Sub-Tropical Latitude Coastal Attitude

According to Google, Central Florida is considered a sub-tropical climate. So, when you’re lamenting the heat this summer remember that it could be hotter if you were in a tropical climate. Since we are sub- climate, we are part of a larger climate zone, but we are characterized by long hot summers with mild and wet winters. Many of my customers want to celebrate their new climate with décor that reflects the region, but we have choices since we are in the middle of the state and the middle of a climate zone. If you like tropical then you may have it and if you like coastal then you may have it but what if you want both? You may have it! Truly you can have anything you want in home décor but for today, let’s peek into a Lily model to see how tropical and coastal style blend to create a dramatic and timeless dining room somewhere in the heart of The Villages.

  •  Tommy Bahama Timeless
The homeowners purchased the Lexington Tommy Bahama Island Estate years ago when they purchased their home. This collection is timeless and is still popular today, but the homeowners wanted the dining room to look more complete and they wanted a bit more drama in the space. They entertain often so it was important to keep the table open all the way. Also, they loved their armoire, and I loved it too! It is such a stunning piece of furniture, and it is so functional in the space that we wanted to highlight it. Pro Tip: Armoires are very useful, and the beautiful armories can be repurposed elsewhere in the home if you want a new TV.

  •  Paint
The homeowners wanted to lighten up the space and one of the quickest ways to do that is to paint. The new wall color was SW Natural Linen 9109. This color is a light, warm, tan that can have subtle yellow undertones which makes it a lively paint. On the walls it looks like the perfect warm sand !

  •  Add wainscot treatment
The house already had crown molding running throughout the main body. We decided to add more molding to the space in the form of wainscotting. This wainscotting has an inlaid beadboard to add texture and richness to the space. The wainscotting is painted entirely in white from the top of the chair rail to the bottom of the baseboard. The white molding adds lightness to the space and makes the dining table and chairs stand out. The furniture looks richer against a backdrop of white.

  •  Two large arch mirrors
When the wainscot is installed at 40inches high there is just enough room to add the 72-inch-high mirrors. The top of the arch sits just underneath the crown molding. The mirrors are 48 inches wide, and they almost fill the wall completely. They reflect the beautiful water view and open the space. When you walk through the area you see the view no matter which direction you are headed.

  •  Beau Orb
The chandelier was replaced with the Beau Orb. The orb light is amazing for this type of look because it blends well with the mirrors and the finish colors are the same. Also, the best quality of the chandelier is that it is very large, but it is very open. The open pattern allows it to make a huge impression visually in the space, but it does not look heavy. It does not block any light or any view.

  •  Two large birds
The homeowners originally had two large bird pictures on the wall behind the table. The pictures are of the egrets and the blue heron. These paintings are by Art Lemay, and they look very coastal and natural because of their soft colors. The frames of the pictures were grey, and they did not really complement the birds. We suggested the frames would look better if they were black. The homeowners agreed and they painted the frames themselves. The new black frames look amazing and made the birds stand out. The birds were hung in their new home on each side of the armoire.

  •  Armoire
The armoire is a stunning piece that provides a ton of storage. Now it looks enhanced against the white wainscot, and it looks more to scale in the space with the tall mirrors across from the armoire. We added a glass collection that belongs to the homeowner to the top of the armoire. The touch of green and blue glass adds a coastal feeling that complements the tropical furniture so nicely.

  •  Chairs
Since we kept the table long, we wanted to keep an open walking path by putting the chairs only on two sides of the table. We were able to tuck away a chair on each side of the armoire. They look great because they pop against the wainscot, they ground the artwork, and they fill in the large spaces on each side of the wall.
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Before and After Pics Below