I recently redecorated a home that was in transition and the client wasn't sure how to reincorporate the antique furniture she had, but still add updated furnitue and decor. The challenge here was that she planned on retiring to her beach condo in a few years and, what she kept as well as what she bought, had to be able to transition into the condo without looking out of place at the beach. I knew that I had to give her a beach look, but not make the dining room and living room look to beach-condo-themed.
Where we started...
The client had a ton of valuable antiques, some from Italy and very sentimental, as well as memorabilia from going to the Masters every year since she was little. So, you had the dark green artwork and then the lighter pastel beach colors needing to work, but not compete, in this big amazing room. It was simply a matter of figuring out how I could better display these beautiful things, but also add a more modern touch.
Where we ended...
I positioned the bar and dark green Masters art to the wall behind you when you walk in, so it didn't clash with the lighter pastels of the living and dining rooms. It gave the memorabilia a special space to be honored properly. Then I added teal, green and a burst of pink accents to give the feeling of a relaxing beach space in the living room, but still kept her antique coffee table and end tables. I finished off the room adding (to the coffee table) the special family crystal candy dish that belonged to her parents, thus combining the old with the new. For the dining room, I put all of her most important and meaningful glassware in the china cabinet that I decided to swap to the other side of the large room. I put a tall vase on the table (there was not a chandelier to position the table under) to accentuate the high sealings. Everything is displayed now so that it can truly be enjoyed and appreciated!
