At Home with Kathy Bigham and Michele Dissinger

“Why not have a big life?” This quote graces a coaster in the home of Kathy Bigham and her fiancée, Michele Dissinger. Although having a big life can mean disparate things, for Bigham and Dissinger, it is all about finding richness where they live. And for this dynamic couple, richness comes from proximity to one of Southwest Florida’s most precious assets: water.

“We love anything to do with water,” shares Bigham, who, when not on task at Bigham Jewelers, the jewelry store she owns and operates, spends her time on or near glistening blue seas. She and Dissinger paddleboard, ride Wave Runners, and are members of the Freedom Boat Club of Southwest Florida. Often, over morning coffee, they sit on their pool deck and watch the dolphins play and the manatees graze within the placid waters of Moorings Bay.

From the beginning of June to the close of September, they can be found at their home on the beach in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. While it is a very different scene than Naples, they describe it as their “happy place,” one they look forward to visiting four months of the year and probably so described because stays involve regular weekend visits with their children—one of whom lives only a three-hour train ride away.

Bigham has lived in Naples for 30 years. She grew up on the east side of Cleveland and, after college, bought and sold gold in the Midwest city. She opened her first jewelry store in Naples in 1995, after a friend suggested the coastal town as an option. In 2005, she unveiled the 8,000-square-foot, diamond-shape Bigham galleria on US 41. This past fall, the independent business celebrated 30 years.

Since relocating to Naples, Bigham explains she has moved to a different residence every couple of years—in a variety of neighborhoods. In fact, she shares that one large piece of art, a ceramic frog, and a ceramic Buddha head are the only three items that have followed her to each of her homes.

Bigham considers her latest place—situated on the water—her dream home. She purchased the .39-acre lot, tearing down the existing bungalow built in 1992 and contracting Borelli Construction of Naples to build a 4,000-square-foot residence. She wanted a single-level home that was “not overwhelming but cozy.” Specifically, she did not want vacuous ceiling space. Bigham selected neutral and natural-color finishes and furnishings for the interior. An abstract metal stove hood—made by Oney Sheet Metal, a custom sheet-metal fabricator in Southwest Florida—is probably the most colorful addition to the home. 

Outside, a large infinity pool stretches over the back lanai, appearing to flow into the waters of the bay below. A large dock holds space for a boat, paddleboards, and a collection of Wave Runners.

Dissinger, a retired health care executive from Texas, shares the home. The engaged couple are planning a destination wedding sometime this year. Dissinger has embraced the Florida lifestyle and says their time together on the water “is never often enough.” Committed to living a big life, the pair like to travel and are working on a bucket list of places to visit. Last year, they journeyed to Italy and Spain. They rave about an all-inclusive resort they visited on Mexico’s Riviera Maya.

When asked if this home—one that still carries the new-house smell—will remain an address longer than two years, Bigham smiles and admits, “probably not. I’ll be ready to move again soon.” 

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