Vero Beach Bungalow

Designer Meg Braff is all about the South Florida lifestyle. She has a passion for color, a thing for palm trees and a weakness for rattan and bamboo. So she was the obvious choice for a Manhattan family relocating to Vero Beach and looking to give their new home a sunny, cheerful vibe. “They wanted it to really feel like they were living in Florida,” Braff says. “I love the look of Florida. I find the architecture interesting and the landscape is so lush and green.” Situated on a barrier island, with its backyard facing an inlet off the Indian River, the clients’ house proved an ideal setting for Braff’s tropical touch. The two-story Bermuda Colonial-style structure boasts pecky cypress-beamed ceilings, elegant millwork and floor-to-ceiling windows. But before the designer could work her colorful magic, she had to team up with general contractor Darwyn A. Jones to eliminate dark-wood accents and reorganize spaces on the first floor. The changes resulted in an airy backdrop for a profusion of color and pattern. Inspired by the property’s surroundings, Braff employed a palette of vibrant tones: sky blue, leafy green and garden hues like lemon, coral and pistachio. “There’s a pretty consistent color saturation,” she explains. “A thread of color takes you from room to room.” Just as the home’s lively interior design embraces the clients’ newly adopted environs, the project’s combination of tropical prints, sunny hues and natural textures reflects Braff’s penchant for the area. “This house represents a lot of my favorite colors,” she says. “My color sensibility really works in Florida. I find it very uplifting to be here.” Excerpted from Luxe Magazine, Palm Beach By Jennifer Sergent