Apartment Therapy
Project by: Krista Watterworth
Location: Jupiter, Florida
Jupiter, Florida, is home to pristine beaches, year-round sunshine, tropical flora and fauna, and unfortunately, some outdated, not-so-pretty condos (trust me, I’m a nearby resident, I know.) Luckily for a young, Manhattan couple seeking refuge during the harsh winter months, they looked past what was in front of them (an out-of-style condo with a compartmentalized floor plan) and saw the beauty of what could be thanks to interior designer Krista Watterworth. Surveying the floor plan, she knew she could bring the space up to its potential and instill just the right dose of charm the family of three was looking for in a vacation home.
From Krista:
“I knew that these Manhattanites were game for a creative endeavor and they trusted I would give them something unique and special in their vacation home. It needed to be sophisticated and chic, just like the homeowners. Good style requires a perfect balance that is organic and effortless, yet also innovative.
Condos and apartments can be very limiting and even in a gut remodel like this one, there wasn’t much freedom in changing the layout, moving plumbing or electrical, or making the ceilings higher. Lighting was also an issue throughout the process as we were only approved to move one ceiling light and the other rooms didn’t have electrical in the ceiling. Running wiring in a concrete ceiling is usually not plausible, so we had our electrician run exterior wires and build the ceiling down a minimal amount to cover them.
In the living space, I added inconspicuous architectural lighting on the walls that I color-matched so they would blend seamlessly with the wall hue. They were hung in such a way so as to direct light upward to give an illusion of a higher ceiling. Now, the room glows beautifully.
I transformed the small community space into an open dining room and living area. My mission was to take down as many walls as possible and create a huge island to serve as a dining area in the kitchen, which opened up the rest of the room for living! I filled it with a variety of furniture suitable for lounging, reading, napping, entertaining, and watching television.
Throughout this renovation, the conversation was always about selections. I love working with light walls as it calms me and gives me creative freedom. I chose a very light ‘greige’ color palette and worked my magic around it. Repetition is important when layering. Some of the fabrics reiterate the wall shade in various degrees and accent colors reappear for needed symmetry. I replicated colors throughout the entire home so that the flow is cohesive, though sometimes looked to repeated wood or metal tones to make the home feel rich and complete without being over-designed.
Found and antique looking elements mixed with newer pieces really made the home come alive. It looks like a talented homeowner could have done it themselves since that’s really where design is going these days. We can’t ignore the DIY world, but instead we must embrace it and give it a less obvious professional punch.”
