Renovation in Orange Park, Florida might feel the same as anywhere else, however, renovation style and color choices are influenced by location. Why? lifestyle varies with climate as well as interest, age, family dynamic, etc. Even contractor and vendor relationships will vary. The reliability and experience of contractors changes from region to region. Additionally, we can not discount the influence of our exposure to sun light.
In Orange Park, Florida – we have extremes in
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sunlight
Our intense sun fades fabrics quickly and can cause additional wear & tear. It also influences the reflective value in color along with creating significant shadows. These are all factors to be weighed in the renovation process.
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temperature
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Hot days, hot hot HOT days with humidity that can translate into sudden drenching rain. As lovely as it is here in Florida, our weather is an element for consideration in the design process.
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outdoor/indoor
Some shelter from the weather, some embrace it. And I have clients in every spectrum in between! How you want to live is always my primary concern when I sit down to design a space with you.
That’s us in Northern Florida. Now let’s back to the commonality in any renovation. That of design styles:
Where to Begin?
The best jumping off point for any home renovation or refresh is to define your style. This is not easy and becomes more challenging when you are trying to satisfy more than 1 household member.
How Do We Define Style?
Transitional, modern, bohemian, farmhouse, contemporary, or industrial name a few of the most popular aesthetics. One favorable aspect is that many of these styles work well together. If you’re not sure what your style is, start by looking at photos of spaces and pinpoint what catches your eye. Additionally, select the items in your home that speak to you. Those décor items are a reflection of your personality. Now we can compare those items to the various design styles. Here are brief descriptions of popular styles:
Transitional
Think of your grand-parents home (traditional) mixed with a modern vibe. This style takes the warmth of traditional, adds a touch of timelessness and presents itself in a minimalistic way. The furniture has cleaner lines than the curves and detail indicative of the traditional style. Colors: warmer & muted shades of gray, beige, greens & blues with pops of deeper saturated versions of those colors.
Modern
(similar to Urban)-Black, white & cooler tone colors are most popular. Furniture is smaller scale with clean lines. Décor favors abstract and straight lines. Or a deliberate geometric line to make everything else seem über straight by comparison.
Midcentury Modern
For this style, think: the Jetsons, elipses and rectangles, ’50s ‘Mad Men’ era kinds of look.
Bohemian
(similar to eclectic)-Bold splashes of color, energetic, low, comfy furniture. Art work is more textural and unexpected.
Farmhouse
(shabby-chic)-Softer colors usually comprised of creamy whites, blues, greens & grays. The vibe is homey; think of your favorite pair of jeans (the perfect blend of worn-in comfort). Furniture focuses on vintage pieces, painted furniture with imperfections mixed with some warm wood tones. Décor is more feminine with florals and curves.
Contemporary
Most often you will find a sea of white (walls, trim, light color floors) coupled with bold splashes of color in your furniture and décor. The furniture is often over-sized. The wall art will have an abstract nature.
Industrial
(paired often with rustic)-If you love every shade of gray, you will be comfortable here. Metal, wood & leather are predominant in this style. Décor is more masculine.
Eclectic
And then you get a terrific room like this! Is it industrial, rustic, modern, farmhouse? All of the above and then some. It’s how we define eclectic – with iconic pieces from other styles that work well together to create a unified feeling…in this case, peaceful place in time.
Coastal Cottage is a popular style in north Florida. It will always trend well in our area with the Atlantic ocean to the East and the beautiful St John’s River bisecting Jacksonville from Orange Park. The list of design styles is vast, but these are the ones I see most often in my work in and around Orange Park, Florida.
As you incorporate your personal style (or as a couple, combined style) into your space it is important to take cues from the inherent style of the home. It is difficult to successfully pull off a contemporary vibe in a traditional house, unless you are willing to do major changes. The exterior and interior design & finishes will set the basis for the home’s style (siding material, roof style, porch overhangs, trim detail in the house, cabinet style).
Example of Renovation in Orange Park, FL
(photos below) The 2006 house we saw in the bathroom refresh was constructed in a Mediterranean style (traditional meets Old World). Continuing to achieve the goals with this client’s desire to have a home that reflected their rustic, transitional style meant that we had to address the 6 round, white Roman columns in the entry. We minimalized the busyness by removing 3 peripheral, decorative columns (one at the door & two entering into the living area). The remaining three supporting columns were replaced with cedar posts matching the lanai supports merging the interior with the exterior while adding the desired rustic touch.
The yellow & orange walls screamed traditional/Old World. We softened those by choosing a greige/taupe color called Shitake. The fireplace was accented with a darker color called Warm Stone. It was important to maintain a warm base hue in our color scheme to honor the inherent style in the home’s construction. The trim went from a white to a cream. The ceiling also got a facelift with white paint.
