Every year Southern Living magazine designs, builds and decorates a model home. The home, referred to as the “Idea House”, is featured in the magazine and opened to the public for viewing. This year’s Southern Living Idea House is located on Amelia Island, Florida in a new development called Crane Island. It is surrounded by natural marshlands on the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) which is a 3,000-mile inland waterway from Massachusetts to Texas. When I arrived early for a recent visit, I decided to take a little walk on the dock.
My curiosity was rewarded when I witnessed a beautiful dolphin gliding along the waterway.
The ICW isn’t only for wildlife, though, I also witnessed several commercial vessels during my visit. Here’s a barge as viewed from the back porch. There’s no question it’s a beautiful and entertaining setting.
In realtor-speak, the Idea House is 5 bed, 5.5 bath, 4,540 sq ft. But it’s so much more than that!
When you enter the house, you are greeted by a spacious living/dining/kitchen area. Large windows provide an expansive view of the spectacular setting.
Those large windows are actually full height bi-fold doors that open onto a porch. There’s no shortage of porches in the Idea House‒I counted 5 including one that was screened. They’re on nearly all sides of the house so there’s one for every time of day or night. This is the second floor back porch which is charmingly called the “swinging porch”.
The color scheme throughout the house is soft and muted‒soothing blues, neutral taupes/buffs and calming whites. It’s perfect for this elegant waterfront home. This is the Game Room on the second floor.
I noticed a large variety of patterns used throughout the house. There are patterns on the wallpaper, tablecloths, table and vanity skirts, linens, bed canopies, pillows and so on. Here’s a closeup of the Game Room drapery and wallpaper.
Texture was also prevalent throughout the house. In the Master Bedroom, for instance, shiplap walls, luxurious bed linens, glossy wood furniture and a variety of interesting accessories built a rich textural experience.
While I admired everything about the Idea House, I’m not in the market for a new house or a major renovation, so I focused on details and little things that I knew I could apply in my own home. Here are my top 8 ideas from the Idea House.
Idea 1: Add Local Interest I love how cranes are sprinkled throughout the Idea House in recognition of the Crane Island location. There’s a striking gallery wall in the Living Room featuring illustrations of cranes and other wild birds. The middle callout shows a chair upholstered in crane-patterned fabric. The bottom callout shows towel hooks in one of the bathrooms topped with bird illustrations. Cranes would not be relevant to everyone’s home, of course, but every location has its own unique and interesting elements.
Idea 2: Add Life with Fronds and Leaves Large palm fronds and plant cuttings are used throughout the Idea House to add greenery and life. It’s a nice alternative to cut flowers or house plants.
Idea 3: Repeat Pattern on Walls and Windows If you follow home decorating trends, you’ll know wallpaper is back in style. I didn’t actually count the number of rooms with wallpaper but I’d guess more than half had a wallpaper treatment of some kind. But the idea that caught my attention was extending the wallpaper pattern onto the window blind fabric. It makes for a nice, seamless treatment. Here’s an example from the Laundry Room. And, yes, there are two washers and two dryers! I guess when you have a big house in a beautiful waterfront location that everyone wants to visit, you can expect to generate a lot of laundry!
Idea 4: Decorate Top of Cabinet Admittedly, this is a rather small point. I’ve never quite known what to put on the top of a standalone cabinet‒aside from the predictable collection of baskets. I like the idea of hanging a photo or print in the space above the cabinet with just a simple piece of pottery placed on the cabinet itself.
Idea 5: Frame Wallpaper as Art The vanity area of the Twin Bedroom is papered in a lovely pattern of birds and foliage. It seems a section of that wallpaper was then framed and hung in the adjacent bathroom. Great idea!
Idea 6: Camouflage a Switchplate Another small but impactful idea. Why not make those ugly switchplates and outlet covers disappear? Here’s an example from the far wall in the kitchen.
Idea 7: Dress Up the Ceiling I was surprised to see at least two rooms with wallpaper on the ceiling. It was such a pleasant surprise. Here’s the cozy little Bunk Room with 2 sets of bunk beds ready for guests. The ceiling treatment adds style and glamour to this small space.
Idea 8: Add an Unexpected Piece The designer, Heather Chadduck Hillegas, called this out as one of her signature style moves in the August 2019 issue of Southern Living magazine. She said “It’s always nice to throw an oddball into the mix. A chair is a good option in a hallway. It can hold a stack of laundry or a stray handbag.” I love a few surprises in a home’s decor and this quirky chair is a great example.
I hope you’ve found these ideas interesting and that you might be tempted to try them, too.
More Info
You can learn more about the Southern Living Idea House on the Southern Living website or the Crane Island website.
There are 7 elements of design including color, pattern, texture, space, line, form and light. The Interior Design Academy explains these elements must work in harmony to create an aesthetically pleasing interior. I’ve discussed some of these topics in previous posts. See my Color Palette by Mother Nature post for more information about inspiring color palettes. See my Patterns by Mother Nature post for inspiration about patterns. In my posts, Texture by Mother Nature and Decorating With Texture, we looked at texture. Decorating with Texture includes quite a few photos from previous Southern Living Idea Houses.
Today’s Takeaways
1. Consider visiting the Southern Living Idea House or a similar model home near you.
2. Study the setting, architecture and décor to identify elements that appeal to you.
3. Take photos and/or notes of ideas that inspire you.
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