Florida Life

The blue dome of sky provides just enough contrast to show the thin line of a rising moon. As you stare into the horizon all that is left of the setting sun is a pink line with shades of coral meeting bright teal water. The sun has set behind me and is shining on the whipping palm fronds as the light begins to change quickly now. I am not the only one that has come for the sunset ceremony, in the distance between two palms standing on a large rock is a white heron. He is watching the sky, perhaps making plans for a nighttime roost or was he aware that an artist was photographing him tonight? That perfect sunset moment captured in time is Florida at its best! Let’s peek into the living room of a Lantana model to see how Florida life can look somewhere in the heart of The Villages.

  •  Paint
The homeowners wanted a neutral color pallet throughout the entire home and that neutral color is Natural Tan SW 7567. This color is a perfect sandy tan, it is very balanced. Remember, that when choosing a color for your walls, the color must show well with all the built-in items in the space. This means the color needs to complement the cabinets, the countertops, the tile, and any existing furniture in the space. For this reason, the most neutral tan worked best. In this space what is not shown is that the cabinets are tan with a peachy undertone and the granite was creamy with lines of naturally occurring peach color and hits of grey. Also, in the dining room the homeowners inherited a china hutch, dining table and buffet that was a pinky tannish oak finish. The paint worked with everything, and it was a challenge to find the right color.

  •  Accent Wall
Anyone who has followed my column knows that I rarely promote painted accent walls. However, I do promote textural accent walls that are painted white. In color theory, white is the combination of all colors on the color spectrum so when you paint white you are using all the crayons in the box at once. For this reason, white makes a great accent because it maintains brightness while remaining neutral. Also, you will never tire of a white textural accent wall, it always pops with fresh clean vibrance in the space without overpowering. This accent wall texture is basic board and batten which is a timeless application of boards or (battens) applied to the wall in boxes and then everything is painted white. If the squares do not appeal to you, then you can create your own pattern with the battens. There is so much inspiration from online sites, there will be something for everyone. Finally, white keeps the space light and bright, which is always requested by my clients.

  •  Casement molding
The large four door sliding glass door and the matching door in the kitchenette area received large casement molding and a nice big header. This creates a picture frame effect to the beautiful view outside. After the casement molding is installed, the molding and all the jambs are painted white. This creates the illusion that wood was installed on the inside of the window as well. Adding casement molding is always in the best interest of the home. It increases the visual value exponentially!

  •  Crown molding
Seven-inch crown molding was added all around the ceiling for a finished look and it draws the eye up to make all the spaces look bigger.

  •  Furniture placement
The homeowners already owned all the furniture in the living room except one piece. The buffet was a new addition to the space. The buffet is 86 inches long and 40 inches high. I like the amount of storage that the buffet provides, and it is big enough to balance out with an 80-inch TV. The couch and recliner were placed across from the TV and two chairs flank the buffet on the focal wall. The buffet is slightly offset on the wall rather than centered. If the Tv is centered in the space it does not allow us to use all the space. This is an open floor plan, so we don’t have to contain ourselves to the bump out that leads to the master bedroom. The furniture grouping can go beyond that as you see in the picture.

  •  Large rug
The rug is a 9×12 rug with an antelope pattern in a deep neutral blue. This allowed us to deposit color on the floor and the print does not conflict with the chairs that were already in the space. The rug is placed all the way to the feet of the buffet. This allows for the homeowners and visitors to walk fully on the rug and avoid tripping hazards.

  •  Large art
The large picture beside the TV is the photograph titled, “Between two palms” by Alan Maltz and I have seen that very spot in Key West, and it is just as pretty in real life.
The TV was put on streaming art for the photo shoot and that can be done anytime you want to look at something other than the TV or for a party. Two large coral pictures are stacked above a thin table in the master bedroom foyer and that is eye catching because they are big! The low light adds ambiance to the small space.

  •  Comfort
There are lots of pillows and throws to use when snuggling in for a TV show or football game. The space exudes a casual and inviting atmosphere which represents life in Florida.
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