Sparkling New Year

“Will you be getting glitter on your toes?” I asked my niece as we sat down in the pedicure chairs. “Uh no, that is too much glitter” she said with a tone that implied that I should have known that. Continuing she said, “I am just getting snowflakes with gems on my big toes and one finger on each hand will have a touch of glitter. I want to sparkle but not too much.” She finished her statement and with the utmost confidence she pressed the massage button on her chair and settled in for her Mani/Pedi experience. She will be twelve in March and I love that she is confident in her decisions about sparkling at this young age. Webster’s dictionary defines sparkle as shimmer, shine, or gleam and in the world of decorating it can be a challenge to know how much sparkle to add to a space. Let’s take a peek into a Lantana that struck just the right balance of sparkle and gleam for the New Year, somewhere in the heart of The Villages.

• Paint
The homeowner will warm the walls up with a color called Patience 7555 but it is not in the budget at this time. Everyone is on a budget and the end goal is to make the house look like a finished home. If the house gets painted but is still not finished it can be frustrating. Our goal was to pull together the main living area, using what the homeowner had and add things as needed, to finish the space.

• Mirror Mirror
This house is on the water and has an amazing water view. We wanted to capture that view and use it in the space. The Lantana model had a long dining room wall opposing the sliding glass door. We were able to add two arched mirrors to capture the view and throw it back into the space. The mirrors are called Palladian mirrors and are made to look like arched French windows. When these mirrors are installed it looks like a window was installed because the frame looks like window panes. The end effect in this dining room is spectacular! When you stand in the living room and look toward the dining room the entire view can be seen. No matter where you sit at the dinner table you will have a view!

• Chandeliers
The chandeliers that came with the house were not really the homeowner’s style, so we found something that was her style! The large golden orb! This chandelier is perfect for the space. We purchased the large orb for the dining table which hangs perfectly between the mirrors. Look toward your left in the photo and you will see the small orb hanging in the foyer. These lights are different and stunning! The mirrors add shimmer and the lights add shine but not too much!

• Buffet
The wall opposing the dining room is a big wall. The bookshelf was not substantial enough for the large wall so we replaced it with a buffet. The buffet complements the table and is in scale with the wall.

• Art
The homeowner wanted the art to stand out. We decided that two zebras would make a stunning statement. The picture is a close-up of two zebra faces; the neutral colors in the photo stand out but allow us to use the reds and pumpkins we were using elsewhere in the space. We placed a lamp with a black lamp shade on each side of the zebra picture; the black shades really stand out and complement the art as well. Because the wall is so big; I pulled the host and hostess chair from the dining room table and placed them on each side of the buffet. This looks to scale and provides extra seating should it be needed.

• Silver Palm Sunset
The smallest wall in the dining room received the photo artwork of Alan Maltz. The picture is titled, “Silver Palm Sunset” and is reflected in the mirrors as well as making a stunning presentation on the small wall. The colors are deep orange, with reds and tones of purple. The canvas is 60W by 40H so it pops nicely on the wall.

P.S. –Attention, club presidents! I give free decorating programs! It is lots of fun and very informative. Call and schedule your club today or call Ruth your full service decorator at 352-804-2056.