® Fall 2022
A RIVERSIDE
RIVER ROOTS HOME MIXES FAMILY HISTORY WITH A BOHO COASTAL AESTHETIC
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The kitchen’s look started with the 14-foot-long island, designed by Amy Lou Smith of Amy Lou Interiors. The oversized light fixtures add an essential focal point and connect the expansive coffered ceilings with the island and the room. “I knew I had to find lighting to do the island justice,” explains Smith. “When I found these lights, they were almost as tall as me, but they seemed like the only choice for the room.”
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Front Elevation: “I really wanted a statement front door and knew it would have to be really big,” states Johnson. The home’s 10-foot by 10-foot entry doors are the most extensive Smith has ever used on a project. The team also selected the louvered, paneled garage doors to enhance the home’s look, and the Bahama shutters were an integral part of their vision for the exterior.
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“We felt like it was the best place for us to raise our children and lay our roots. It felt like we were coming home.”
“The property had been in my wife’s family since 1870,” says Johnson.
Entry | Wine/Whiskey Closet: The downstairs entryway needed a wow factor, so Smith and Johnson created a statement staircase with black powder-coated aluminum rails. A neutral-toned, patterned marble tile gives durability to the entry, and one-by-two wood panels add interest to the 24foot walls that connect the downstairs with the upstairs living quarters. A refrigerated wine/whiskey closet takes advantage of the space under the stairs, handy for outdoor entertaining due to its convenient sliding glass door access from the outdoor entertainment area.
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Family Room: The family room has stunning views, and the water is reflected in the artwork flanking the fireplace. The floor-to-ceiling surround is natural stone in a color that blends with the walls but offers a raised wave design for texture. The wood coffee table is a nod to the home’s theme. “I wanted to add subliminal pieces that said ‘River Roots,’ and this table has a live-wood look that flows with the dining table,” recalls Smith.
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The home’s location held special meaning for the family. It has been passed down through generations and is close to where the homeowners grew up — and where many family members still live. Subsequently, Johnson wanted its design to reflect its history. “The property had been in my wife’s family since 1870,” says Johnson. “We felt like it was the best place for us to raise our children and lay our roots. It felt like we were coming home.” In addition to that feeling of coming back to the family’s roots, Smith adds, “The home is situated on the river, with expansive views, so they came up with the name ‘River Roots’ to combine the location with the sentimental value of the land.” Perfect for their love of the water, entertaining friends and family, and the architecture and style of Palmetto. u
Johnson of Johnson Homes of West Florida and his family decided the time was right to build their forever home, they called on their long-time colleague Amy Smith of Amy Lou Interiors.
Primary Bedroom: Smith wanted the main bedroom to coordinate well with the rest of the home but have a darker, more dramatic feel, which complements the oceanside art piece in the sitting area. She added wallpaper in a lighter color to enhance the ceiling and designed the coffering to separate the sitting area from the rest of the bedroom.
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Primary Bathroom: “The floating wood-grain vanities were spot on with the dark wood look; we wanted to give this bathroom a more moody vibe,” recalls Smith. She also added undermount lighting for late-night ambiance, and a stunning chandelier completes the scene. The sconces were a color gamble but integrated seamlessly with the blue chevron wall tile. Seven-foot-tall mirrors balance the size of the vanity and the height of the walls, and goldtone fixtures add shine and elegance.
Primary Bathroom Shower: The moody blue wall tile gives the main bathroom shower a modern look. Smith chose the same color tile for the shower walls to create continuity with the tile used in the bathroom but mixed it up with different patterns. The Calacatta marble shower floor is the same stone used on the bathroom floor, creating a seamless flow through the space. The niches are trimmed in gold-toned metal for a touch of glamour.
Primary Bedroom Sitting Area: “We used the sofa from the formal living room in the client’s previous home to add some formality to the space,” says Smith. The ocean-blue wall color perfectly frames the gorgeous water view from the picture window, and the root-base coffee table adds a natural feel, helping to soften the formality a touch and call back to the home’s overall “River Roots” theme. A soft rug in watercolor blues anchors the space.
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With the name “River Roots” established to guide the design, Smith also took the family’s love of the boho, California-coastal aesthetic to heart in creating the look and feel of the home. She selected eclectic, organic, and nature-inspired furnishings and finishes and mixed them up with pronounced colors and patterns to elevate the vibe with the unique and unexpected while always keeping the river views and the family’s needs in mind. “They love the water, so we wanted the home to not only have views of the water but also the feeling of being inside a fun getaway on the water,” Smith explains. The family is also very active in sports, so Smith focused on things like flooring that could hide dirt and fun wallpapers that reflected their passions and tastes. “The home had to be able to be ‘lived in’ and feel casual but classic. Each room was carefully curated to reflect their lifestyle and not just because it looked great.” u
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Laundry Room: The walls of the home’s laundry room are wrapped in a hand-painted patterned tile, and the large-format tile on the floor was chosen specifically to blend with the wood floors throughout the rest of the house. Smith designed the bench and drop space and included a dual-stacked washer and dryer to accommodate the family’s hobbies and active, busy lifestyle. Gold-toned cabinet hardware elevates the utilitarian room and coordinates with the hardware used in the kitchen.
Kid’s Bathroom: The en suite bathroom for the surfer-themed bedroom mixes 3-by-12-inch individual tiles in shades of dark blue, aqua, and white to emulate a 10-foot wave on the shower wall, with dark blue near the floor and seafoam near the ceiling. A blue-and-white hex tile on the shower floor brings all the shades together, and a wood-look tile continues the surfer theme on the bathroom floor.
Kid’s Bedroom: One of the family’s children requested a surfer-themed room, which Smith accommodated by covering one wall with a custom wave mural and using coastal-themed artwork on the adjacent wall. The platform bed offers clever integrated storage cubbies to supplement the storage in the dressers. The blush tones of the throw pillows and rug add a feminine touch without being too child-like, while also coordinating with the many watery shades throughout the room.
Teen Bedroom (Above): Another custom mural graces the teen’s bedroom to satisfy her request for a more boho coastal feel. The rattan bedframe was custom made, and a hanging lounge chair in the corner completes the room’s vibe. “This room was a labor of love,” Smith recounts. “With the teenage daughter loving pink and boho, I believe we pulled it off.” The room also looks out on the river, tying this space neatly into the home’s “River Roots” theme.
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Guest Bathroom: Smith and her clients wanted something unexpected and unique for this bathroom next to the movie theater area. With wall tile set in a herringbone pattern and the same deep blue color found in other rooms, this small bathroom brings an even moodier vibe to the space with a black-and-white Moroccan tile on the floor and palm-frond wallpaper. In addition, she selected a marble and brass sink and installed the fixtures on the wall for added luxury.
A deep professional relationship with Johnson helped Smith deliver precisely what the family needed and wanted. “My wife and I had a very specific vision of how we wanted the interior design to look,” recalls Johnson, “and Amy did a phenomenal job bringing that to life.” Being able to put his builder’s hat on for such a personal project, which involved his entire family and having control over design decisions and selections, was also a unique experience. With such deep roots and a strong personal connection to the project, plus the trust that comes from years of working together, this team’s efforts resulted in a stunning home that was everything this family dreamed of in a place they can call a forever home. n
Guest Bedroom: The guest bedroom infused the coastal feel Smith and her clients wanted and provided calm respite for guests. White walls with matching ceilings provided a peaceful backdrop for a series of aqua mango wood bowls above the headboard and reflected the color in the water scene canvas on the adjacent wall. In addition, the woodplank bed frame incorporates more of the herringbone pattern used in the home’s tile walls and floors.
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Office Seating Area: The color of this feature wall in the home’s office, while still a deep, moody blue, has fewer aqua tones than the other shades used throughout. Light-colored caning on the cabinet fronts of the credenza brings in the coastal feel, and a dramatic photo of a rocky shoreline adds movement and impact. Leather seating grounds the space, providing a stately quality to this productive working space.
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Pool: The focus of the backyard pool area was to emphasize the impressive view of the water just beyond the yard. The shell stone decking stays cool under the hot sun and isn’t slippery when wet. The 12foot custom-designed wood outdoor table gives way to a neutral color palette outdoors, echoed by the loosely woven cane chairs. “We wanted this area to feel like a resort, perfect for entertaining and for kids to have fun all year round,” states Smith.
Roof Deck: The backyard area has room to entertain up to fifty people with its rooftop deck, accessed via a spiral staircase. Sliding glass doors from the lower level provide access to the wine/whiskey closet under the stairs in the showstopping front entryway. “We also designed the back to be another front door to the home, since just as many people see it from the water in the back,” says Johnson.
Tiki Bar: A tiki hut at the property’s edge offers a fun spot to belly up to the bar and enjoy the breeze from the river. The 35,000-gallon pool, perfect for starting or ending the day with a quick swim, was designed to be the focus of the backyard and includes an oversized spa and LED accent lights for dramatic impact at night. The pebble finish has a blue glass additive to make the water color pop under the sunlight.
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Interior Designer: Amy Lou Interiors 5317 Lena Road, Suite 107 Bradenton, FL 34211 www.amylou.com941.400.0803
Outdoor Living: The client desired an outdoor space to watch games while entertaining guests, so three televisions span this wall and include a complete surround sound speaker system. Ample seating flanks the television wall beneath a wood-plank ceiling, which provides plenty of shade from the hot sun. The loose caning on the sofas and lounge chairs mimics the bar stools in the adjacent eating area and is topped with dusky blue throw pillows in modern geometric prints.
Written by Shawna Hampton Photography by Jimmy White Photography
Aerial View: The view of the home shows off the standing-seam metal roof, selected in keeping with the coastal vibe, and the proximity to the river. The backyard includes a vibrant faux-turf lawn, chosen for its ability to withstand the Florida elements and stay green all year long. The bordering landscaping of palms and other tropical plants give the home a seaside beach resort appeal.
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