Modern Coastal Living

When Laurie Walter was asked to design the interior for this beautiful Talis Park model, she was stepping into a familiar world. “This is actually my personal home’s layout, so I had a great advantage with knowing how the condo lives and feels,” she explains. Working with WCI for Lennar, she wanted to create a modern space with comfortable touches added through color, texture, and light. “People are so drawn to this space because it is friendly and open, and are then are surprised to find that as a condo it lives like a single-family home.” Her design infuses a feeling of modern coastal living perfect for the neighborhood’s location and residents. 

Elevator Entry

In the entry, shiplap is the star. Made popular by home and garden TV shows, this material works so well in our coastal environment. Benson Cobb artwork has been hung over a chrome entry table which adds a pop of contemporary style to the versatile shiplap, giving it a modern feel. The diagonal, faux wood porcelain tile is the perfect base for this contemporary home.

Group Seating

In the great room, two seating areas were created to help define the open space. Four chairs by Precedent in a light linen fabric have been placed around a matching bench to create a comfortable chat area. Further into the room a sectional with 20-inch accent pillows surrounds a glass cocktail table with faux horn legs, an element Walter says is one to look for in the design world as it continues to grow in popularity. Drapes add an infusion of ultramarine and the color blocking pattern is fresh and contemporary. The room is illuminated by Kichler chandeliers and the space is further delineated by a drop down ceiling feature over the chatting area.

Dining Center

The eat in kitchen is the perfect blend of a casual space and elegant entertaining area. The dry bar adds a convenient serving area and houses a beverage center. “I wanted to keep the area open so a glass top table from Sunpan was chosen. The reflective chrome legs on both the Palecek chairs and the table adds to the lightness of the space,” Walter explains. Cornices in a modern, geometric tone-on-tone pattern complements the chrome and acrylic chandelier.

Den Envy

The den is a cozy space and thanks to the sleeper sofa that can create an extra guest bedroom. The cobalt blue linen ties the space into the great room and wood legs lend a more casual feel. Above the sofa hangs an original piece of art and a wonderful modern desk and chair combo balance the room. Walter explains, “When possible, I like to use a dining chair as a desk chair so it can be used for overflow if there are extra guests. It’s an old trick of the trade!” Cabana striped window treatments add interest and frame the room’s focal point, the lanai and view beyond where pops of blue are repeated in the outdoor furniture. A hide rug and silver bunching stools finish the room.

Master Space

In the master bedroom, Walter wanted people to feel peaceful as the entered the space. She believes the master should be a retreat saying, “This room has to be a calming, tranquil space so I chose to use my new favorite neutral, City Loft by Sherwin Williams. It looks beautiful next to white trim.” The height of the tufted headboard complements the size of the mirrored chests placed at either side of the bed. In larger rooms, Walter suggests using larger furniture pieces as nightstands as they help balance the space. At the foot of the bed, a bench by Precedent offers storage and seating. This bench is customizable making it the perfect piece for any room and design style

Thoughtful Host

The king guest bedroom is the perfect space for out of town guests to relax. A unique window seat creates a sun-drenched reading area with a cornice in a beautiful cornflower blue. In fact, the cornice color was so loved by Walter and her team it served as the inspiration for the whole room. The bed, by Bernhardt, has been given comfortable bedding and accent pillows with a touch of elegant shimmer. Modern stools at the end of the bed bring in the chrome used in the main living areas and give guests a place to put luggage as they unpack. In the corner, a faux tree stump has been placed next to an accent chair continuing the theme of a modern, warm coastal home.

Light Vibrance

A second guest bedroom offers a vibrant contrast of orange and grey and silver. “This particular room is difficult to arrange because the only wall that can be used as a headboard wall also has windows,” explains Walter. Her workaround was to choose a bed by Wesley Allen with a low profile so the light could still stream through. She then added bright orange lacquered night stands with chrome bases from Worlds Away and paired them with solid Gallery Design lamps. Echoing the drapes in the great room, Walter once again used color blocking to create a contemporary window covering and has finished the room by layering texture and color to create a polished space.

Outdoor Excellence

The lanai feels like an extension of the great room thanks to the continuation of the tile from inside the home. The area is covered and screened in for shade and bug protection. A fabulous concrete table by Urbia is the perfect piece for this indoor/outdoor space. A seating area with Zuo chairs is accented with pops of blue that complement the colors of the great room just beyond. Walter suggests keeping outdoor colors similar to inside ones but ramping up the intensity. “Outside light is always going to be brighter than the light inside your home so a more vibrant or saturated material can stand up to the intensity.”

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