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    Behind The Design: East Coast to East Coast

    As you work your way up and down the east coast, you'll notice an appreciation for the classics and a nod to the nautical. Here on Amelia Island our coastal style is a bit more casual than it is formal, but that doesn't mean we can't find a place in our designs for the traditional all-American details. A recent design project led our designer, McKenzie to seek out inspiration from New England cottages and summer homes in the Hamptons. 

    Updating an Amelia Island island beach house to incorporate the owners traditional rugs in gorgeous reds and blues, timeless wood antiques and nautical trinkets proved to be a lot of fun! The homeowners worked their way down the East Coast in retirement, landing on NE Florida to call their forever home. Instead of starting fresh, we pulled their treasures out of storage and added a few Cape House touches to finish the look! 

    "It's always am exciting challenge when we start with existing pieces that the homeowner want to incorporate into the design. In fact, I prefer it that way!" McKenzie 

    DETAILS WORTH NOTING:

    - I opted for a few new pieces of art that felt far from new! Vintage inspired art in the right frame can work wonders in a classic coastal design. Once I found these pieces, they seemed to help connect all of the dots! Stacking smaller art with a similar theme (a boat over a nautical flag key in this case!) helps the home feel more collected and less staged. 

    - Comfy counter / bar stools are a MUST in my book! Especially if you're one for entertaining. I selected a dark wood finish and paired it with a true East Coast classic for the fabric, a blue and white ticking stripe! 

    - A deep blue contrast welt on the arm chairs is a fun way to update a timeless silhouette!

    - The stunning lamp (Ralph Lauren's Montauk Search Light Floor Lamp!) is my favorite piece in the space. It's a bit of a splurge but truly a piece of art! It felt so right for this oceanfront space and serves as the perfect conversation piece! 

    Designing A Home For Entertaining

    We started Cape House with a shared desire for creating spaces built for entertaining! It's in the casual dinners, daily routines and celebrations around the kitchen island that we find the most joy. 

    A house built for hosting. 

    Today we're diving in and sharing a few of our best tips for designing a home that's ideal for entertaining! Whether it's an existing home or your new construction dream home, with a few simple changes you can make your space the perfect spot for hosting and toasting! 

    1. AIM FOR BALANCE, NOT PERFECTION

    Ditch the concept of design perfection and embrace the balancing act. Your home doesn't have to be perfect to entertain, in fact, your guests would rather it not be. Overly formal spaces can often feel stuffy so opt to mix in casual touches that make guests feel comfortable enough to stay awhile! 

    2. OPEN UP YOUR KITCHEN

    While open floorplans are certainly well suited for hosting large gatherings, if you live in an older home you probably have more division between the rooms in your home. You can still open up your kitchen to make it a space for more than meal prep. Adding comfortable bar or counter stools around your kitchen peninsula or island can instantly turn your kitchen into everyone's favorite room in the house! No space for stools? In-kitchen dining is a great alternative. A neglected breakfast nook can transform into a lovely gathering space with the right table and chairs!

    3. TAKE THE PARTY OUTSIDE

    When we hear clients and friends share that their space is just too small for entertaining, we often explore the potential of a backyard revamp! With proper outdoor furniture, a few fancy twinkle lights (full disclosure: they're not all that fancy - just a lot of fun!) and a little imagination, you can create outdoor living spaces ideal for hosting. 

    4. DON'T NEGLECT GOOD SEATING

    It's easy to select beautiful chairs and sofas but it's equally as important to select comfortable chairs and sofas for your space! As a guest there are few things worse than sitting around a dining table in a chair you can't stand! Thankfully, we're all about form AND function at Cape House so we take both comfort and design into consideration. If you take just one thought away from today's post: comfortable living and dining room seating makes your guests feel right at home! 

    5. DON'T OVER-FILL THE SPACE

    If you're hosting a large gathering, consider open spaces around the rooms you're entertaining in. Less furniture means more room to stand and gather. Things like benches, small stools, ottomans and smaller end tables are easy to tuck away while guests are over! Consider spaces in your home that might be best left empty and if necessary, fill them with items that can easily be hidden. 

    photos by Jessie Preza Photography

    Florida Fall

    While the rest of the country experiences a change in leaves and spends their Saturday's apple picking, we're still enjoying warm temps and beach days! Nothing like a Florida fall! 

    We're decorating for fall with warm wood tones, pops of brass and plenty of cozy textures! And of course, you'll see a bit of blue too! The right shade of blue (not too cool!) provides the perfect dose of color in the mix of golds and creams! 

    A few trends we're loving:

    Wood & Brass Pumpkins: There's no shortage of pumpkins on the floor at Cape House but our favorites are the wood and brass options! A great opportunity to add a little texture into your decor and still keep a cohesive and timeless look! 

    Fall Blues: While we're not opposed to orange, blue is certainly our preference when it comes to decorating with color! Much of the fall decor you'll find on the floor blends perfectly with warm blue tones - perfect for a coastal space!

    Candle Arrangements: We're seeing candle arrangements all over! Instead of decorating with candles individually, consider grouping together an arrangement of candles in varied sizes and heights! To avoid a cluttered look - select candles from the same collection or of similar shades! 

     

    Let's Talk Texture

    Designers often pull texture into a space through wallpaper, rugs and window treatments but one of our most favorite ways to bring texture in is through furniture! It's always a pleasant surprise to walk into a space and find a unique mix of flat and textured casegoods and other furniture accents. Often times on the Cape House floor you'll find gorgeous furniture covered in shagreen, grasscloth, linen or rattan! This style of furniture helps achieve that "coastal collected" look we all adore! 

     

    When it comes to Shagreen - the pictures never do it justice! A beautiful texture that feels oh so elegant! 

    Bring a little Shagreen in with one of these lovely pieces!

    One - Cecil Drinking Table 

    Two - Jewel Chest

    Three - Dorry Console Table

    Rattan has made one heck of a comeback over the past few years! If you weren't lucky enough to hang onto your rattan pieces from the 80's - we've got you covered! Adding just a bit of rattan to a space can do wonders to "warm it up" which is especially helpful in coastal inspired spaces where it's easy to run toward cooler grays and bright whites! 

    One - St. Lucia Console

    Two - Waleia Accent Table

    Three - Tulum Accent Table

    Our design team can't get enough grasscloth! A timeless way to add texture without being too trendy. Our grasscloth covered pieces are available in several beautiful colors including navy blue, the prettiest natural and a clean coastal white!

    One - Bethany Square Coffee Table in Natural 

    Two - Bardot Table in Navy Blue 

    Three - Claudette Desk in Gray 

    Ready to bring a little texture into your space? Stop by Cape House to peruse what's on the floor - we're happy to help find just the right piece! 

    Behind The Design: Open-Concept Bungalow

    A beachy bungalow in the heart of Fernandina sure sounds dreamy doesn't it?! Our designer, McKenzie recently put together a design scheme for one of Fernandina's newest residents. The homeowner requested a clean coastal look for her open-concept cottage. 

    Designing an open-concept space can be a bit tricky. The kitchen, dining, entrway and living spaces are all connected so the design of each room must lend itself to the next. McKenzie incorporated complimentary wood finishes and warm textures in each space for a seamless transition between each section. Today we're sharing the living room setup, that casually flows into the dining and kitchen areas. 

    McKenzie's favorite detail? The grasscloth coffee table big enough for board games!  

    A few tips for open concept design! 

    1. Coordinate with color! Pull it all together with a color scheme that flows from room to room. Treat the space as one large room with multiple sections! While each section doesn't need to match the next, consider a common color that can pull each space together. 

    2. Consider the flow! When designing an open concept space, visualize every which way the spaces might be used and plan accordingly. Will you be entertaining often? Consider swivel chairs instead of stationery arm chairs in the living room so that your guests can turn to be a part of what's happening in the kitchen. 

    3. Rugs rule! Rugs help diving individual spaces within large rooms. Use large area rugs to your advantage by strategically placing them in multiple areas throughout an open-concept room.