West Indies Meets Cape Cod Style Home
This coastal California home was designed to be a forever home with room for the grandkids - and dogs. The Cape Cod meets West Indies vibe creates a unparalleled design mix that is simply delightful.
Neutral Coastal Living Room With Piano
The fun surprise in this cozy living room is the fireplace's patterned backsplash. In white and tan, it fits into the room's neutral palette and the small-scale print doesn't overwhelm.
Photo by: Ryan Garvin
Ryan Garvin
What were the main items on your client’s wish list for the design of their home?
We were involved in this home design from the ground up, so we had the opportunity to include as much of our clients’ wish list as possible. The homeowners’ wanted to create a “Cape Cod meets West Indies” style home, while still keeping in tune with the classic Newport Beach coastal neighborhood. They wanted to create their forever home with a different take on the typical Cape Cod style by infusing a West Indies vibe.
What makes this home unique to your client?
Tropical Beach House Exterior With Blue Awnings
This home in Corona del Mar, California mixes more traditional Cape Cod style with the colorful fun of the Tropics. Awnings get a dose of turquoise blue. An upper level railing features a detailed geometric pattern.
Photo by: Ryan Garvin
Ryan Garvin
The West Indies infusion in this home makes this design unique to our clients. The colonial Cape Cod style is one that we have worked with several times before, but the clients’ eagerness to approach it in a new way fueled our excitement to create really unique spaces specifically for this family.
What was your biggest obstacle in the design of this home and how did you address it?
Our clients were very involved in this project and wanted to understand all aspects of the design. Although much of design is following gut feelings from experience, we were challenged to find concrete reasons as to why pieces worked together in order for our clients to really understand it. With all the detail that went into this home, we are thrilled with the outcome.
What was the inspiration for the style of this home?
Cottage Bedroom With Purple Pillows
The textiles take this bedroom somewhere special, layering rich, jewel tones and delightful patterns into the neutral base. A vaulted ceiling and cream-colored walls bounce natural light all around the space.
Photo by: Ryan Garvin
Ryan Garvin
Cape Cod meets West Indies – the bones of the house reflect the clean, traditional architecture of homes in the Hamptons while the layers of color, texture and patterns speak to the island life of the West Indies. The vibrant waters of the Caribbean Sea served as our inspiration for turquoise to be woven throughout the home. Turquoise is a color that can be expanded on – we were able to pull different tones out of it for different spaces, we played up the green hues in some rooms while mixing it with more blues in other spaces, and we accented it with bright reds and corals which served as a beautiful complement. The furnishings were also inspired by the tropical region incorporating many woven elements (wicker, rattan, jute) and balancing them with simpler pieces so that the design overall is not overwhelming.
What was your favorite room/space to design in this home and what was the most difficult?
Coastal Living Room With Blue Art
A series of artwork recalls the heavenly blue of clear Caribbean waters, setting a beachy tone in this living room. The pretty color play continues in the collection of mixed pattern pillows.
Photo by: Ryan Garvin
Ryan Garvin
In the family room there’s a mix of so many beautiful materials that work well together and so much going on in a non-overwhelming way – intricate chairs, linen sofas, turquoise coffee table, hair-on-hide ottomans, basket wall, fireplace surround, water prints inset into cubbies – lots of interest and still aesthetically pleasing.
In the music room we tapped into our conservative client’s rocker style with velvet and faux fur. It was fun incorporating his collected music paraphernalia from his extensive travel listening to music.
Neutral Coastal Dining Room With White Chairs
Classic Cape Cod meets radiant West Indies style in this custom Corona del Mar home. We brought the clients' vision to life with layers of color, patterns, texture and finishes mixed over the clean white walls and traditional architecture. Unexpected details include: turquoise slab countertops in the kitchen, coconut shell backsplash in the butlers pantry, fish wallpaper in the powder and a dog wash complete with paw prints in the tiles. Furnishings are custom by Blackband Design
Photo by: Ryan Garvin
Ryan Garvin
In the kitchen nook it was a challenge incorporating the breakfast nook table in the kitchen without it impeding the walkway space. We were nervous about how the spacing would work but pleased with how it turned out!
How did you select the dining room chandeliers?
Eclectic Dining Room With Gold Chandeliers
Turquoise chairs and golden chandeliers bring a bright, eclectic air to this fun dining room.
Photo by: Ryan Garvin
Ryan Garvin
These gorgeous antique brass pendant lights have palm leaf motifs imprinted in the plates so we were immediately drawn to them as a fit for the style, while bringing an elevated material to the room.
What do the beamed ceilings bring to this home?
Media Room With Electric Guitars
Play the night away on an electric guitar or in front of a movie in this light-filled media room.
Photo by: Ryan Garvin
Ryan Garvin
Almost every room in this home has a unique ceiling design. The varying layouts of the wood beams and the white tongue and groove add an additional layer of interest to the overall design.
How did you go about designing the dog mudroom?
Dog Wash With Paw Prints
This bathroom is meant especially for the family's furry friends: Paw prints direct the way to the doggy bathtub. Hang up pup's towel on a cheeky tail hook.
Photo by: Ryan Garvin
Ryan Garvin
Our clients are totally dog people and wanted a dog wash in the home, so we incorporated it in the mudroom. The bath is actually set up to wash the dogs and the dog tail hooks that the client found brought a fun touch of theme into the space.
Many of the elements in this home bring texture and pattern into the space. What do these elements add to the overall design of the home?
So much of our design is fabric driven. I typically start the design process by sorting through our thousands of fabric memos to find inspiration for each space. I bring in lots of texture through fabrics and like to mix colors and patterns so that it isn’t all symmetrical but the composition is balanced.
What are the “hidden gems” in your plan that really made a big difference in the overall success of your design?
Country Kitchen With Lantern Pendants
Wood details—exposed beams, countertops—and the pretty lantern pendants are grounding, earthy touches amidst all this kitchen's fresh white.
Photo by: Ryan Garvin
Ryan Garvin
I don’t always follow the rules because I don’t know what all the rules are, which is very freeing to just go with something if I like it. When the client and I were at the slab yard looking for counter tops, we spotted turquoise slabs around the corner and got really excited about them. It wasn’t in the original plan and honestly a bit scary to go in this direction because it’s so different than what others are doing but the bold move made the final outcome that much more rewarding for both the clients and the design team!
