Color adds vigor to new homes' interior design

In the early 1990s, white-on-white was pervasive, and scaled-down furniture hoped to make rooms feel more spacious. But today people gravitate toward homes that feel comfortable and cozy, said Mary DeWalt of DeWalt Design Group in Austin, Texas, in Sales & Marketing magazine, a publication of the National Association of Home Builders. Today there is more color on bed and walls, white-washed cabinets have diminished in number as darker finishes have moved in, and rich textures and colors are home buyers' top choices.

Southwest Florida is no exception, and builders and developers are in step with new models that display bright color and rich tones.

"What we have observed of late is that people are looking for cleaner lines in interior decor, and that seems to have created a move toward fresher, more vibrant colors," said Carol Johnson, broker/associate with Premier Properties of Southwest Florida Inc. Realtors at The Promenade in Bonita Springs. Johnson, who works as a team with Realtor Dru Martinovich, saw the change coming.

"For a long time, we were on-site sales people for the Lutgert high-rise buildings," she said. "Often, models in the 1990s were decorated in a somewhat ornate fashion, which didn't really take full advantage of the expanses of windows, natural light and bright colors in nature outside their windows."

Johnson said that the common areas of La Scala, a high-rise tower in The Colony at Pelican Landing, reflect the new approach to interior design.

"The design is still very traditional in look," she said, "but the great use of color in the common areas, where you see cranberry reds and strong yellows, creates a sophisticated atmosphere that makes a strong statement, and people are reacting favorably."

Nowhere is the color change more visible than the St. Thomas IV, a new model by Longo Construction Development. The home is contemporary in feel, readily seen in the clean lines and lack of carved detail on custom cabinetry and kitchen cabinets. Throughout the home, the walls, light fixtures, custom carpets and bedspreads are accented with splashes of kiwi green and periwinkle blue. Fixtures, hardware, kitchen appliances and many furniture frames are brushed stainless. The cooler combination of kiwi, periwinkle and stainless is warmed with backdrops of burnt almond and camel, rattan and wood furnishings and brown-toned granite surfaces.

"To be honest, I was extremely nervous about going out on a limb with shades so dramatically different," said Michele Longo, president of Longo Interiors, designer for the St. Thomas IV. "But for a while now we've known that people have abandoned the Old World look and are craving something that fits better with their lives. These colors do go with the contemporary feel of the home, and they also blend with nature."

The kiwi and periwinkle are even used on the tile surrounding the swimming pool's spa. "These are water colors," she explained. "We definitely wanted to tie the theme to the pool pavilion."

If public opinion is any indicator, the experiment is a success. Reaction to St. Thomas IV is positive. "The response has been overwhelming," said Longo. "People love the house, and the builder has already received several purchase offers."

A range of strong earth tones also comprises a viable palette in the Southwest Florida real estate market.

"In larger estate homes, careful combinations of browns, paprika, terracotta and even deeper Merlot reds are sound," said Debbie DeMaria, president of Vogue Interiors. "They blend well with the wood furnishings, carved moulding, iron pieces, leather upholstery, marble backgrounds and any other accessories necessary to fill out and add lasting appeal to rooms of colossal proportions."

Although DeMaria says she is cautious about taking risk with color that might not appeal to everyone in new home models, she applies drama with accents.

"I do see a trend, and we are using more dramatic accent colors," she said. "For instance, we've just designed an exceptional model at Mediterra that features a bold coral with a combination of blacks, coppers and taupes."

In private residents, color is blossoming out all over.

"In the past six months, we've had more than a few clients requesting a strong statement," DeMaria said. "We've done a home with bright sunset colors, orangey reds, tomato and vibrant cobalt blue. We just finished another with a brighter eggplant and clear red, green and yellow."

The shift is a welcome one.

"After 22 years in the design business, I can almost read people," she said. "We're now seeing more people who live well with color. They want clear color and jewel tones. For me, it's been fun. We're always going to have the healthy demand for neutrals and the soothing natural shades, but home owners also want a little punch and vigor."