A Neutral, Caribbean-Inspired Dining Space

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.

Dining room rendering

Finished dining space

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.

Wine wall

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.

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DESIGN PROJECT | A CUSTOM CAPE DUTCH HOME

We just started working on a new custom residential home that is being built in sunny St. Petersburg, in the Snell Isle neighborhood. We absolutely love the start of a new project, meeting with clients, learning their styles, about their families, hobbies including everything that goes into a happy home. I joke often, but it really is a lot like dating - going back and forth, understanding likes and dislikes. Here is the vision we have created for this breezy upscale property.

A DREAMY FAMILY HOME INSPIRED BY CAPE DUTCH ARCHITECTURE

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Vision board created by Lisa Gilmore Design for Custom Cape Dutch Style Home

BRITISH WEST INDIES MEETS DUTCH CAPE VIBE: POLISHED AND ELEGANT WITH MIXES OF NATURAL, APPROACHABLE AND DURABLE ELEMENTS.

• Monochromatic tone all over incorporating the use of contrast to make it fresh and modern. 

• Wow factors throughout: uses of interesting tile, lighting, architectural details, all shaking hands with supporting characters to create a beautiful and cohesive design.

• High end resort feel: lush greenery, indoor & outdoor drapery, lovely & durable textiles and unique furnishings. Everyone comes to your house for a great time and they can leave their worries at the door, as if they were stepping into a Slim Aarons photograph  “I'm concentrated on photographing attractive people doing attractive things in attractive places”- Slim Aarons

• Fashion influences: posh and tailored with an approachable feel, not trying too hard, luxury style that comes at an ease and makes heads turn. 

• Modern art mixed in with modern and traditional furniture: a curated vibe, nothing will feel matchy, as if you picked up a side table on a trip to South Africa, a painting in France and a light fixture in New York. 

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Rendering of Cape Dutch custom home by ClearPH

The home was designed and is being built by our friends at Peregrine Construction. We are so excited to break ground January 2019, follow along with the progress in our social media. #lisagilmore #capedutchmodern