Four Condos. Four Different Styles.

Condo construction is on the rise in metropolitan areas, especially cities in the southern and western U.S. And with good reason. 

Living in a condo has its advantages. They are ideal for individuals and families who want to avoid the maintenance of a larger home, travel frequently, want community amenities, or enjoy being close to entertainment and businesses. 

But, there are a few disadvantages that make potential buyers hesitant to select a condo, including a lack of privacy and limited parking. 

Another potential drawback is the myth that condos limit a homeowner’s style and decor, because it is essentially a concrete box. That’s where we beg to differ.

Lisa Gilmore Design wants to inspire you to think outside the box when it comes to condos.

We want to spotlight four condo projects we have designed with four completely different styles.

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1. High Rise, High Style

This 2,000-square-foot condo has three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a den. The Lisa Gilmore Design team fully furnished the entire condo and renovated the kitchen and powder room.

Lisa Gilmore Design | Seamus Payne Photography

One of our favorite parts of this project was the custom marble backsplash that we designed to go perfectly with the space - it's a true piece of art.

Lisa Gilmore Design | Seamus Payne Photography

The lighting selections, the millwork details in the raspberry-colored den, and the tile in the powder room were highlights as well.

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2. Color-Blocked Painters Palette

Our team designed everything in this 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath, and den condo as featured in Florida Design. The project entailed everything from flooring and tile, to lighting, to paint and wallpaper, to all the furnishings.

Lisa Gilmore Design | Native House Photography

One of the highlights of this project were the ottomans and area rug (pictured below) that we designed and fabricated exclusively for this home.

A moody den, complete with custom ottomans by Lisa Gilmore Design | Native House Photography

A custom designed area rug by Lisa Gilmore. Lisa Gilmore Design | Native House Photography

Another favorite was the red desk, which was custom designed and made by OTTRA, which is based out of Brooklyn, NY. Lisa met the owners of OTTRA several years ago during the Brooklyn Design Festival, and they were finally able to collaborate on this beautiful desk in the home office/guest room.

Lisa Gilmore Design | Native House Photography

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3. Artful Art Deco

This 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo was featured in RUE magazine. The LGD team’s design included all the furnishings, converting the dining area into a music lounge, and the guest room into a home office.

Lisa Gilmore Design | Seamus Payne Photography

The client had a wonderful collection of antique area rugs that were a treat to work with.

Lisa Gilmore Design | Seamus Payne Photography

She also had several arts and crafts and art deco pieces, which allowed us to capture her spirit, while pairing the pieces with modern items for an updated look.

Lisa Gilmore Design | Seamus Payne Photography

Lisa Gilmore Design | Seamus Payne Photography

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4. Fresh Hues Waterfront Retreat

This 3 bedroom, 3.5 bath condo project involved furnishing the entire space and assisting with hard surface selections. Lisa Gilmore Design created a bar lounge area that flows wonderfully with the living room, dining room, and kitchen - the ultimate entertaining set up!

Lisa Gilmore Design | Native House Photography

One of the unique aspects of this project was the amazing use of the space with 80% of the selections being indoor/outdoor items. Because this is a beach condo, this helps increase the longevity of the space, and extend the living areas outdoors. We truly loved all our use of textiles, pattern and color here. It feels so fresh, exciting, and not at all overwhelming.

Lisa Gilmore Design | Native House Photography

And, this was also a special project because we designed the banana-leaf chandelier in the living room with a local metalworker and electrician.

Lisa Gilmore Design | Native House Photography

Lisa Gilmore Design | Native House Photography

Despite their box-like layout, condos actually make a fantastic blank canvas for a designer to infuse your personality and style into your home. By combining unique colors, custom furnishings and lighting, and luxurious flooring, we can highlight the best features of your space and show off one of the best aspects of condo living– an abundance of natural light and incredible views.

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.

Unexpected Use of Purple in a Home Office

It’s no secret that the Lisa Gilmore Design team loves injecting bold and bright colors into our clients’ homes.

But, even more important to us is giving our clients spaces that are reflections of their unique personalities and lifestyles. 

And, on some projects, those two things– client desires and bold colors– combine to create something really special.

That’s what happened on this project. The homeowners had spent 12 years living in Singapore where the style was all-white and minimal. When they purchased a 1,522-square-foot condo in downtown St. Petersburg, they were ready for a change. In fact, the homeowner said, “I told Lisa we wanted bright and colorful, and that if [my wife] went behind my back to ask for off-white, to please report back to me.”

Our team kept this in mind when approaching the home office. 

There were two rooms in the house– the office and the primary suite– in which we didn’t use the client’s existing art. At first, it was intimidating to not have a prized art piece for direction; it was true open design! But then we found the Erin McIntosh piece and knew it would be perfect over the sofa. 

And, for the space adjacent over the desk, we selected a beautiful embroidery piece stitched on handwoven silk canvas made by Akiko Kotani in the 70s. It was the perfect delicate, but bold, piece to complement the geometric sofa and drapery.

Photo by Native House Photography

When it came to paint color, we wanted a color that set a playful tone for bold art and fabrics but didn’t look childish. We looked at many colors, and honestly questioned if we were pushing the limits too much with Benjamin Moore’s Softened Violet, but instinct kept bringing us back to it. It feels fresh, happy, and soothing all at once. When you walk in the room, you instantly feel the happy, artsy energy!

This room intentionally throws color in your face. And, the clients were thrilled with the end result.

Photo by Native House Photography

Photo by Native House Photography

If you like purple and violet hues, there are many ways to incorporate them into your home. If painting an entire wall or room purple is too bold for you, consider incorporating purple through upholstery or drapery fabrics. Or, find an older, vintage piece of furniture, and give it new life with fresh paint. Imagine a lovely bookcase in this striking, happy color!

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.

The homeowner works from home and frequently has Zoom calls, so having a pretty background was important.