DESIGN: Radiant Riverview
Located in Riverview, Florida, a suburb of Tampa, this residential project was the inaugural design by Designing With The Stars, and one of the reasons we started our firm! The design was defined by the Client’s desired theme of “boho silver” and aimed to integrate previous design styles they’ve utilised, life experience, and a wish for a new, fresh space. This project is nearly a full-home renovation, with the scope of work encompassing the living rooms, kitchen, and primary suite. In order to embrace the way natural light entered the home, a warmer scheme was developed for the front half of the house which receives strong morning and afternoon light; the darker living room and kitchen, on the back end of the house, received cooler and darker tones. Both schemes reference the other and maintain both the “boho silver” aesthetic as well as integrating the couple’s existing items.
The big reveal? You may have guessed it - this project is personal! Originally my grandparent’s home, my mother Denise has occupied this home for over 10 years and now resides there with her husband, Scott. The project was as much as a physical and aesthetic renovation as it was a way to incorporate her husband’s items and life experiences into the home as well. Developed between myself, my mother, and our friend and artist Cor Fahringer, every wall and space was considered. Budgets were kept in mind while we maximised the impact through the use of colour and pattern. Another major consideration was aging-in-place; for example, the finish and material of floors needed to be easy to clean and non-slip to avoid future incidents. A quick note must be said about the real star of the show - the gorgeous, minty-jade green Costa quartzite, which took everyone’s breath away and made us pivot our designs!
While this project was not intentionally astrologically driven, we allowed our natural predispositions and strengths to shine which in turn reflects our own astrological makeups. My Leo sun is evident especially at the front of the house in the warm, dramatic tones, and my mother’s Taurus sun is present in the new, comfy sofa that we added and the earthy aforementioned countertops. Cor’s whimsy Gemini sun was involved in painting the fabulous rainbow mandala over the sliding doors and helping us sort through colours, designs, and keeping things fresh. This project was truly a collaborative effort that served as the seedling to DWTS’s formation.
In keeping with our ethos, the project and it's design unfolded organically, with a strong, methodical structure to keep us on track. We started with the floors, or as many like to say, 'the shoes of a room'. As mentioned, we knew we wanted LVT early on for practical purposes but we searched high and low for a colour and pattern that would work well with the colours we were planning as well as the existing furniture that would remain. Who knew it was so hard to find flooring without too much repetitive striping or that wasn't millennial gray! Once that was down, our colour selections started in earnest and took a turn again when the countertops were found. Maintaining a level of flexibility in the design, while also knowing what we were aiming for, helped bring all of us to the table and make this project the best it could possibly be and a happy environment for everyone.
We hope you love this project as much as we (and the clients) do. We live and breathe design like we live and breathe the environments in which we spend our time; they should be reflective, joyful and peaceful. We can do that for you! Keep an eye out for our upcoming projects.
