Bathing Beauties

I know that it has been hot, and I think that people like to comment on the heat because saying the words, “its hot” acts a valve on a pressure cooker. The heat is a little easier to deal with if we just comment on it every now and then to release a little pressure. The beautiful thing about living in The Villages is that you can escape the heat because everyone has access to a pool in one way or another. The Orange Blossom Hills country club is my favorite pool! I find it to be reminiscent of West Palm Beach from days gone by. The waterfall of the pool and the grotto below has a vintage vibe that takes you back to the days of carefree sun and fun. The afternoons were elegant and best enjoyed sipping martinis by the pool while Sinatra crooned about dancing beneath the stars. Bathing Beauties wore swim dresses and when the women were done swimming, they would retire to their cabana and relax in Lily Pulitzer coverups. I was not alive in those days but looking at pictures of that time it seems like they were the best of days. In the world of decorating, I thought it would be great fun to create a room that pays homage to the days of bathing beauties gone by. Let’s peek into the guest room of a Gardenia model to see how bathing beauties still beat the heat somewhere in the heart of The Villages.

  • Wall color
The room received a fresh coat of paint. The wall color that was chosen by the homeowner is Rainwashed 6211. This color is a neutral blue with a hint of green. When the color is being applied to the wall it will almost look green but then when dry it looks blue. This color is a great neutral that will go with any color on the color spectrum because it is considered neutral. Remember, to paint in a satin or eggshell finish so that light will bounce around the room and make the paint look its best. Flat paint absorbs light, that is why I don’t recommend flat paint.

  • Mirrors
The use of mirrors in a small room will make everything look larger and the space will have more light. We used five mirrors in this space. The first two that we installed were over the nightstands. These mirrors are as wide as the nightstands and taller than the headboard. The mirrors are hung two inches above the nightstands so that they look like they are a part of the nightstand. I love the way they reflect the light of the lamp and throw the light into the space. The room has an amazing glow at night that is very inviting. The mirrors also reflect the back of the lamp and the décor pieces on the nightstands. The cute bathing beauty statues can be seen in three dimensions at one glance and the effect is mesmerizing.

  • Second set of mirrors
The second set of mirrors is on the wall opposite the window. This wall is big and has a high point on the ceiling. We installed three 37” round mirrors on that wall. The large mirrors add light, interest, and provide so much function. The mirrors reflect the light from the window back into the space and that brightens the room using natural light during the day. The mirrors can be used as a makeup and hair styling station when the bathroom is getting a workout from family visitors.

  • Bench
We placed a woven sisal bench underneath the mirrors so that if a guest needed to use it as a luggage perch they could. Also, if they did want to do hair and makeup in the room, they would have a place to put all the things they need as they were using them. Finally, the bench is great if someone needs to sit down to put on their shoes.

  • Art over Bed
We chose a peaceful beach scene to go over the bed so that it would feel restful. The picture came with a grey frame that did not do the photograph justice. We painted the existing frame black to create visual continuity with the black frames of the mirrors. When the frame turned black everything fell into place and the frames blended to create a strong focal point.

  • Art on side wall
The large side wall of this room is a wall that is seen upon entering the room as well as just by walking by. We found a bathing beauty on canvas with a black floating frame. She looked so pretty in her coral bathing suit, and she is sitting on a blue towel in the sand looking out to the ocean. This picture not only popped off the wall visually, but it creates a “bathing beauty” statement in the space.

• Art on the small wall
We found another bathing beauty picture of a girl jumping into the pool and we hung that picture on the wall between the entry door and the closet. This picture can be seen reflected in the mirror over the side table. Everywhere you look there are glimpses of bathing beauties in this space.

  • Pineapple
The final piece of art is a small white pineapple that looks perfect on the angled wall in the space. We were able to find a basket that had a woven net that resembled the body of the pineapple. This basket can be used for laundry or extra bedding.

  • Bedding
The bedding has colors that work with everything in the space. We started the bed with a white coverlet for the guest to use to sleep. We added two 26” by 26” Euro pillows in coral up against the headboard. In front of the Euro’s, we added two queen size pillows that match the second coverlet. The matching coverlet is folded back so that you can see both prints and the white coverlet pops against the colors in the space. The coverlet and pillows pay homage to the bright colors of Lilly Pulitzer, a West Palm Beach local and fashion designer. The final pillow is a bright flamingo !

  • Lamps
The lamps are tall, and they have an almost royal blue glazed finish. The lamp has a three-way light bulb up to 150 watts so that the guests can read if they need to. The royal blue is found in the bedding, and we loved the way it looked to bring that color out in the space.

  • Indigo rug
We installed an 8×10’ rug into this space because the color of the rug looked amazing. The rug is made of natural sisal which is a grass and then dyed with an indigo dye.
The rug added a deep color to the space that really helped pull out the deep color from the coverlet.
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Before and After Pics Below