Spanish homes designed in the 1920’s were incredibly charming serving as inspiration for homes ever since; however, few measure up to the original beauties.

Bad design is all over Winter Park. So many houses that make you wonder, why? Why would one choose that chandelier or mix two woods – one on the stairs and another on the floors? The below “before” photos are of one such house. Not a huge house at 3300 sq ft yet so many bad decisions. Fortunately, my stylish client is ready to rip out and make right. She and her husband recently bought this house as their empty-nesting bungalow. They hadn’t previously lived in a Spanish-style house, but she knows of my passion for them. Consequently, she brought me in for some Andalusian inspiration.

The unfortunate staircase.

The dining room.

The foyer with its tile accent. Doors on angles are also on my detest list. All angles, and there are many here, will be removed from this dwelling.

Her future office.

The kitchen family room combination that I loathe. We will be nixing the niches along the long wall.

The pool, for lack of a better word, will be eliminated making way for a lovely tiled fountain and outdoor seating. Possibly some very tall bamboo for some privacy.

This sad powder bath is screaming for a tile wainscot at a minimum.

A touch of Texas will be added to the mix.

My client’s furniture is mostly dark wood and traditional in style. It will be coming along to this new address. The overall look will be a mix rather than being Spanish base to crown. One inspiration photo she sent to me was the image above. I know it well as it belongs to a house in my hometown of Highland Park, Texas. This old Spanish beauty was recently redone by the fabulous Cathy Kincaid. I can see why my client gravitated to this look as it wonderfully blends traditional elements within a Spanish surround.

The exterior of this classic home on a well-known street in Dallas.

A view of the lovely living room.

Additional views of the dining room show the blend of traditional with exotic.

Another source of inspiration is the George Washington Smith designed  Casa del Herrero in Montecito.

This house is clearly more Spanish than my client would like, but there are endless wonderful details to incorporate into her project for a touch here and there.

The gardens of the house are equally spectacular with their prolific use of tile.

Tile will undoubtedly figure into this house. Thank heavens. This is one of my favorite finishes, well ok my favorite finish, to incorporate into an interior for the personality and texture they provide. I can’t bear tile that is too uniform or trying to look like another material. The above tile is from Solar Antique Tiles. Their specialty is antique tile but they also have reproductions.

Stay tuned for the “after” photos somewhat later. To see more of Cathy Kincaid’s Spanish beauty see here and here.

Casa V can turn your Spanglish house into a Spanish beauty.