Sunset Colors

Cerulean Sky was a vast canopy as the sun began its descent into the deep ocean. I was standing on Vanderbilt beach in North Naples this weekend and all eyes were on the swath of bright coral that filled the space between sky and ocean while a hot band of orange sat just above the water line looking as if it radiated out from the sun. The ever churning ocean was the green of aged sea glass and the sand became shades of charcoal grey being backlit by the sun. Everyone who looks upon a magnificent sunset must wait in anticipation, as if in worship, to see it to the end. Slowly the bright quivering circle dipped into the ocean leaving us to watch the sky fade to an inky blue. In the world of decorating, we like to surround ourselves with things we love so how would we surround ourselves with the colors of the sunset. Let see how these homeowners did just that somewhere in the heart of The Villages.

• Lanai
The lanai for the homeowners of this Seabrook Model is a quiet respite for reading, a place to play cards, and a place to entertain for cocktails and snacks. They wanted their lanai to be colorful and comfortable. Also, they love a good sunset so we filled the room end to end with sunsets.

• Groupings
My customers felt very strongly that even though the lanai was an enclosed space with air-conditioning, they still wanted it to look like an outdoor space. We chose indoor-outdoor wicker and bright Sunbrella fabric to reinforce the bright outdoor feeling. We chose dark wicker because it looks so rich.

• Seating Area
The seating area is comprised of four chairs. The homeowners loved the idea so that each person seated could have two arms on the chairs, and could swivel and rock. The fabrics for the chairs are a stripe with purplish blue, white and black stripes. This fabric is eye catching and is complementary to the dark wicker. Also, the purplish hue of the fabric complements the cerulean sky in the large sunset. Each chair pairing has a side table to accommodate a drink. The middle coffee table is a little higher than normal and it is large so that people can entertain by filling the middle table with snacks.

• Bright sunset
We hung the bright “Sea of Dreams” above the sitting area because people want to experience the sunset while visiting with friends. Often, one large statement piece is eye catching and keeps things looking peaceful.

• Rug in seating area
The rug was a challenge for the space because we did not want the chairs to sit on it and the color had to be just right to go with all the other bright choices. We chose a rug coincidentally called “cerulean blue”. The rug did not come in round so we purchased an 8X10 and had it cut down to an 8ft round. This is so simple and inexpensive it was worth it to have it just right. Most carpet stores will have someone who does it or can recommend someone.

• Reading area
The homeowners are avid readers and having a quiet place to read was very important to them. We purchased two high back chairs that rock and swivel to create a reading spot. We only needed one ottoman because only one of the homeowners uses this space to read. I love the 5×8 multi colored rug that we placed beneath the reading chairs; it is lively and ties all the other colors in the space together.

• Cards and eating area
At the opposite end of the lanai we have the cards and eating area. The homeowners loved the comfort of the sling chairs. We purchased them in a bright teal mesh to tie into all the other colors on the lanai. Also, we placed a large 8×11 rug beneath the table. It was important to use three rugs in this space for two reasons; we wanted to control the echo by absorbing sound and the rugs add comfort and color coordination.

• Drapes
We also added drapes that were customized for the space. They are Sunbrella fabric panels that we purchased on line but we added some spice.
We added a band of grosgrain ribbon to tie to all the colors in the space. Now the curtains pop! Also, the draperies help to dampen the echo.

• Art in eating area
The picture in the eating area is another sunset but a bit softer. The sky of this sunset ties into to all the purplish blues found in the fabrics throughout the lanai.

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Before and After Pics Below