INTERIORS

HOME

FROM CITY TO SHORE, THE FINE ART OF LAUDY LIVING

INTERIORS HAUTE HISTORY

Although Fort Lauderdale may sometimes seem like the teardown capital of the world, the owners of this circa-1935 home in the Rio Vista neighborhood decided to double down on restoring the property’s original charm.

Enter Tracy Dunn of Tracy Dunn Design, who had worked with the client on other projects for more than a decade. She was inspired by the home’s existing architecture and decided to highlight it while establishing a design aesthetic that is at once classic and timeless. “The bones of a historic home are typically unique, which allows for some great design opportunities,” she says.

In this project, flow was key. Dunn worked to make the spaces feel both comfortable and cohesive. “The foyer, living room, and dining room [have] a nice flow where you see all three,” she explains. “Designing the three rooms to complement each other was the goal.”

Forget the monotony of greiges and beiges—Dunn used bright colors, including a cheerful turquoise in the dining room and a fresh green in a bathroom. “My client loves color like I do,” she notes. “The colors I incorporated were a takeoff from the foyer’s colors of turquoise, greens, whites, and a pop of coral, so we continued that palette throughout.”

Dunn also retained the home’s original hardwood floors in order to give the space a warm vibe. “[They] have a gorgeous patina,” Dunn says. “[That] made it easy to bring in color and patterns, and to work with [my client’s] antiques.” (tracydunndesign.com) –Kristen Desmond LeFevre