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Design dude: Select your style
Q:We've just moved here from New York, and I don't know what style works best in Florida. How do I figure out what styles are going to be best for my rooms? - A.B.
 | | Jon Fortuna, the Design Dude |
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A: Style should be based on your personal taste, and not dictated by the place you live. Gulf Coast style is more about an attitude and a reflection of the beauty of our surroundings. It is not, unless that happens to be your taste, limited to palm trees and rattan. To help illustrate my point, I'm going to show you three examples of my work that are located on the Gulf Coast which convey the owner's individual style. I've chosen three rooms that have a similar color scheme so that color differences will not affect your style judgment. Study the pictures, read the descriptions and identify your personal style. It may lie in one distinct style or it may be a mix of any or all of the three. Traditional - The traditional interior is all about a love of antiques, fine quality reproductions, artwork and collectibles. Here on the Gulf Coast, traditional is often a little lighter in color, and a little cooler in feel with lots of painted wood pieces, soft upholstery colors in natural weave fabrics, and pretty artwork and collectibles that call to mind the beauty of the outdoors. Traditional style is for you if you want rooms that look like they've evolved over generations and you just can't stop collecting things that you love. Transitional - Transitional style, is sometimes also called eclectic, since it mixes elements of contemporary and traditional styles. Sometimes, it is great traditional furniture, with contemporary art, or sometime, as in this photo, it is taking traditional forms and paring them down until they are at their simplest and most streamlined. Transitional style works well here, because it feels comfortable, yet cool and uncluttered. Transitional style is for you if you want to honor the past but firmly live in today.
Contemporary - Contemporary design on the Gulf Coast is about being clean, serene and uncluttered. It usually doesn't have a hard edge to it, but is mellow and relies on natural woods, metal accents and punches of color to meld a fusion of interior and exterior views. Contemporary style is for you if you believe that history is best lived in the here and now and you want a home that lets you live absolutely in the moment.
I hope this style primer helps you see that you should look at tht things you love and subtly adapt them to your location, and not let your location tell you how to live. So until next month, remember to look, love and live with great design. Send your questions, comments and story ideas to John the Design Dude at fldesigndude@aol.com
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