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Spring 2021
DESIGNER Q&A
WITH GAIL CARLSON OF STUDIO G HOME Gail Carlson Brundage, owner and lead interior designer of Studio G Home, has more than 30 years of interior design experience. She is known for her fresh, sophisticated, and unpretentious style. Gail’s design objective is to create interiors that are always comfortable, classic, and timeless, featuring tailored details, interesting juxtapositions, and careful editing. Taking a break from her day — which is typically filled with running her design business, as well as the firm’s storefronts Studio G Home and Studio G Bed & Bath — Gail sat down with Home & Design to discuss one of her recent projects, where she and her team redesigned an existing home with strong bones to meet a repeat client’s specific needs. Topics of our conversation? Everything from how she and her team approach the design process to the advice she has for homeowners looking to remodel or build in 2021. Home & Design: Let’s start with some background on the project. How were you introduced to this client? What were they looking for when they came to you and what was their overall vision for the project? Gail Carlson: This client is a previous client; I did their home in Lakewood Ranch. For this home, they were looking for the perfect waterfront property. Over the previous year (maybe two), I previewed several homes with him before we landed on this one. We both agreed on its superior construction. For example, the moulding detail hides the home’s air conditioning vents — which are cleverly placed behind the crown — and the living room’s beams are made from actual rough-hewn timber. The doors are impressive, the floors are a beautiful light color (European oak hardwood), and the home was a relatively new build. u
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Home & Design: This home was built and featured in Home & Design Suncoast a couple of years ago. It is lovely to see how different homeowners work with our local professionals to personalize and create a unique design to meet their needs and style. Gail Carlson: Yes, so the home — designed by architect Brian Phipps and built by Clyde Astrom — is in perfect condition, and the layout was well thought out. It is on Bird Key and sits facing the west, looking across the Bay toward the Bird Key Yacht Club. Most of the home can be opened to the patio and rear of the house, and you see boats going by in the distance, but the waterway just beyond their property is very calm. The homeowners love to paddleboard there with their labrador!
Home & Design: It sounds like the perfect waterfront home! Will you walk me through your design process for a project like this, where you redesign an already “complete” home for a homeowner to meet their personal taste. Gail Carlson: We began by working with the warm tones in the woods — we added iron, stone, a lot of linen textiles, and a bit of leather. Some of the furnishings are actually from the client’s previous home. We wanted to include as many of his existing pieces as possible, and most of them wound up in the living room. However, we added things like the chest and mirrors on either side of the fireplace and the seagrass area rug with its linen binding. Accents like the chandelier further the concept, creating texture and variety in the use of materials, but it is all very balanced. u
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The owner’s contributions to the décor and design were vital say the builder and architect. And she knew her mind. She wanted a “timeless” home—one in which accessories could be interchangeable. “I chose grays and white and relied on a variety of textures for interest and definition,” she says. From the 12 ft chandelier in the foyer to each of the furnishings, the home bears her imprint.
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Home & Design: Balance is such an important thing to have nowadays. Will you share a little bit about how you achieve balance between comfort and understated elegance in your designs? Gail Carlson: We try to select quality pieces designed for lasting comfort, which creates a timeless design that can go with homeowners from one home to the next. Classic pieces can be balanced by sprinkling in a little flavor — as we did in this home’s family room with the modern, hourglass-shaped stools. We also balance heavier pieces with something light. For example, in the home’s family room, we selected a sectional to maximize seating for entertaining, so we kept the coffee table very light because there was already a lot of mass in the room. Material and fabric selection are also essential. Linen is an excellent material for Florida; it can retain a lot of moisture before it feels wet. All of our bed coverings, as beautiful as they are, are washable linens. They actually help regulate temperature and will get softer as you wash them.
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Home & Design: Brilliant! Switching gears, we’d love to touch on the current Sarasota market and what your clients have recently been asking for and prioritizing in their design projects? Gail Carlson: One of the biggest compliments I remember receiving was when a client said, “I love our home and its interior so much, I never want to leave.” We’re all about creating a sanctuary for our clients, and we’ve talked about this a lot lately. So many people are spending more time inside — working from home and facing limited options in what they can do outside the home. People have had time to reflect on what their home means to them, and we are here to create spaces that have a kind of barefoot elegance — where you can have your shoes off and feel comfortable at home. There is always an elegance to the design, but it doesn’t feel like you can’t touch anything or actually live in your home. Another thing that comes into play is biophilic design or design which ensures we connect with nature. Singapore has been doing this forever, but we should all be thinking about this design right now and seeking to create deeper connections with nature indoors. u
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Home & Design: There are so many people who are currently rethinking their living situations and looking to remodel or find a home that better suits their needs. What advice do you have for homeowners looking to remodel or purchase a new home this year? Gail Carlson: Oh, that is a good question. Pick your team carefully. We have seen an increase in remodels and renovations. It is very important to understand the different roles each professional — interior designer, architect, contractor — plays in the process. Take a look at the process that a designer goes through to get you from A to Z. I find most people (even some professionals!) put things out of order. We focus on building confidence with the client from the beginning, and every step of the way, we provide background to help clarify why a decision is a “good” one. It is also important to understand and communicate your priorities. You can do things in phases; it doesn’t all have to happen right away, but you’ll need a professional team to help you understand the overall final plan. n
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Written by Emily Fitzgerald Photography by Jimmy White Photography Interior Designer Studio G Home 1530 State Street Sarasota, FL 34236 941.504.5235 studioghome.com Resources: Bee Ridge Lighting 3909 Bee Ridge Road Sarasota, FL 34233 941.922.2626 beeridgelighting.com
Campbell Cabinetry Designs 1531 Main Street Sarasota, FL 34236 941.378.3922 campbellcabinetrydesigns.com
Digital Homes 2231 Sarasota Center Boulevard Sarasota, FL 34240 941.870.4418 digitalhomescorp.com
Carefree Design Center 1091 Central Avenue Sarasota, FL 34236 941.921.4000 carefreedesign.com
The Plumbing Place 5678 Fruitville Road Sarasota, FL 34232 941.378.5678 theplumbingplace.com
Design Works 4500 Carmichael Avenue Sarasota, FL 34234 800.226.9434 floridadesignworks.com
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