Visit A Palm Beach Estate With A Cheerful, Airy Palette

It took a number of property tours around town to find the right house, but when the owner of this classical estate walked through the front door and saw a blank canvas just waiting to be decorated, she knew she was home. With an eye for design and having furnished several residences over the years, she had a distinct perspective in mind, but it was designer Lori Deeds who took the project to the next level. “Lori used her vision to help me get to my vision,” the client says. The result is a celebration of the area’s style that would surely make design icons like the late Carleton Varney smile.

“We really understood each other’s ideas,” Deeds says, explaining their goal was to transform the Palm Beach home’s conventional styling into a more feminine expression punctuated by bold contemporary artworks. “It was important that it look like a woman lives here, so keeping a softness was key, but we also wanted to emphasize that she’s strong.”

Finding that balance began in the living room, an expansive gathering space where the walls are lined with eye-catching lattice. Assisted by designer Kerol DeCristo, Deeds updated its green shade with a fresh coat of white paint. She then reintroduced the hue alongside layers of bright pinks, yellows and a bit of orange, all pulled from a favorite floral-embroidered fabric that swathes a set of armchairs and throw pillows in the room. “That pattern gave us the liberty to add in those fun colors,” Deeds notes, pointing to the vibrant yellow artwork above the sofa. Bringing coziness to the ample room, she installed two corner banquettes and gave the white sofa a pleated skirt—a feminine detail for its contemporary profile.

The twist on tradition continues in the dining room, where the homeowner’s grand table fills the space. For classic yet dramatic touches, the wood flooring was replaced with black-and-white marble, and the space received a stone mantel carved with tassels. Then Deeds presented dueling greens: Countering the citron leather chairs are apple-green plaster walls, suggested by the client. “I said, ‘Let’s do it!’ ” the designer recalls. “It reminds me of nature, where so many layers of green all work together.” Notes of pink pop against the shade, including updated curtains on the owner’s commanding cabinet. “The more we looked at my existing things, the more ideas we had,” she shares. This includes her large whimsical painting of a watermelon that occupies the nearby billiard room, a playful space where a tropical palm-print wallpaper surrounds a striking white-and-green pool table. “We wanted traditional elements but an amped-up spirit,” Deeds says. “It’s so Palm Beach.”

Upstairs, all these verdant colors coincide in a charming bird-print fabric that enlivens the bed and draperies in a guest bedroom. “The important details evolved as we moved from room to room,” the homeowner says. “Everything feels unified but not matchy-matchy.” Yet when it came to designing the primary suite, Deeds and her client hit pause on the palette. Rather than chirpy hues, they focused on neutrals to create the sense of restfulness the owner sought. “It’s a blend of whites and creams with tan and a touch of chocolate,” the designer describes, pointing to the linen headboard featuring delicate flowers that are painted, embroidered and appliquéd by hand.

The lively palette doesn’t end there, though. As the property’s gardens sprung to life, landscape designers Jeff Sophir and Ray Bumpus referenced the interiors amid layers of lush, leafy greenery. “I wanted the view and the design seen inside to flow seamlessly into the outdoor spaces,” the client says. Begonias tumble from pedestal urns, and orchids hang from palm trees. For a splash of red, they incorporated crotons and tucked Hawaiian ti plants along the perimeter. “The backyard is a feast for the eyes, but it also feels very serene,” Sophir says. The pair approached the grounds as a series of “rooms,” allowing for surprises while meandering, and, at the client’s request, replaced the property’s ficus hedges with clusia to avoid the need for chemical sprays. “She loves wildlife and wanted to bring birds into the garden,” Bumpus notes.

Inside and outside, “The use of color throughout this house is a great success,” Deeds summarizes. The owner couldn’t agree more. “This is a happy home,” she says. “We knocked it out of the park.”