“The
Mediterranean architecture is superb,” Huttig
says. “Our goal was to preserve and complement
it by creating a ‘sun-kissed,’ Old World
design.”
Designer Keithley Miller, who spearheaded the
project for the firm, envisioned the “barefoot
elegant” scheme, and then pulled it together with
a
myriad of details.
At the same time, the couple enlisted landscape
architect Mario Nievera to refurbish the grounds.
For the previous owner, Nievera had carved out
multiple courtyards — each with its own sense
of
space and dramatic focal point — around the existing
pool, guesthouse/garage and main house. Coconut and
Christmas palms form a tropical canopy, while ginger,
gardenias, begonias, orchids, bougainvillea and other
exotics bloom with color.
At the front entrance, flowering potted plants
brighten the steps to the oak door. Inside, nature’s
hues blend together in a subtle palette of green, gold,
yellow and rose tones. “One of the owners’
wishes was to keep the colors as soft as possible,”
Miller says. “Incorporating a variety of textural
fabrics allowed me to add dimension to the palette.”
|
Cultivating
the living room’s color scheme from a floral-patterned
area rug, Miller chose an embroidered fabric with
a similar pattern to envelop a skirted lounge chair.
Tactile, green cut chenille wraps a sofa, gold silk
shimmers on an armless chair, and cut velvet and cotton
form a square pattern on a circular ottoman.
Sunny faux-painted walls in the living room bring
out the richness of the home’s original hardwood
flooring, which begins in the foyer. Here, antique
wall lanterns and a wrought iron-and-crystal chandelier
cast the space in a welcoming glow.
In the dining room, chenille skirted Parsons
chairs surround a mahogany table. “I designed
this room around the owners’ light fixture,”
Miller says. “I love the silk lampshades inside
the lantern.” |
