Key West Color

I stepped out of the van and took a deep refreshing breath of the salty southernmost air. It has been six months since my last Key West adventure and I am happy to be down island again. All worries and cares seem to slough off with each passing day and it is easy to not count the hours when you are on island time. I know that I said I wasn’t going to Key West this summer because it was too expensive but Scott, my husband, has been watching the room rates practically daily to try to get a better deal and he got one! I look forward to time of day just before sunset when everything slows to see the wonder of the colors in the sky. Mostly, I love the low sad call of the morning dove at that twilight hour just after the sun has dipped beyond the horizon. Key West is a colorful melting pot of interesting people and things but they come together somehow and blend to create something special, unique and eclectic. In the world of decorating interesting things can work together too. Let’s take a peek into a guest bedroom of a Begonia model in which unique family art; hot tropical palms, a bohemian quilt and a crab pillow congeal to make a very inviting space, somewhere in the heart of The Villages.

• Color
We wanted the room to have color but specifically we wanted the color to come from the art and accessories. The wall color was a soft golden tan that was very neutral. In this Begonia Model the smaller bedroom is usually the darkest room in the house. We like to keep the paint light so that no light is absorbed.

• Headboard only
The room is fairly small so the furniture imprint is small. Just a headboard works best and since we were buying new furniture we chose to buy just what we needed. We attached the headboard to the wall for stability. By attaching the headboard to the wall it makes it easy to pull the mattress out for cleaning.

• One side matching side table
We bought one side table that matched the headboard because there is an angle in the wall of the room. The side of the bed with the angled wall works best with a round table. We decided that a 24” round table with burlap cloth would work well with the eclectic and casual look.

• Two lamps
This room always needs light. We purchased the lamps in a striking teal blue and not only do they give great and needed light but they make a color statement. Make sure your lamps are three way bulbs up to 150 watts if you really need light in a room.

• Art
The homeowners had a large collection of colorful art that was very personal and they wanted it to be displayed. We decided we liked two of them on the window wall of the guest bedroom. The key to seeing this art is to hang them where they could be read. For that reason, the rest of the collection was hung on the wall opposing the window. We needed a new piece over the bed and one that reflected Florida. We decided to use a piece by a Florida Artist Terry Lynn titled, “Palm Reflection”. The colors are so vivid, varied and amazing that it looks great with all the other colors in the room. The picture captures a common plant found everywhere in Florida and elevates it to much higher level.

• Bedding
I love this bedding! It feels very Bohemian with its patchwork of bright colors. We used a base coverlet in white to make everything pop. Also, white is perceived as the cleanest color, it is washable and bleachable making it perfect for a guest suite. We added the striped euros on the back and used the shams in front for a strong color link to the bed scarf at the bottom of the bed. The bed scarf is just the colorful quilt folded into the scarf at the end of the bed. We found a great pillow with a crab on it to tie into the other bedding and it finished the look. The white base coverlet allows all the colorful bedding to shine!

• A bench
If you have this model, one more thing that you could add to the guest room is a bench on the large wall opposing the window. This bench will allow for the luggage to lay out on that so the floor stays uncluttered.

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.finishingtouchfl.com and you can always e-mail us at ruth@finishingtouchfl.com or Call Ruth your full service decorator at 352-804-2056