Tampa Vacation Home
Primary Bedroom Renovation
When one of our favorite Knoxville clients purchased a new vacation home in Tampa, Florida, they knew they wanted Rowan Hall to make it their own. After years of working to design their Farragut, Tennessee home to perfection, they trusted Alfie to give them a place in the Sunshine State that felt like home. Despite the project location being a quick plane ride away, our 15-step white glove process allows our design team to execute remote projects efficiently. Today, we’re breaking down the primary bedroom design and how we gave this room’s blank canvas a colorful new life.
Alfie admits that the primary bedroom had much more hidden potential than what she envisioned at first glance. The room wasn’t initially very inviting. Our team needed to give the space some life and transform it into a restful retreat for our homeowners. To begin, we decided to utilize shades of blue that our clients loved. We set out to achieve a transitional style with a light and airy feel–the perfect vacation home vibe.
Bedding Blues
In a bedroom, the bedding is the star of the show! We put much thought into the fabrics and functionality of the pieces we chose. Alfie selected a beautiful chinoiserie toile pattern from Thibaut fabrics to make a large, sumptuous bolster pillow. This same pattern adorns the end of the bed and the draperies, adding pops of color without overwhelming the space. The deep blue half-inch flange around the bolster pillow ties in the blue brushstroke pattern on the lamps, bringing every detail together in this beautiful new space.
Because of the nature of this home, we opted to bring pattern and color with a bed scarf. You’ve probably noticed bed scarves most commonly in hotel rooms. They help protect the linens from suitcases and travel bags when visitors are unpacking. Truthfully, it would be heartbreaking to see a suitcase on this gorgeous piece, but it was necessary in this vacation home. Should our clients choose to share this home with friends and family, their clean, cozy linens will be protected from airport grime. Bed scarves are typically 32 inches wide, but we opted for a bit wider to make the piece feel more grand. This was a way for us to make a stunning statement on the bed without adding a full comforter and duvet cover, which would make our homeowners far too warm in that Florida heat!
A duvet cover also would have required five times the amount of fabric, making it less cost effective for our clients. Bed scarves are a great way to preserve fabric and labor, but they give the same look as a folded, fluffy duvet. Because we were renovating and furnishing their entire second home, our design team worked to stretch their investment as far as possible. It takes an expert, experienced designer to know how to work within our clients’ budget without sacrificing that luxurious feel they are hiring Rowan Hall to achieve. This is just one of the many advantages of working with our Knoxville interior design team!
With the bedding thoughtfully designed, this space needed a bed that allowed those beautiful blues to shine. The custom-upholstered headboard was designed with performance fabric and gold nail heads. Alfie selected this pop of gold to tie in the accents on the nightstands, frames above the bed and bedside lamps. We chose these transitional end tables from Phillip Scott and layered them with beautiful lamps from Gabby. We established simple themes, adding greenery and books to the table surfaces to give them a cozy feel.
Tampa Vice
When our Knoxville interior designers travel to markets in Atlanta, Georgia and High Point, North Carolina, they are searching for those perfect pieces that will make our clients light up. One of the pieces of inspiration in this room was a stunning piece of furniture from Currey & Company. Alfie sometimes teases our client and calls her “Miami Vice,” because she always wants to be more glamorous and live on the edge when it comes to her interior design. This cabinet definitely had that Miami flare. It has a more transitional feel than many of the other pieces, thanks to the dark sapphire-blue finish that strengthened the sycamore veneers on the door fronts. The wood grains imbued the cabinet with hints of distressing that contrasted with the sleek lines of the base and the antique brass-finish door pulls.
We placed gorgeous sculptural vases as accents on this piece, and we also left space for a television should our clients choose to put one there. TVs typically aren’t beautiful, but let’s face it–they’re functional, and our clients who want them deserve to have what makes their home feel perfect for them. This cabinet gives them the option to add a TV, and it also gives them additional storage. However, this room was blessed with a massive closet, so storage didn’t have to be top of mind for this design.
Window Dressings
Of course, no Rowan Hall room is complete without custom window treatments, and these were some of the prettiest we’ve ever done. The view off the Juliet balcony is supposed to be the million-dollar shot, but before Rowan Hall went to work, even the best part of the room fell flat. The custom curtains we selected frame the view perfectly, making the outside look even prettier thanks to the fabulous inside. We used split curtain rods for the nonfunctional panels and were able to add color, texture and interest on that wall in the process.
Above the bed, we hung a trio of beautiful framed medallions. Alfie typically opts for something above a bed, as long as it’s not too busy. She likes having a place for the eyes to rest, and these fit the bill. This set of custom artwork from one of our favorite manufacturers frames pieces of gold, antique jewelry. Simple and captivating, they give the space another pop of gold and round out those warm accents. Having more areas of interest for the eyeballs to land makes this room look much bigger, helping us achieve its full potential.
Coastal Transformations
As far as the foundation of this room, it only required a few cosmetic upgrades. A light, neutral color on the walls brightened the space, making it feel less dated without the yellow-toned walls from before. A new ceiling fan modernized the space, and just like that, this primary bedroom didn’t feel like a blast from the past!
We were able to achieve a transitional, beachy feel (with a hint of Miami Vice), giving our coastal clients a home away from home they can enjoy on their many trips down south. From Knoxville, Tennessee to the Sunshine State, Rowan Hall’s expert interior design team knows how to get the job done! We love when our clients ask us to travel with them. After all, who knows their home living needs better than Alfie herself! After years of getting to know her clients, she knows how to curate a space that serves their lifestyle better than they do. That’s the reason they trust us! It all began with an initial consultation, and their working relationship has only grown from there. Schedule your initial consultation today–your future self will thank you!
Formal living room before
Kitchen after
Dining room before
Dining room after niche opened up and paint changed
Dining room after
After: powder room wallpaper
Basement after
Primary bedroom after
