Beautiful interior design has always intrigued me. The best ones are creative and a little off the mark.
Interior design is captivating. There are so many styles, palettes and combinations that this wonderful profession just never gets old. The possibilities are endless and each client wants and needs something different. No two projects are alike…just as it should be.
While I enjoy interior design styles of all kinds, I especially like the quirky solutions. When a design has evolved over the decades or by several owners who used the bare resources available, you can find truly unique designs. Here are a few I’ve recently run across.
Living in Florida, as I do, provides endless inspiration. In particular, I love “old Florida.” Recently I took my mother and sister to visit the manatee at Blue Springs State Park. The park closes to boating during the winter months to accommodate the hundreds of manatee who move into the warmer waters.
Manatee Refuge at Blue Springs State Park
The blue-green color of the spring water is spectacular. Successfully transferring it to an interior can be tricky.
Blue-green inspires paint wallpaper selection in Spain; Photo: Nuevo Estilo
This dining room in Marbella, Spain uses blue-green beautifully with the De Gournay wallpaper.
Thursby House, traditional old-Florida cracker house, built 1872
This historic cracker house has charming interior wood plank walls. For those of you who may not be familiar with this term, a Florida cracker house is a wood-frame house typically built in the 19th century characterized by raised floors, large porches, a central hallway spanning from front to back and usually a metal roof.
Thursby House, built 1872, original use of wood-plank walls
Some rooms have planks running vertically and others have horizontal planks. This room has both. New sheetrock is so bland. This type of wall treatment adds such character.
Living room of The Barn. Photo credit: Paul Costello
Similar wood-plank walls are seen in the charming homes of Furlow Gatewood in Americus, Georgia. The beautiful antiques take on new life against the backdrop of salvaged wood plank walls. Furlow’s book, One Man’s Folly, is a great addition to your personal library.
Home in Winter Park, Florida
Closer to home, I drive past this beautiful house numerous times daily. It is the childhood home of one of my friends. The original windows, creeping fig, broken pediment door surround, finials, the restraint and whiteness of this house all make it one of my neighborhood favorites. Hopefully it will be preserved for years to come unlike some of our lovely older homes than have been demolished lately.
Email Mary Margaret or call 407-505-8626 to find your style that may be little off, but is right on the mark for you.