Tropical Sunrise

I was supposed to be in Key West right now but sadly the Keys are still closed. I would love to be looking at the vast expanse of water as we drive along the seven mile bridge. The historic “Overseas Highway” built by Henry Flagler was the original passage to the Florida Keys and runs parallel with the seven mile bridge. Age and subsequent hurricanes have left it a relic, rusty and beat up, but still standing. Today parts of it are used as a fishing and walking pier and can be accessed by a few small keys peppered along the way. Some parts of it cannot be reached as adjoining pieces have fallen way. A covered portion of the bridge can be viewed from Bahia Honda state park and creates a stunning display at sunrise. Let’s take a peek into a living room in which the homeowners get to see that sunrise everyday somewhere just beyond the heart of The Villages.

• Wall color
The wall color was already painted when I arrived on the scene and it is a very pretty grey. The color is a bit deeper than usual but with the white molding and large white shutter the contrast looks amazing! Also, this room is very bright and can sustain a deeper tone of paint. Remember, grey is a neutral and can be used with an array of colors so don’t be afraid to be unpredictable and use deep teal, light teal, and golden tan with grey.

• Chairs and couch
The chairs and couch were purchased as the color inspiration for the room. The homeowners liked the pattern of the chair and the range of teals and tans as well. They wanted to know if we could use this furniture but add a tropical note to the space.

• Rug
We added the tropical note by finding a rug with tropical leaves that visually tied into the chairs. The base color of the rug is a light tealish green that can be found in the pattern on the chairs. The leaves on the rug range from golden greens to brown greens and they tied into the couch visually.

• Focal point
We decided to create a large statement on the wall that can be seen when looking through the door into the space. We added a large book case with glass doors to visually anchor and ground the focal wall. This room does not have a TV so it was fitting that it should contain a bookcase that could hold books as well as display collectibles.

• Art
The art above the book case drove the tropical feeling home. The artwork is fine art photography by Alan Maltz and it is a stunning sunrise off the coast of Bahia Honda state park in the keys. The colors are the perfect complement to the rug since the picture is represented in an old Florida style using golden and sepia tones to give the picture a sense of age.

• Arched mirror
The large wall that opposes the shuttered window needed something impressive but we did not want any more art. The homeowner loved the arched mirror and we decided to hang it high above the sofa to reflect the opposing arched window. The mirror is 72’ high by 48’ wide and looks amazing over the sofa and when standing in the room it looks like another window. We hung two simple hurricane sconces on each side of the mirror to add candlelight to the space. The candles are electric Luminaria candles that look deceptively realistic. Also, the candles can be turned on by remote control.

• Side tables
The sofa received a side table on each side. The side tables were a combination of white distressed wood and a honey grey tan top. The touch of honey grey tan tied into the golden tones in the space and added richness and warmth. Remember, you can use different woods in a space; they just have to visually connect to something else in the space.

• Skirted table
The two chairs needed a table in between them and it needed to be big without negative space on the bottom. Negative space is openness and in this case we needed the large space between the chairs to be completely filled so that it would feel balanced across from the sofa. We used a skirted table of burlap. This added texture and reinforced the casual nature of the space.

• Lamps
The lamps looked best in deep teal. We chose matching teal lamps on each side of the sofa for balance. Finally, we chose a blown glass lamp for the burlap table. The light shines through the glass and enhances the color of the teal showing light and dark tones.

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

Before and After Pics Below