can change the way a person stands.

S EP TEMB ER 2 0 2 6 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/P EN SAC O L A F L

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Vertical Gardens Are Moving Indoors

The Stylish Home Design Trend That Will Have You Saying, “Oh, Grow Up!”

Humans have always had a penchant for propagation. Since King Nebuchadnezzar II built The Hanging Gardens of Babylon (one of the original Seven Wonders of the World) in the sixth century BC, artful gardening has fascinated folks. Today, there is a growing trend (pun intended) in home design that echoes that need to nurture, albeit on a much smaller scale. It goes by many names. Environmentalists refer to them as “green walls” or “ecowalls.” Gardeners may prefer “garden wall” or “edible wall.” Designers have dubbed them “statement walls.” But for our purposes here, we will refer to them as the architects do — as “vertical gardens.” A vertical garden is essentially a wall, or part of a wall, that is covered with plants growing in soil or another type of medium. Though they began as outdoor architectural attractions, these wonderful wallscapes are popping up indoors, and their benefits go beyond a fancy facade. The most obvious benefit of a vertical garden is the visual beauty it brings to the room. Its unexpected presence adds surprise and drama, while its living tenants, with their varied textures and individual personalities, add energy and a bit of charm as well.

Beyond the aesthetic advantages, living walls have health benefits. They improve the air quality by adding humidity, trapping dust particles, and absorbing many harmful gasses, replacing them with oxygen. They can help with cardiovascular issues like blood pressure as well as breathing problems associated with allergies and asthma. Because they lend a sense of calm and well being, they can even improve concentration, elevate mood, and reduce stress. Because these living walls are becoming more popular, demand is driving the price down, making them more affordable for the average homeowner. Kits are available and most feature an integrated water delivery system which makes them low maintenance as well. As for which types of plants to grow, succulents, mosses, grasses, and ferns are all good choices. Tropical vines work well also, as they can trail down or climb up. Pothos and philodendrons have great climbing capabilities, are fast growing, and low maintenance. The design possibilities are as endless as the plant combinations. So bring the outside in! Simply choose a location with bright, indirect light, and turn your wall into a living piece of artwork with a vertical garden.

ARTICLE BY KELSEY HUBER

C UR B A P P E A L | HO ME + D E SIGN

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THE SPACE ARTICLE BY SUZANNE POPE | PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY COWORK ANNEX

Between

IDEAS

Cowork Annex proves the best ideas happen between people For many entrepreneurs, success begins at a kitchen table. It's where business plans are written, first clients are won, and dreams begin to take shape. Eventually, many business owners discover something is missing. Working from home offers flexibility, but it can also become isolating, making the conversations and collaboration that fuel growth harder to find. That realization inspired Bobby Switzer to create Cowork Annex. When Switzer envisioned the downtown Pensacola workspace in 2017, he wasn't simply creating another office building. He believed entrepreneurs needed more than desks and conference rooms. They needed a place where relationships could form naturally, ideas could be exchanged freely, and businesses could grow alongside one another. Today, Operations Coordinator Mallory Buechler sees that vision come to life every day. "We're more than shared office space," she says. "We want people to grow here." Walk through the space on any weekday, and you'll find attorneys talking with software engineers, nonprofit leaders exchanging ideas with entrepreneurs, and remote workers striking up conversations with people they might never have met otherwise. Those interactions aren't planned. They happen over coffee, in the kitchen, or while passing one another in the hallway. One afternoon during the FIFA World Cup offered the perfect example. As the match began, members stepped away from their individual offices and gathered around the television in the shared kitchen. Business owners, creatives, consultants, and

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professionals from completely different industries found themselves cheering together, debating plays, and sharing a few laughs before returning to work. It wasn't a networking event. It was simply a community happening naturally. The shared experience sparked conversations, strengthened relationships, and reminded everyone that sometimes the most valuable part of the workday isn't the work itself— it's the people around you. That moment captured exactly what Switzer hoped Cowork Annex would become. Pensacola has experienced remarkable growth over the past decade. Historic buildings have found new life, locally owned businesses continue investing in the city's future, and entrepreneurs are launching companies at an exciting pace. Success, however, creates another question: Where do those businesses begin? Not every entrepreneur is ready for a traditional office lease. Many start from a spare bedroom, a dining room table, or the corner of a neighborhood coffee shop. While that flexibility has its advantages, working in isolation can limit opportunities for collaboration, fresh perspectives, and the unexpected conversations that often lead to the next big idea. Cowork Annex offers another path. Members can begin with a day pass, establish a professional downtown business address, reserve conference rooms for client meetings, or grow into dedicated workspaces and private offices as their businesses expand. Office space may bring people through the door. Community is what keeps them coming back.

There is a creative energy that develops when ambitious people work alongside other ambitious people. A conversation with someone outside your industry can change the way you approach a proposal, solve a problem, or recognize an opportunity. Sometimes the next breakthrough doesn't happen behind a computer screen. Sometimes it begins with a simple conversation. Buechler witnesses those moments every day. "People introduce themselves, learn what someone else does, and start building relationships," she says. The businesses inside Cowork Annex represent nearly every industry imaginable, from writers and artists to engineers, consultants, nonprofit organizations, technology companies, and national law firms. Some establish a Pensacola presence before expanding into permanent offices. Others arrive with little more than an idea and eventually outgrow the space altogether. That isn't viewed as a loss. It's the mission. One example is Instant Financial, a payroll company that began there before growing into its own offices. Stories like that reinforce Switzer's original vision not to create a place where businesses stay forever, but a place where they begin.

“We’re more than shared office space,” she says. “We want people to grow here.” Being located in the heart of downtown is another part of the experience. Meetings naturally become lunch on Palafox. Clients discover locally owned restaurants and shops. Entrepreneurs become part of the same community they're helping build while contributing to the continued momentum transforming downtown Pensacola. Ask Buechler what she hopes Cowork Annex will mean to Pensacola five years from now, and her answer has little to do with occupancy. She hopes people remember it as the place where they started, the place where an idea became a business, a conversation became a partnership, and creative energy became momentum. That is exactly what Bobby Switzer envisioned from the beginning. Years from now, the true measure of Cowork Annex won't be how many offices are filled. It will be how many successful businesses look back and remember it as the place where they found more than a workspace. They found the space between ideas.

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E N D of

SUMMER

CRAB

BOIL ARTICLE BY LEANN PARKER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANIE JONES

C ULIN A RY C R E AT ION S | F OOD + BE VE RAGE

I love family-style meals such as a crab boil this time of year. The food is the star of the show and a vital part of the tablescape – decor optional! Additional elements included here are a large paper-sail, light blue taper candles, a few large flowers, and heavy white rope as nautical accents. You can also use other elements such as large seashells, coral or seaglass. Use whatever you have on hand that nods to the sea.

TA BL E SE T T I NG White Pasta Bowls

Woven Placemats

Crab Salt & Pepper

Individual Ceramic Butter Warmers

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CONTINUED >

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CENTER PIECE

Paper-Sail Centerpiece (instructions found in Martha Stewart’s book “Handmade Holiday Crafts” page 248) set in a galvanized bucket filled with white sand. Blue Taper Candles placed in 8oz jelly jars filled with white sand. Glass Bottles labeled “Let’s Sail Away.” Inside, roll up a handwritten note, joke or riddle for guests to enjoy a chuckle or conversation starter. Large Galvanized Tray overlaid with parchment paper to hold the crab boil feast.

C ULIN A RY C R E AT ION S | F OOD + BE VE RAGE

Fill a large stock pot halfway with cold water. Season with lemon peels, bay leaves, black pepper, red pepper flakes, Old Bay Seasoning, and garlic powder. Bring to a boil and add crab legs, sausage, potatoes, and corn until cooked. Strain water and serve on a large galvanized tray, newspaper or parchment paper – enjoy your meal with guests, family style! Give each guest a bowl of garlic butter for dipping as well as lemons for squeezing (wrapped in cheesecloth and tied with twine to avoid seeds). Include special beverages and desserts such as a tiered lemon cake or frozen treat to beat the heat. For full instructions visit the blog at silvertoothhome.com/blog/crabboil. Enjoy!

CR AB BOIL MENU

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True luxury is fine dining with your own star, at home. From intimate dinner parties to unforgettable celebrations, the finest memories are often created around your own table. Luxury isn't defined by a price point. It's found in the moments that matter most; gathering, celebrating, and living exceptionally every day. Let one of our advisors help you discover a home worthy of life's finest moments.

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