Florida Adventure

I am 26 days away from another birthday and for the past 24 years I have been spending my birthdays in Key West. However, there is not a single room at Southernmost Beach Resort for less than 625.00 and I have never paid 625.00 dollars a night for a room in Key West. I think I will have to find a new and affordable adventure in Florida for my birthday this year. Adventures are wonderful in life but what about in the world of decorating? Let’s take a peek into the living room of a Begonia Model from last week to see what the homeowners created with their fabulous Florida finds somewhere in the heart of The Villages.

• Furniture placement
Furniture placement is the most important thing in the Begonia and Gardenia models. Most of my customers like to open up the room because if feels more inviting and makes the space look really big. The TV does not have to be placed between the windows; it can be place on any of the three walls. The homeowners chose to place the TV on the smaller wall so they could see it from the kitchen and enjoy the view of the pool while watching TV. They moved the armoire to the foyer and it seems to enjoy its new home. They placed the couch on the wall between the windows and the room immediately felt lighter and large. The homeowners purchased one more sofa just like the one they currently owned and they placed it on the wall opposing the TV. This created a faux sectional feeling and added three seats to space. When you use two couches you are able to use a side table that provides a great deal of function in the space. They placed one teal chair by the sofa at an angle looking into the room and they placed the second teal chair by the TV console at an angle looking in toward the room. Placing the furniture in this configuration opens up the space, invites people in and promotes conversation during social gatherings.

• Rug
The rug makes a fabulous splash especially when it is positioned on the angle. When the rug is positioned on the angle it draws the eye into the space and reinforces the focal wall. The rug is wool and hand loomed. If you want an abstract rug that looks expensive but is affordable; I would choose an abstract rug that is wool for a deep rich look.

• Art
The art is titled, “Free Spirit” by Alan Maltz. This picture shows an intense deep blue sky and the image is a singular mangrove tree near a sandbar in the Keys. The sunlight that is captured in the picture makes the sand below the mangrove tree look as if it is glowing. The abstracts from last week were created with all the colors of the living room in mind as well as the rug in the dining room.

• Other art in the room
The secondary pieces of complementary art hanging in the space are pieces that the homeowners owned from their travel adventures and they had sentimental value. They were framed in golden oak which did not complement the watercolor prints. The fearless homeowners painted the frames in a teal blue color that refreshed the art and the frame. The pictures showed better in a frame color that coordinated with the prints. All the art works great in this space.

• Lamps
The lamps are blown glass in a deep blue. The blue lightens to a tealish blue when sunlight shines throw it. I like to position glass lamps in front of the windows because when the sun hits them it adds a different dimension to the look of the space. The third lamp in the space is a Tiffany lamp and is completely different from the look of the glass lamps. However, they work together because they have a relationship through color. Often in the world of decorating two different styles come together through a color relationship.

• Curtains
The curtains are stationary but add softness and texture to the space. They do not move and the homeowner placed the panels on the outsides of the window only creating a finished look to the focal wall.

• Flamingos
There are a few flamingoes hanging out in the space. The homeowner is starting a bit of a collection for fun. When traveling around Florida it can be fun to pick up iconic art that creates a memory about your Florida adventures.

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