Lisa Gilmore 3/11/22 Lisa Gilmore 3/11/22

A Neutral, Caribbean-Inspired Dining Space

This distinction between good and great applies to interior design as well. A good design is a beautiful space that meets all of the client’s expectations. […]

Bestselling author Jim Collins said in his book Good to Great: “Good is the enemy of great.”

This distinction between good and great applies to interior design as well. A good design is a beautiful space that meets all of the client’s expectations. But a great design is a result of pushing clients past their comfort zones for a result that is more than what they imagined.

That’s what happened with this dining room project.

We knew our clients, who are avid travelers, wanted the space to have a Caribbean feel without using traditional blues and greens. And, because this was a new home build, the room was a blank canvas. Blank canvases test what a designer is capable of; they allow us to be true artists and imagine without limits.

We also knew this dining room would be more than a basic space to eat. It needed to be a space that fostered conversation and intrigued guests. Our vision was a space with grandeur that lent itself to entertaining.

Rather than just a display, we wanted the wine wall to be an experience. Our team envisioned glass boxes that would act as "discovery boxes,” containing collectibles and conversation starters.

The clients loved this space and said, “It [the dining room] was my favorite room from the moment I saw Lisa’s hand-drawn illustration of the room! I love that I was able to find the perfect dinnerware to compliment that room while on the London-leg of our trip to Europe for my 40th birthday, too!”

With this particular client, our suggestion to use black for the wall color was outside her comfort zone and helped her rethink how she defined a neutral palette. That is one of our roles as great designers, to help our clients color outside the lines.

To get more tips, see our projects, and find ideas for adding liveable glamour to your home, follow me on Instagram or sign up for our newsletter.

Lisa Gilmore 11/1/20 Lisa Gilmore 11/1/20

DESIGN PROJECT VIDEO TOUR:: FRESH HUES - ABSTRACT WATERFRONT CONDO

A luxury waterfront condo designed by Lisa Gilmore Design in sunny, Florida. Featuring varying hues of pink, oranges, blues, black and white. High style driven by artistic embellishments, hand painted drapery, fun wallpapers creating an environment for relaxing on the Gulf Coast and entertaining with friends.

Lisa Gilmore 8/26/20 Lisa Gilmore 8/26/20

DESIGN PROJECT VIDEO TOUR:: COLOR ME TRADITIONAL

Here is a beautiful glimpse into a recent full home renovation project. We are so pleased with how this turned out, from every tile selection, and furniture piece, down to every little tassel. Enjoy!

Timeless traditional elements, beautiful colors and an array of patterns fill this home with just the perfect amount of character and style. This project was also featured on Homes & Gardens UK.

Read Article

Lisa Gilmore 6/1/20 Lisa Gilmore 6/1/20

DESIGN PROJECT BEFORE & AFTER:: ONCE DULL, NOW A MODERN, SUNNY & FUNCTIONAL LIVING & DINING ROOM

When our client approached us about this project she was so excited to work on their home, they are a military family and as you know - move often. This would not be the case with this home and they were going to put some roots into St. Petersburg!

The home they purchased has a great layout and style it just needed to be a bit happier and showcase their personal style. So the LGDesign team got to work, pulling inspiration - all the things that make for a happy vibe and started working on a floor plan that would flow and accomplish all of their needs.

VISION BOARD BY LISA GILMORE DESIGN FOR PRIVATE RESIDENCE

LIVING & DINING ROOM BEFORE:

Looking at the before photos, you can see the potential, right? We knew we could give that room more justice, working on the flow of furniture, color choices and complimenting elements. We really loved the lush greenery backdrop and allowed that to play into our choices as well.

LIVING & DINING ROOM AFTER:

Creating a balance between the kitchen, dining and living room was important. Furniture layout, scale and color played a large role in this also allowing the sunlight to naturally flow through the space. A mixture of furniture selections with “visual weight” combined with sleek more “airy” options really suited the size of the space well, also allowing no interruption of sunlight to soak through the space.

LISA GILMORE DESIGN | NATIVE HOUSE PHOTOGRAPHY

We mentioned that happy, sunny and modern was the goal, right?

Well, if these sleek vintage mid century modern dining chairs revamped in this bright yellow doesn’t strike a smile and joy… we aren’t really sure what can! We personally love how the dining area is very light and airy, however, it doesn’t lack wow factor at all. Minimalist with a colorful punch.

Our client had some pretty great existing items to work with, including art collected over the years and a few key furniture pieces with personality. This home doesn’t lack in individuality.

When we talk about the art collection, we don’t mean just a few random things. They have some really cool stuff! Memorabilia from different World’s Fair’s, music posters, a collection of patches, maps, and original art. In addition to their cool and sassy art collection, they are also quite the music lovers and have a collection of records.

So we decided, these important pieces need a home, but not just tucked away storage, we wanted them to sing. (pun intended.) That inspired this functional and artsy music lounge corner.

Ample space for a large and continuously growing record collection, with the perfect perch for their record player, open shelving for plants and collectables, complete with their unique art collection, thoughtfully framed and hung in our beloved gallery style, topped off with some wall sconce lighting to create the perfect ambience.

We are pretty proud to say that we feel the happy and sunny vibe was achieved. Check out more of the home here, (complete with monkey wallpaper!) if you would like to see how we continued this feeling throughout!