Lanai Living

Try to remember back to the first year you spent in Florida. Did you think that you would spend your mornings having coffee on the open air lanai of your new home? Maybe, you dreamed of afternoons reading or having a snooze after a long round of golf. Now fast forward to the present, how did that work out for you? Often, there is the idea of how you will live in Florida and then there is the reality of how you will live in Florida. Outdoor spaces are great if you don’t mind the layers of yellow pollen in the spring. May and June are often quite nice but still we have pollen. July gets a bit hotter with more rain and finally August pumps up the heat and humidity so that it feels like a steam bath outside. There is dried dirt pooled on the cement from daily afternoon showers and don’t you just love the lizards. After a year or two of these conditions most people decide to enclose and air condition the lanai so they can use it year round without worrying about dirt and reptiles. Let’s take a peek into the newly enclosed lanai of a Gardenia model. This lanai is pollen free and perfect no matter the time of year or the weather, somewhere in the heart of The Villages.

• Add Windows
The lanai already had a roof, so all that enclosing the room required was to add glass windows and another set of sliders. The glass windows extend all the way to floor so that all the wonderful light can continue to pour into the space.

• Paint
The walls received a fresh coat of paint that was the color of the homes exterior. I don’t know the name of the paint color but I liked the warm and earthy tone. Also, it worked well with the bright blues the homeowner wanted to accent on the lanai.

• Flooring
The flooring that was installed was luxury vinyl planking and looked like stone. This type of flooring is a great application for this space. The homeowners did not want to worry about water from the pool getting on the floor. Though this room is enclosed they still have the ability to leave the sliders open when the weather will allow.

• Indoor/Outdoor curtains
In a space like this I like to use indoor/outdoor curtains to add color and softness to the room. We had small rods installed wide enough to cover the wall between the windows and we installed the panels all the way to the ceiling. These panels are not functional but they add a finished look to the space.

• Blinds
The sun does shine in rather harshly at some points during the day so the windows had to have something to keep the sun out when it is too bright. The homeowner had honey comb blinds installed on the two large windows. These blinds blend in with the wall color and are not noticed. They drop down during the short time that the sun is too intense and then they go away when they are not needed. I barely realized that they had been installed that is how well they blend.

• Furniture
The homeowner wanted the room to have two functions. One half was for eating or playing cards and the other half was for relaxing and reading. The eating side was large enough to accommodate a 42 inch table and four chairs. The table is a warm wood tone and we had the chairs covered in a custom fabric which looks amazing! The relaxing side of the room has two recliners that almost tip you upside down creating an anti-gravity effect. These chairs are great for reclining and promoting circulation when in the anti-gravity position. In regards to storage; we were able to find a very thin buffet which we placed on the side wall. This buffet holds reading material, head phones, and the Daily Sun! Also, we installed a round table in between the two chairs with a lamp for reading at night.

• Art
The relaxing side of the space needed an amazing picture to inspire relaxation and pull you into the room. We installed “Endless Journey”, by Alan Maltz above the buffet and it could not have been a more perfect picture for the space. The color of the dock blends with the color of the buffet and the round table across the room. This coordination was not intentional but looks so good.

• Rugs
Even though this room may get a little wet when walking back and forth to the pool, the homeowners wanted nice rugs with lots of color. The rug underneath the chairs is a light background with large palm fronds in blue and green and it is striking. Finally, the rug in the eating area is deep royal blue with light aqua and it looks amazing under the table. All the colors in the room look good together and most of all the space is inviting!

P.S. –Attention all club presidents! We give free decorating seminars. It is lots of fun and very informative. Call and schedule your club today. Also, we are on-line check out our web-site at www.ruthdyer.com and you can always e-mail us at ruth@finishingtouchfl.com or Call Ruth your full service decorator at 352-804-2056.

Before and After Pics Below