Room of the Day: As Comfy As a Favorite Pair of Jeans
Faded colors and celestial light give a Florida family room a sun-washed allure
Fred Albert
March 24, 2014
Houzz Contributor. Fred has written about architecture and design for many Web sites and magazines, including Houzz, Metropolitan Home, House Beautiful and Style 1900.
Houzz Contributor. Fred has written about architecture and design for many Web sites... More
Having worked on a number of movie sets over the years (My Cousin Vinny and The Legend of Bagger Vance, to name two), designer Julia Starr Sanford knows something about mastering the art of illusion.
That’s what she’s done with the family room of her Amelia Island, Florida, home. Bleached and sun drenched, like linens left on the clothesline too long, the interior marries farmhouse informality with a dollop of coastal cool for a soft, timeworn look that invites instant relaxation.
“Everyone loves that room,” Sanford says. “It’s like your favorite pair of faded blue jeans.”
Photography by Wally Sears
That’s what she’s done with the family room of her Amelia Island, Florida, home. Bleached and sun drenched, like linens left on the clothesline too long, the interior marries farmhouse informality with a dollop of coastal cool for a soft, timeworn look that invites instant relaxation.
“Everyone loves that room,” Sanford says. “It’s like your favorite pair of faded blue jeans.”
Photography by Wally Sears
An architect, interior designer, scenic artist and partner in Pearl Home in Jacksonville, Sanford bought the 1860s sea captain’s house a decade ago. Like many homes of the period, this one had a detached kitchen to prevent house fires. Sometime in the early 20th century, she figures, a room was built to join the two structures; that’s the current family room.
She removed fake wood paneling and plasterboard from the walls, revealing tongue and groove pine covered with primer. She stripped off the paint, then applied a diluted gray stain she calls a denim wash; she learned this technique for instilling instant age on a movie set.
She removed fake wood paneling and plasterboard from the walls, revealing tongue and groove pine covered with primer. She stripped off the paint, then applied a diluted gray stain she calls a denim wash; she learned this technique for instilling instant age on a movie set.
The room was very dark and had a flat ceiling, so Sanford worked with contractor Rod Armanino to open the interior to the roofline, adding collar ties for stability. Then she inserted four skylights, flooding the room with brilliant light.
She kept the 10-foot ceiling in the old kitchen (now an office), but used the space above for a sleeping loft, accessed by a custom ladder. “It’s really great sleeping under the skylights,” she says.
She kept the 10-foot ceiling in the old kitchen (now an office), but used the space above for a sleeping loft, accessed by a custom ladder. “It’s really great sleeping under the skylights,” she says.
Sanford’s boyfriend, Wally Sears, contributed the surfboard, a vintage, 1950s balsa wood Velzy that looms over the room like some wave-riding deity.
She replaced the linoleum floors with tongue and groove pine, which she sandblasted to raise the grain and instill a sense of age. Instead of going for contrast, she placed a solid gray cowhide on top so the surface looks continuous. “It feels a lot like a cocoon when you’re in there,” she says.
The mother of a teenage son, Noah, Sanford is used to being bombarded with kids, so she chose downy-soft seating topped with a white linen slipcover, “so we can wash it easily,” she says. “I’ll toss a soft throw over it when there’s a bunch of kids in there.”
She likes using old camp stools in lieu of a coffee table, so no one has to hesitate about putting their feet up.
Sofa, chairs, cowhide, block side table: Pearl Home
She replaced the linoleum floors with tongue and groove pine, which she sandblasted to raise the grain and instill a sense of age. Instead of going for contrast, she placed a solid gray cowhide on top so the surface looks continuous. “It feels a lot like a cocoon when you’re in there,” she says.
The mother of a teenage son, Noah, Sanford is used to being bombarded with kids, so she chose downy-soft seating topped with a white linen slipcover, “so we can wash it easily,” she says. “I’ll toss a soft throw over it when there’s a bunch of kids in there.”
She likes using old camp stools in lieu of a coffee table, so no one has to hesitate about putting their feet up.
Sofa, chairs, cowhide, block side table: Pearl Home
The wood at the bottom of the walls was in rougher shape, so Sanford salvaged some to patch the upper walls, then replaced the rest with tongue and groove wainscoting treated to a denim wash.
A portrait of her late mother, by Stan Topol, hangs on the wall.
Lamp: West Elm
A portrait of her late mother, by Stan Topol, hangs on the wall.
Lamp: West Elm
Sanford covered the window with a vintage Venetian blind. “It fit with the feeling of the room,” she says. The haunting, sepia-toned horse photos were a gift from the artist, Thomas Hager, who probably appreciated the way their serenity and Old West aesthetic complemented the room.
See more Rooms of the Day
See more Rooms of the Day
Related Stories
Organizing
How to Create a Joyful, Clutter-Free Home Office
Follow these steps to get rid of the paper piles and make room for beauty and better organization
Full Story
Remodeling Guides
15 Ways to Create Separation in an Open Floor Plan
By tidgboutique
Use these pro tips to minimize noise, delineate space and establish personal boundaries in an open layout
Full Story
White
Design Pros Share 10 Favorite Creamy White Paints
By Becky Harris
These off-white color choices include versatile tones, warming hues and pleasingly soft shades
Full Story
Entryways
4 Designer Tips for a Fashionable Entry
By tidgboutique
A pro shows how adding color, statement pieces and more to a foyer can set the right tone for the rest of the home
Full Story
Most Popular
7 Major Decorating Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
By tidgboutique
Gain confidence to start your interior design project with this advice from a professional designer
Full Story
Living Rooms
4 Must-Have Features for a Small Living Room
By tidgboutique
A designer shares important ways to live large in a tight space and make it look stylish
Full Story
Most Popular
7 Common Decorating Mistakes to Avoid
Pros share solutions to design problems they often find in people’s living spaces
Full Story
Most Popular
How to Decorate a Living Room
By tidgboutique
A designer offers tips for creating a comfortable space that reflects your style
Full Story
Budget Decorating
Where to Splurge and Where to Save When Decorating
By tidgboutique
See where it makes sense to invest in durable essentials and focal pieces, and where to economize on other things
Full Story
Lighting
Pro Tips for Lighting 10 Rooms and Outdoor Areas
Get professional advice for lighting your kitchen, bathroom, living room, office, patio and more
Full Story
Thank-you for sharing such a lovely, warm fresh room! The pallette is one that I Love & would consider doing in my seaside/beachy bedroom, the tranquility of the room would be divine ☺ & I live in an old & very beautiful (with many original features) Victorian home so I already have the high ceilings. I like to be positive & give compliments when they are deserved & they are here!!
Sincerely ,
~Kim (from Ontario, Canada ) ☺