Text by Bethany Adams
Designer Liz Williams knew Kathy Gillespie long before she was brought in to design this new build in Florida’s Seagrove Beach community. “We grew up together in Atlanta,” Liz explains, adding that Kathy now primarily resides in Denver, Colorado. Considering the area’s snowy winters, the family’s secondary home needed to be a breath of fresh—and balmy—air.
“They just wanted everything light and bright and colorful,” Liz says—and that preference took center stage in selecting everything from paint to draperies to bedding. Liz took the familiar blues and greens of a beach setting and cranked up the saturation, pairing the bold hues with plenty of white surfaces and making sure to, as she notes, “make each space a little bit different but keep the flow of the house going.”
In any other hands, the lively palette could have turned out feeling kitschy or overwhelming, but Liz pulled a sophisticated coastal look together with the warmth and texture found in such elements as the pecky cypress that frames doorways and turns the kitchen into a showstopping moment. While the entire space glows with sunlight, Liz created a focal point with the painted island, vibrant chairs, and shining mercury glass pendant lights.
Because the Gillespies often host family and friends—for everything from summer getaways to Thanksgiving dinner—dining space was paramount, and an extra-long farmhouse table accompanying the built-in banquette more than accommodates those gatherings. Taking the space well beyond the realm of function, Liz spiced things up with the addition of oversize, custom-framed Urban Garden prints and woven chairs that echo the barstools in the kitchen—balanced, of course, with the natural warmth of the rattan legs.
Because the priority was creating a home large enough to accommodate the entire family, having enough bedrooms was a must, and Liz designed each one with its own spin on the overall style.
“We typically start with . . . one fabric that encompasses all the colors,” says Liz, noting the pillow fabric that kicked off the design of the primary bedroom. “And then from there, we work our way out.” Variations on prints, patterns, and hues imbue individual personality while maintaining the relaxing ambience that permeates the home.
The bedrooms are far from the only relaxing spaces on the property, as it also includes a number of outdoor rooms that make enjoying the summer weather a breeze.
From the balcony off the primary bedroom to a patio fireplace that extends outdoor relaxation into the cooler months, every corner of this coastal sanctuary welcomes guests to kick back and enjoy a getaway they’re sure to remember.
