Florida Country

There is some art that you look at with appreciation and then there is art that draws you in like a good book. The picture “Free Spirit” glows from within and is mesmerizing. The subject is a single mangrove growing from a sandbar off the coast of Islamorada. The sky appears as a mixture of teals in the horizon converging with the bright blue water of the gulf. A thin layer of white clouds dapples the point at which sky and water collide, highlighting the subject in the foreground which is a mangrove tree. The water thins as it approaches the mesh of twisted mangroves and turns to the color of green glass. The sand around the base of the bush looks soft and sienna colored, glowing with the amber light of the sun. We often think of sunsets and birds as a way to infuse our homes with Florida but mangrove trees that surround Florida provide entire environments for wildlife to thrive. So then for those who love trees, once you see a mangrove there is no doubt you are in Florida country. Let’s take a peek at the living room of the villa from last week that has been freshly infused with Florida, somewhere in the heart of The Villages.

  •  Fresh paint
The villa walls were painted a fresh coat of Natural linen 9109. This color as described by its creator is, “This Light, warm neutral brings a subtle breezy vibe to any room. With a greige undertone, this beige pairs well with light wood tones.” This color has become a favorite of my client base last year. It seems to work for those that want warmth but no gold.

  •  Create the space
The main body of the villa is one big room that connects the kitchen and the dining island to the living room. We looked at the kitchen makeover last week of this villa to see how one big island would create storage and dining space. As we turn to look at the living room, we see that the main body of the home feels big because there is no dividing wall. Many people would think that a villa is small and therefore limited but I think they are large because the living space is so versatile and there are no walls to limit what can be done. We created a space with the same amount of seating as any Lantana or Gardenia and the room looks very open. The key to this was having an open mind.

  •  Creating a Focal Wall
The living room was previously oriented to look toward the large window and there was a TV in a bamboo stand angled in the corner. The TV was small, and the focal point did not look quite right so we re-oriented the room. We created a focal wall on the right side of the room if you are looking out the sliding glass doors as the picture shows. The focal wall is on the right side of the room and previously it was on the left. We added board and batten to the wall and painted everything white. The board and batten are boxes on the wall that add texture to the space and set that wall apart creating a timeless look. When the board and batten is painted white that keeps the space bright and neutral. We created more room for seating pieces by eliminating the entertainment unit that would usually adorn the focal wall. The homeowner purchased the TV that looks like a picture when not in use and it was hung on the focal wall above two chairs that are swivel chairs. The new Tv’s that look like art are different from the streaming TV’s that stream art. The screen on the TV looks almost flat and the artwork that is shown looks so good that you can see the texture of the art as well. If you are considering this product, it really looks great when not in use as a television. The two swivel chairs can be moved easily if everyone is watching a football game but that is rare. The room is set up for conversation and visiting and feels very comfortable. Pro tip: You can eliminate the entertainment unit in any space if you need more seating. The key is to hang the TV on the wall like artwork and place seating beneath the TV. The components that accompany the TV can be placed under a side table or in another room. The audio-visual professional can create communication between all the components even if they are in different rooms.

  •  Other furniture in the space
For everyday use of the living room, we created luxury for the homeowners. We purchased a very comfortable sofa for the lady of the house and of course for the gentleman we purchased a very comfortable recliner. We purchased three side tables for the space. Square side tables were placed on each side of the sofa and a third-round table was placed between the chairs on the focal wall. We added a matching coffee table to complement all the furniture in the space.

  •  Trim out all windows
All the windows received casement molding and headers. The window behind the sofa has a privacy treatment that hides up under the header.

  •  Rug
The rug is amazing, and it is big at almost 10’ by 14’. To avoid tripping hazards, we wanted to walk on the rug fully. Also, since this is one large living room we wanted to fill the room with beautiful rug. When you fill the room with a rug the room looks bigger! This rug is a tight woven wool and it is naturally stain resistant.

  •  Art
Two large art pieces work in the space so well. The first is “Free Spirit”, this is a large mangrove tree in The Florida Keys. The second is “Between Two Palms”, which features a winter sunset between two palms. Pro tip: Large art in a space makes the space look bigger.

  •  Lamps
The two lamps in the space are indigo blue that connect to all the blue tones in the art and in the rug. Overhead lights were added when the ceiling was done so that the villa has plenty of light any time of day or night.
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Before and After Pics Below