So I'm still recovering from my big 40 birthday celebration which involved dinner made by two of my favorite foodie crushes, chefs Nina Compton and Shirley Chung, finalists from last season's Top Chef. If you've followed me here or on IG you know that I'm a foodie at heart, so major kudos to the hubby for such an amazing treat, and to Xavier for showering me with happy birthday tunes and kisses all weekend.
Speaking of treats, one of my favorite projects of the year has been designing the winter home of my clients Karen and Carl.
They purchased this South Florida home to escape the harsh winters of the Northeast. Just a short walk from the beach, it was a great find for them both to squeeze in some quality time as a couple, yet large enough to welcome family and friends who too craved some Florida warmth.
When Karen contacted me in January the living room looked like this:
They had brought this VERY heavy sleeper sofa from their home in Maryland, but it looked so sad and lonely in this massive space and Karen was simply stumped. She was also a tad worried because a dozen women from her book club, plus family members were slated for back-to-back visits in early March. That's right. Roughly six weeks to design the main living areas of this five bedroom home, plus the master bedroom.
You'll remember the presentation we made in this post and how frantic I was when trying to pull said presentation together here and here.
It was a daunting task that also involved refinishing the ceilings, painting all the rooms, changing out all the interior and exterior doors, updating all the lighting. Let's just say we sweated bullets as we prayed that custom items would be ready on time.
This is what the living room looks like today. Neutral tones with the bold pops of color Karen yearned for.
Some background:
Karen is one of those clients that I connected with immediately. I mean, the kind of client you hug on the first meeting and miss terribly when the project is over. A kindred spirit, she often marveled how I read her mind as I would often source items she had considered for herself or already owned in her Maryland home. It was a joy to shop with her on our various excursions because she had a clear sense of her style and would fall head over heels in love with an item, or knew and told me right away if her heart didn't skip a beat and we'd move on.
From our initial consultation I learned that she loved orange and purple and wanted them both throughout the space but was nervous that the two bold colors would stage an unholy war if paired together. I think we proved that the two can live very happily together.
The Cole chairs in purple, were a delicious treat we found at Wassers Furniture. A great South Florida resource for designers, as they can customize almost anything with a variety of fabric options and can expedite orders - which we kinda needed since we didn't have the luxury of the usual 8 to 16 weeks custom orders can often take.
This super sized and comfy sofa from KOM Furniture seats many and was the perfect balance for the purple accent chairs. Throw pillows from my favorites Home Goods and Z Gallerie were budget-friendly finds.
I envisioned a mammoth coffee table that was a little rough on the edges and this Beijing coffee table from my long-time fave Addison House was the perfect find. You can seat an army around that table, and they did!
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This diver was a nod to Karen who grew up at the Jersey Shore and went to the beach here everyday. It was one of the first things she spotted during the reveal and fell hopelessly in love with. |
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We wanted lots of
light to filter in so wanted window treatments that made a statement of
their own but simply framed the windows. This Kravet fabric was a
splurge, but oh so worth it.
This woven leather
chair, also from Addison, is sooooooooo comfy and became Karen's
favorite chair to chill in. It's delivery was down to the wire - pun
intended.
In such a large room, it was important to create little vignettes throughout for moments of pause. This mirrored chest offered both storage and just a touch of glamor and its reflective surface helped bounce light around the room.
Karen loves African ancestral pieces, and I fell in love with this tribal vest from KOM and knew it would tell its own tale in their home.
Lets slide over to the entryway shall we?
Karen scored these
very statuesque pieces, who fit perfectly at the entryway. An over-sized
mirror reflects more light and draws the outdoors in. The scroll bench
is a place for Karen to sit for a minute before she headed out to the
beach and provides additional seating for guests.
The new frosted doors along the entryway and all along the very long hallway add some architectural interest and a modern touch. The buffet once sat all alone in the dining room, but I knew the minute I first saw it that it needed to hold court here instead.
We added the x leg ottomans for extra seating.
These lamps from Overstock made my heart sing and definitely hold court atop the buffet/console, right next to their new BFF, the giraffe I snagged at Home Goods.
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Photo Credit - Circle Ten Media |
Fresh colors are a must in every home, and I was pleased as punch that tulips were in bloom for this reveal. But yes, it's okay to cheat with "other" florals when you're like Karen and not in your home for much of the year. I promise I won't talk smack.
That's all folks. For now. We'll check out the rest of their home over the next few weeks because it's a lot to share!
I might add, that Karen and Carl were a designers dream. They were clear about their vision but gave me plenty of room to execute said vision. They're back home for the summer and I've truly missed our daily emails and calls! Looking forward to updating the guest rooms and baths next year and to seeing them both when I visit DC this summer.