The Straight Road

The long arms of the oak trees reach toward each other until their canopies entwine, creating a natural archway over the straight road. Dappled light moves across the ground, adding softness and dimension that invites you forward. At the end of the archway a white house rises in quiet grandeur, a presence from era gone by. We follow the road in and out of shifting light while a soft wind stirs the leaves like whispers from those who have passed this way before. At the steps of the house, beauty reveals itself in the language of architecture. White columns, broad porches, ironwork along the second-floor verandas, and windows framed with workable exterior shutters all speak to a time when craftsmanship shaped every detail. In the world of decorating most paths are winding, but what if we took the straight canopied road? Let’s peek into a living room and dining room to see how the classic path to architecture transformed this Jasmine model somewhere in the heart of The Villages.

  •  Large space
The Jasmine model offers a generous living space, but the key to preserving that sense of scale is to work with the room rather than against it. In the before picture the space was divided by a loveseat, which cut the room in half. For a room to feel inviting you should be able to walk directly into it, yet placing the loveseat in the natural walkway made the space feel less accessible and therefore smaller. Our goal was to highlight the room’s best features so the architecture and layout could read as open and expansive.

  •  Crown molding
The ceiling line of the Jasmine model is one of its most striking features, and crown molding is the perfect way to draw attention to its natural movement. We installed seven-inch crown, and the room immediately felt larger because the eye follows the sweep of the ceiling. It is a simple change that highlights one of the strongest architectural elements in this model.

  •  Create a focal point
In many homes the largest wall naturally becomes the focal point, but in this Jasmine model it was the second largest wall that deserved the attention. The natural walkway leads directly to the slider on the far right, and because it only opens from one direction, placing a chair in front of that path was never an option. That made the adjacent wall the ideal place to anchor the room. We wanted a feature that felt architectural without adding the bulk of a large entertainment unit, so the woodworker created beadboard panels with a simple header that mounts directly to the wall. The result is a bright, tailored focal point. The homeowner’s warm wood console sits beautifully in front of it, and the contrast allows the piece to truly stand out.

  •  Privacy treatments
The two large windows received different privacy treatments, yet to the eye they read as one cohesive design. The large window was fitted with shutters, and the woodworker added a header that finishes the top beautifully. The slider, however, needed a different solution. It received a Slide View by Hunter Douglas, a honeycomb treatment with a very small stack back. We did not want any of that stack back visible, so the woodworker concealed it behind simple columns that support a header applied across the top of the slider. When you look at that opening, all you see is clean, tailored molding, and the privacy treatment disappears into the architecture. Though the windows are different the matching headers add visual cohesion.

  •  Board and Batten
On the remaining large wall to the left of the room, the woodworker installed board and batten, and the entire wall was painted white. The treatment brought a bright, lifted feeling to the space. Its scale and clean lines created a strong visual counterbalance to the white architectural treatment on the focal wall, allowing the room to feel cohesive.

  •  Built in cabinets
In the before photo, the homeowners had a traditional China hutch on the wall across from the dining room, but it no longer suited how they lived. They wanted open display space and more functional storage with drawers. We worked with the woodworker to install a six-drawer cabinet base and added open display shelving above it, extending all the way to the roofline for a built-in, architectural feel. The new piece was finished in crisp white, with a beautifully stained wood top that echoes the warm tones of the console in the living room. The new cabinet blended seamlessly into the board and batten wall and the light white color kept everything looking bright.

  •  Wall color
The homeowners wanted a bright light space, but they still craved warmth and coziness. Together we chose the wall color Patience 7555. This color is to me the perfect crème. It is light and bright, but it has a warm undertone of tan with a hint of gold, just enough gold to be vibrant and bright. This is a color that can be universal because it goes with everything. Always remember that two coats of paint is a must!

  •  New floor
New flooring was installed throughout, and the change made an immediate difference. The luxury vinyl the homeowners selected has a realistic, natural look that adds warmth and helps ground the entire space.

  •  Large Rug
The living area is large, and we needed to soften the echo. The most effective way to control sound in a room is with a generously sized rug. We brought in a 9×12 rug and positioned it, so all the furniture sits fully on it while keeping the natural walkway clear. The rug’s palette pulls in all the colors of autumn, and from that mix we chose to highlight the rich, grounding shade of green throughout the space.

  •  Touch of Green
We layered in green throughout the room to tie the palette together. Green lamps were added and a large permanent botanical, a fiddle leaf fig tree, anchors the corner with natural height. We also painted the inside of the front door a complementary shade of green, creating a visual connection to the other accents in the space. The new dining room set has green upholstered chairs pulling that green around the space for a complete look.

  •  Art
Finally, the artwork we hung on the board and batten wall is a striking 60-by-40-inch framed photographic canvas of Oak Alley Plantation in Vacherie, Louisiana. It brings a beautiful dose of nature into the room, capturing a moment in time with incredible depth. When the lamp below it is on, even at its lowest setting, the dappled light along the path seems to glow. I love this piece because it feels alive, almost as if it’s inviting you to step right into the scene.
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Before and After Images Below