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fabulous newsletter
February 2024, issue #182
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Hello Kristine,
I'm so excited to share this month's article with you. As soon as I saw the photos of Ashley Gilbreath's vacation home, I saved them in my inspiration file. Yes, we designers have folders of images we love too!
There are so many things that work beautifully in her design but here are four not-to-be-missed favorites:
- Note how she uses green as a neutral. Everything does not have to be beige. Green is Mother Nature's "goes with everything color." It's fresh, relaxes us, and causes us to linger. All perfect for a beach place.
- The windows are treated with fabrics and not hard blinds and shutters. This not only provides visual softness but also sound absorption. With hardwood floors and loads of windows, sound has lots of places to bounce around. Rugs, draperies and upholstery all help dampen sound.
- Brass is used in the kitchen, the family room, the guest room, and the bunk space. It becomes a unifying element that hints at nautical without being over the top. Ashley is not afraid of mixing metals though. Notice the bath fixtures are nickel and the drapery rods are black
- Accessories are thoughtfully placed and minimal. Where you host guests, be sure to leave space for their things.
The photo of florals above is Cathy B. Graham's December holiday table. This idea would work beautifully for Valentine's as well. Go with single stem vases to show off individual blooms. Add votive candles for sparkle and space them on your table scape as if each is an individual Whitman's chocolate. Below is her video with more tips.
I hope your new year is off to a great start. Let me know if you have design questions or needs in your own home or vacation place. I'd love to assist.
Sincerely,
Kristine
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“People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that’s what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life.”
~Elizabeth Gilbert
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A Relaxed Oceanfront Retreat in Florida That Can Fit 18 People "Easily"
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Ashley Gilbreath designed her Rosemary Beach vacation home for salty air and sticky fingers.
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While Ashley Gilbreath ended up designing an idyllic getaway, her first priority in renovating her family’s oceanfront home in Rosemary Beach, Florida, was damage control—to help the house withstand the salty sea air and her family. “All the rules are broken at the beach,” she explains. “You have to be able to have the dog in there, three children, wet swimsuits, sandy feet, and sticky fingers because maybe we’re having cinnamon rolls for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We needed it to be very carefree.”
For Gilbreath, that meant taking inspiration from old Florida fish houses—less the actual style and more the way they celebrate slight imperfections from years of use. She envisioned well-worn wood floors with a natural sun-faded patina. While she left the facade of this ’90s home intact, she rehabbed the two-story interior, removing an ill-placed spiral staircase to make the layout flow better and adding oak floors throughout to connect the spaces. Upstairs, Gilbreath had the windows and multiple French doors between the living room and balcony painted Halcyon Green by Sherwin-Williams—her favorite “neutral” color—to frame the outside view. Then she layered in a bleached oak coffee table (sandy feet on top–approved), bamboo folding chairs, a sisal rug, and lounge chairs wrapped in whitewashed lampakanay, a grass similar to abaca.
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When you can hear the waves behind you and see the stars at night, for a moment all seems okay in the world.
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Off the living-dining area, the narrow kitchen is designed to maximize space. The island is just wide enough to offer additional seating while also housing the dishwasher and sink. A skirted shelf is topped with glass shelving that doesn’t compete with the windows covering a majority of the two-story wall behind it, and one section of the custom white-oak cabinetry has a secret pass-through to a guest bedroom. “When you’re going to the beach, you have to be able to pack in everyone, because everyone wants to come with you,” Gilbreath points out. “You can easily sleep 10 here and entertain at least 18 people without folks feeling cramped.” Sadly for the designer, her husband saw so much value in the home that he immediately put it on the market, giving her only two months to enjoy it. “My heart is really at the beach,” she says. “I would buy it back again right now.” | |
With direct access to the Gulf of Mexico, this quintessential beach cottage just needed a coat of paint to enhance its exterior. The inside took more effort to update and guestproof. | |
This sunlit gathering space on the second floor is filled with furniture that will age gracefully over time. | |
White oak cabinetry and warm white walls keep this open floor plan feeling light and airy. A cabinet door hides access to a guest bedroom. Barstools: Kenian. Glass shelving: Soil & Oak. Fixtures: Waterstone. Range: Ilve. | |
The fun part about this house is that it’s really small, but it lives big.
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A former laundry room off the hall was recast as sleeping quarters. “It’s like riding a business class train; just pull the curtains,” Gilbreath says. “If you’re seven years old, that’s the coolest thing ever.” | | |
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Thank you for your business and referrals!
Bedeckers is happy to tackle your design challenges. From a room redesign using your existing pieces, to custom window treatments, pillows and bedding to refresh your space, to new upholstered chairs and sofas, I am here for you.
Thank you to all my clients who challenge me and invite me into your homes. It is my sincere joy and pleasure to make your spaces not only beautiful but functional and adored. I look forward to our next projects together.
Do you know of a friend who I should meet? Please share my contact information. Referrals keep Bedeckers in business and your referral is the best compliment I can hope to receive. Please keep them coming my way.
email: kristine@bedeckers.com
studio phone (call or text): 804.744.7645
My goal, as always, is to continue to improve your spaces and make them beautiful, to make your life simpler and easier, and to keep decorating fun.
To YOUR fabulous interior,
Kristine
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