Demo day got under way and soon this dated property will be a relaxing retreat for guests. Watch over the next few weeks as we renovate and update this great florida keys home. The initial design process started 3 months ago with meetings and design themes developed.
We just love living in Palm Beach County! There are so many fascinating things to see and do, right here in our own backyard. Take the The Society of the Four Arts, for example. It holds a plethora of cultural programs and is Palm Beach’s destination for art, music, drama and literature. The campus includes 2 libraries, a gallery and gorgeous botanical and sculptural gardens.
You should try to plan on being there for most of the day because there is so much to take in, and before you head over, you may want to call ahead to set up a private tour of The King Library. That's what I did, and it was such a great experience!
The King Library designed by Maurice Fatio
The Library houses over 75,000 books, periodicals, videotapes, DVDs, CDs and Audiobooks. It has a Fine and Decorative Arts Collection with books on Decorative Arts, Interior Arts, Art History, Photography, and Architecture, so naturally, as a designer, this really appealed to me.
The library is very charming and its donated collections are quite impressive, but I must say, my favorite part of the tour was the Rare Book Room. For it is in this room where the personal library of Addison Mizner lives. The collection spans the entire back wall, several shelves high, and includes a 300-volume Architectural Library as well as books about the History of Spain, English Furniture, and Japanese Gardens, just to name a few.
As I was standing there among all of the books, what I found most interesting was that the library also contained his personal scrapbooks. It was a real treat to actually see old postcards, photographs and tear sheets that one of my favorite architects felt worthy of saving. While most designers will tell you that they keep such things as inspiration, these days, most of it is in digital form. With the advent of websites like, Pinterest, Houzz and Coolhunter (some of my personal favorites) there are so many different types of images at our fingertips. If you haven’t done so already, sign up and create your own look books! It’s fun :)
Spring has sprung and like the newness of flora peaking out from the ground, it’s time to rejuvenate your spaces with bright colors and new ideas.
Meryl Streep’s popular line in The Devil Wears Prada went something like, “Florals for Spring? Groundbreaking.” As much as we designers love to brainstorm different ideas, a floral theme is a staple for decorating in the new season and it doesn't have to cover an entire sofa. A few throw pillows can be just enough to bring a room to life after a cold winter -- or in our case here in Florida -- a luke-warm one.
It’s also the right time to remember to incorporate Pantone’s color of the year: Radiant Orchid. This gorgeous shade of purple with fuchsia and pink undertones can be brought to life on your dinner table or in your living room in the form of accent pieces and artwork.
A big trend this year is to add dashes of color to an otherwise neutral room. For example, painting the interior of a kitchen cabinet with a contrasting turquoise brings about an interesting contrast.
The lime green accents in the living room, shown in Veranda Magazine, bring a sense of freshness and life to a neutral pallet and can easily be changed out for other colors when the season passes.
And of course, we love getting back to our roots with the coastal laundry room. We love that appliance manufacturers are now thinking about color as well and the bright blue of the stackable washer & dryer in combination with the rug and fresh flowers is nothing short of eye-catching!
Spring is all about using color to brighten up and cheer up a room, but color is not the only option in adding a little liveliness. Patterns can be just as fun and stimulating, especially in the form of wallpaper, as these examples clearly show.
Our favorite trend for spring, however, is the return of brass. We really love some of these cool brass lighting options as seen on Apartment Therapy. Also, be sure to check out the stunning faucets from the pages of House Beautful!
Whatever you decide to do this spring, don’t be afraid to step out of the box and play with new colors!
Here in Palm Beach, we often get caught up in the new-ness of everything. With new homes being built and new design ideas popping up everywhere, we tend to forget that beauty can be found in the old and vintage. New pieces are beautiful, but add a family heirloom and it now becomes personal.
If our previous blogs were any indication, we’re very big on going green and creating sustainable design and what that comes down to is the basics: reduce, reuse, and especially recycle. And what better way to recycle, than to take the old treasures and mix them in with the new?
Some of the most beautiful designs come from adding antiques to a more contemporary space.
Take for example this kitchen. Where it’s modernity includes the stainless steel appliances and open space, it’s balanced with an earthy, antique look from the table and chandelier and gives the room a warm, cozy feel.
Little accessories can also add a touch of old-world charm to a room. Consider changing up something small like your door knobs:
Perhaps a door knob just isn’t enough...
Here are a couple of great room designs that use this concept:
We love this kitchen in particular because the floor is very retro while the countertops and appliances are clean and contemporary.
Whatever you choose to do, it’s important to remember that mixing and matching the old with the new can create something unique and give you a reason to use that old rocking chair that was passed down to you by your grandmother. Don’t be too quick to throw away an item that could be used to add to a vintage appeal to a room.
We recently had the pleasure of attending a Duralee presentation at the Designers’ Buying Group in Jupiter, FL, in which Eileen Kathryn Boyd, a designer for Duralee fabrics, discussed the process of creating new fabric designs. We gained an entirely new perspective on the process and appreciate all of the work that goes into preparing a new line.
Eileen saved paintings and ideas for 15 years before approaching Duralee about creating a line. With 20 years of experience, a Fine Arts Degree, and 15-20 completed showhouses, she understood fabrics from a designer’s perspective as well as an artist’s. Hers became the first Duralee licensed collection.
People sometimes get so involved with the way a fabric looks; the color, the pattern, the repeat, that they underestimate the importance of the way a fabric feels. It was interesting to hear that the first thing Eileen did when sorting through a myriad of fabrics that were presented to her, was to close her eyes and touch all the fabrics. They had to meet all the senses.
Many of her designs are influenced by what she finds at textile shows. She buys pieces and pattern ideas that inspire her. From an initial piece, the fabric takes on a new life of its own.
One example of this flourished from the contemporary inspiration painting of a flower. Eileen first took the flower and created a purple color scheme around it, then added a leopard print to the background. Finding further inspiration from a Warhol painting, she outlined the flowers in a particular fashion. The end result is a fabulous pattern that will debut later this year, in July.
To Eileen, the process is very artful. It involves a lot of back and forth between she and the design department, and lots of tweaking, “like cooking,” she explained.
Here are a few of Eileen’s designs from her first collection. You can get an idea of which memory pieces carry through the fabrics. She’ll be taking some inspiration from her previous line when her next one debuts. We look forward to see all of the new patterns!
It’s 2014, can you believe it? We haven’t quite grasped it either, but we’re excited to be in a new year with a lot of opportunities ahead of us. 2013 was particularly great for Bandon Blue Designs, as one of our projects became LEED Certified Gold at the end of December.
It's quite an accomplishment, because there are only two LEED Homes in the Town of Jupiter.
We told you about LEED certifications in an earlier blog post, but why would the client want their home to take part in this? They understood that the benefits of LEED included everything from lowering their carbon footprint, in terms of electricity and water usage as well as waste creation, to knowing what they are and are not breathing in through their indoor air quality. For the couple we worked with, the best part was knowing that when it was finished, the home would be free of toxins and other potentially harmful materials and that they have reduced their carbon footprint.
There’s quite a bit of criteria that had to be fulfilled for the home to be LEED gold certified.
Location was of particular value. The project site was carefully selected by the homeowners because it was built above the 100-year floodplain, with close proximity to the beach and has outstanding community resources. It is also a sustainable site with a fairly dense 7 units per acre so it was chosen in an effort to conserve land and promote community livability.
When building and designing this LEED project, we had to take into account the materials and resources selected and manage the proper waste diversion.
Overall, the project was a major collaborative effort from the homeowners, the builder, the LEED green rater and ourselves, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. We’re proud to be a part of such an important cause and this is just the first of many future LEED projects. You can check out some pics in this blog posts and a few more on our LEED for Homes page!
How to create a warm and welcoming home to entertain this Holiday Season.
It’s best to welcome guests into an open part of your home where there isn’t too much furniture making the room look cluttered. Allow the guests to have space to move around and mingle with a few options for those who prefer to sit.
One of our favorite accents for a welcoming home is the bar cart. We found this creative idea on Pinterest and it's a great way to spruce up a room and add a little holiday touch.
A well lit room is also important - but that definitely doesn’t mean turning on extremely bright or fluorescent lights. Create a warm and inviting atmosphere with some of these lighting ideas:
This is a pretty way to add a little sparkle to your tropical Christmas decor.
Lanterns are also a simple touch to warm up a room and they can be found at just about any craft store. Here in Palm Beach, it’s still pretty warm outside, so a great place to entertain guests is the backyard. Try wrapping trees with Christmas lights or hanging lanterns from them to create atmosphere.
If you're welcoming guests for an overnight stay, remember to provide them with a comfortable space to live in. One great idea we got from Martha Stewart is to keep a matching pile of towels folded and tied together with a ribbon. That way, before the guest arrives, you can simply pick up the towels and place them in their room.
Similarly, make decorating a breeze by touching up your guest's room with stationary. Not only may it come in handy, but it's an excellent way to bring in a winter theme or something seasonal into the room.
Whatever you choose to do, remember to have fun with it. Happy decorating!
Even though we are located in Jupiter, FL, we aren't immune to the winter decorating bug. We love the sense of coziness that comes with the winter months and, regardless of the weather outside, we'd be darned if we didn’t decorate for the season! Part of the fun of living by the beach is that we can use these surroundings to inspire a different kind of holiday decor.
The nearby beach can provide sustainable material that can be hand-crafted into beautiful holiday-themed pieces.
For example, here's a great idea for a Christmas tree ornament, that will bring the beach to your home.
This simple DIY idea is an excellent way to get your family together for a fun project!
Another idea is a beach-inspired wreath.
All you need are a few decorative pieces from your local craft store, or your own backyard, and a visit to the beach to find starfish, shells and other fun additions.
In Florida, not only do we have the beach, but we’re also lucky to have an abundance of fresh oranges available throughout the year. For many elsewhere in the world, oranges and other citrus fruit have become a staple of Christmas and the New Year, as that is the season they are widely available. So, it only makes sense that we use oranges in our winter decor.
One great way of doing this is by adding them to your mantel along with fresh cut greenery. They’ll spice up your fireplace and are a natural way to give your space that clean citrus scent.
If you do choose to go with a beach theme, remember that red and green aren't the only colors that can create a festive atmosphere. Play around with what looks good and bring the blue of the ocean in for a fresh take on the season!
Thanksgiving Day is just around the corner and before you know it, so are the rest of the Holidays. It’s a time of the year where the stream of family pouring into your home seems endless. It is also a good time to take the opportunity to show off your creativity and welcome them with a beautiful tablescape at dinner. We’re inspired by a lot of ideas when we decorate, in particular by some of the creative designs we’ve found on Pinterest. Here are just a few:
Bring the outdoors in for a simple, but elegant table setting.
The great thing about decorating for the holidays is that we can always stick to what is familiar to us - how our mother decorated - or we can get creative and add a touch of our own personality and life to the design.
Here’s an interesting way to spruce up a table setting for Thanksgiving with just a touch of something different… Gold pumpkins!
You can always go for a more modern look with these gorgeous square dishes with silver accents set against the traditional orange.
We’ve given you a few ideas, but it’s always fun to come up with your own. Play around with a mix of modern and traditional and make your Thanksgiving dinner something to remember!
When we hear the words, “beautiful interior design”, it evokes an image that can vary greatly from person to person. It could be a wide-open space with clean lines and modern design elements or perhaps something more traditional and ornate. It may even have a nautical or coastal flair. Whatever your idea of beautiful is, have you ever considered that it could be so much more than just aesthetically pleasing?
Yes, design can be beautiful, but it can also go above and beyond that by incorporating non-toxic and energy efficient products into the plan. By doing so, you can improve your indoor air quality and create an eco-friendly, healthy home. By the way, those energy efficient products that you use can also save you money over time!! That’s what Sustainable Design is all about.
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has created a Sustainable Design program called LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) and, like their website explains, designers who incorporate LEED principals into their designs are “transforming the way we think about how our buildings and communities are designed, constructed, maintained and operated across the globe.” In general, it certifies that a LEED home conserves not just money, but energy, water, and other res
