Bright Drama

We see color magic every day! If you walk into a room that is dark and there are no lights on, the room will be black because there is an absence of light. However, turn on the light and the presence of that light will allow you to see all the color in the space. Color is the eye interpreting wavelengths from all the items in the room. Some wavelengths will produce green, and some wavelengths will produce blue and so on to every color in the crayon box. Look around the room and if see something white, that is all the colors on the color spectrum being interpreted by the eye. Since white is the presence of all color, if you want to brighten a room then you should choose some white to pop in the space. Let’s peek into the living room of a Lantana model to see how adding white made the space come to life with color and light somewhere in the heart of The Villages.

  •  White adds dramatic flare
This house was a nice shade of soft yellow and it was a bright house to begin with, but the homeowner wanted to add a bit more dramatic flare to the space. I don’t often advocate painting one wall to create a focal wall. Over time the wall will become dated, and it does not add any texture to the space. If you are considering a focal wall, consider creating texture as well. You can consider wallpaper that is a color and that will add texture and maybe print. You can consider wood treatments and design your own pattern if you like. When creating a focal wall with a wood texture most of my clients choose the box style board and batten. This treatment is a classic and can be found in applications that span the years of design. This treatment can be painted all one color of your choice but most of my clients chose white. We like white because it has a dual purpose. The wall will have texture and interest as well as brightening the space with the presence of white. The white will pop against any other wall colors in the space, and it will visually connect and unify with all the other casement, wainscot, and crown molding in the space. We did repaint the other walls to a softer color Patience 7555.

  •  White wainscot
The table in the dining room was a fine table but the space needed more dramatic flair, so we added white wainscot. The wainscot wraps around the dining room and under the island to unify the space. The white wainscot in the dining room helps pop the dark table and gives it more life. While the white wainscot under the island adds a finished look to the island. The island looks so much better with applied moldings rather than just dry wall. The neutral color of white helps the island to blend into the kitchen drawing the eye up rather than down. The neutral wainscot blends into the countertop nicely and all the blending makes the space look lighter and brighter.

  •  New countertops
The kitchen in this home was a nice caramel color and the cabinets are maple. The cabinets were in great shape and the only thing the kitchen needed to update the space was a new countertop. The homeowner wanted quartz which worked great. We found a quartz that was white with just a touch of caramel color throughout. It was the perfect choice to update the kitchen. Also, we added a full quartz backsplash so the counters would run seamlessly into the backsplash making the space look larger, brighter, and updated.

  •  Large mirrors
Two large arch mirrors in the dining room fill the wall with dramatic light catching brilliance. The arches mimic the arches in the home’s architecture as well as the arched display cabinet. The mirrors reflect so much light that they take on the appearance of windows.

  •  Highlight blue and Gold
The homeowner wanted to highlight the colors blue and gold. We did that by buying a new sofa in a light neutral blue. We found a swivel chair in a woven navy and white pattern. Also, we added a large 9×12 area rug to the living room. The rug is navy and neutral blues.

  •  Lighting
We highlighted the gold in the lighting. The foyer received two gold buffet lamps, the dining room received a gold orb chandelier and the living room received two new brushed gold lamps. These new additions of gold were just enough to provide a bit of elegance to the space.

  •  New recliner
We added a new recliner to the space in soft caramel leather. The recliner is large and luxurious and the color blends well with the brown tones in the space.

  •  Nook
The lanai was enclosed and air conditioned, so we moved the eat in kitchen space to the lanai. In this model if you have a large, enclosed lanai, you will have more room if you place the dining table out on the enclosed lanai. We added two swivel chairs for a coffee nook to the former eat in kitchen space. This creates enough room for the homeowner to have bar stools that are usable, an extra space for morning coffee, and a nice large informal place to eat dinner and be surrounded by windows.
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Before and After Pics Below