Designer
Eloise Kubli, ASID NCIDQ
Photography
Sargent Architectural Photography,
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Publication
Florida Design magazine
Writer
Jeffrey C. Ward
Old World Elegance
Natural Woods And Plush Fabrics Create A Feeling of Warm Sophistication
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
A fringed area rug in the living room sets off the seating from the hardwood floor. Gracing the iron-and-glass cocktail table are hand-blown Murano vases.
The beauty of the stained-glass transom and entry doors imbues the foyer with timeless charm. A circular, chain-like pattern of marble highlights the steps that lead from the foyer to the living room.
Custom cabinetry in the media/game room houses an extensive assortment of electronics, including a television on each side of the sliding glass doors. A valance over the doors conceals a motorized blackout shade that controls the light when the projection screen drops down from the soffit. Whimsical light fixtures add a playful touch.
The master bedroom exudes Old World ambiance with furnishings that recall the past, while sumptuous silks and plush fabrics enhance the intimate mood of the room and sitting area.
from Florida Design magazine
When furnishing this Hawks Landing home in Plantation, designer Eloise Kubli had a unique but welcome challenge. She had to please not one, but two sets of clients — a couple who desired a sense of warmth and sophistication, and their three young children who required a durable, comfortable and fun atmosphere. To meet these criteria, Kubli was given the opportunity to begin with an empty canvas, so to speak.
Although the furnishings are new, many items appear to be time-honored treasures handed down from one generation to the next. “They wanted an Old World look,” Kubli explains, “and the pieces to look like heirlooms.”
Although the furnishings are new, many items appear to be time-honored treasures handed down from one generation to the next. “They wanted an Old World look,” Kubli explains, “and the pieces to look like heirlooms.”
The home’s neutral color scheme is established in the living room, where a mix of natural shades creates an ambiance of subdued elegance. For the furnishings, Kubli chose textural fabrics that combine sophistication and comfort. A sofa, lounge chair and a pair of French-style armchairs are dressed in plush two-tone chenille; a bench wears a complementary tapestry fabric woven in tones of beige, camel and a splash of lavender. “There’s a cozy feeling everywhere you sit,” Kubli says.
French doors and arched windows line the living room, allowing an abundance of natural light to flood the space. According to Kubli, the owners found the draperies to be their most difficult choice. They needed to make a bold statement without overpowering the room. Kubli achieved just the right effect by combining swags of heavy cotton fabric with off-white panels.
The double entry doors also make a dramatic impact with an arched transom laced with intricate patterns of clear and amber glass. The leaded, stained-glass doors open to the foyer, where a hand-carved mirror and a natural-wood console impart the feel of another time. An area rug subtly incorporates the tones of the bench fabric in the living room.
The media/game room , however, is the home’s signature space and, the wife admits, certainly the husband’s favorite. A contoured-shaped bar with a 3-inch-thick black granite top faces an expansive window that overlooks the patio and pool area. Barstools with plump, leopard-print seats inject exotic flair.
In the open space behind the bar, a pool table commands attention. “It’s a great party room,” Kubli says. She especially loves the whimsical light fixture above the pool table, from which are suspended decorative elements in the shapes of a hot-air balloon, a parachute and a biplane.
Kubli, who made several changes to the architectural plan, made a crucial adjustment to the media/game room. Originally, the plan called for a much wider door between the custom cabinetry to hold a screen for the projection system. Instead, Kubli recommended installing sliding-glass doors, and above them, a 110-inch projection screen that drops down from the soffit. With the sliding-glass doors taking up less space, Kubli could specify the custom cabinetry to hold all the necessary equipment. A stationary valance over the sliding-glass doors conceals a motorized blackout shade.
When it comes to relaxing, the owners look to the breakfast area for its lovely view of the patio and pool area. Here, carved-wood chairs surround a hand-painted stone tabletop. The wrought-iron table base works in concert with the iron chandelier adorned with fringed linen shades.
Of all the rooms in the house, the master bedroom is the wife’s favorite. The wrought-iron bed with its delicate vine motif imparts a sense of Old World ambiance. Against the hardwood floor and subdued walls, the bed makes a luxurious statement. That feeling of richness carries over to the exquisite motorized balloon draperies in cotton-striped sateen.
In many ways, the house is a dream come true for its owners. As the husband says, it is a home that “we can see ourselves growing old in.”
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