Tag: South Florida Home Tours

This Palm Beach Gardens Home is a Collage of Life Well Lived

I’ve known Cheryl, a lifelong creative and brand designer, through our professional networks over many years in Palm Beach County.

We recently reconnected through a local women’s organization, and would see each other at events and on Zoom meetings here and there.

During Zooms, I always noticed the background in Cheryl’s little onscreen box.

Over her shoulder, I could see a gallery wall of artwork set against a deep blue wall and a bamboo window shade, and I wondered — what does Cheryl’s house look like?

This very type of curiosity, of course, was a large part of why I launched Styled in South Florida Home Tours.

When I meet stylish and creative people, I always wonder what their homes look like.

Lucky for me, when I launched the channel and then asked Cheryl if she’d be interested in sharing her space, she said yes.

So, I got to see that gallery wall large and in living color. Plus a lot of other stuff.

Unsurprisingly, I found Cheryl’s home to be just as stylish as she is. What struck me most was how varied her collection of treasures is.

Nothing matches in the traditional sense — there’s no one design aesthetic she adheres to or color palette, even.

Her home is the antithesis of the beige “blandemic” that modern home design is often accused of being.

Her design philosophy is simply to grab the item that calls to her and bring it home.

This, combined with family heirlooms and artwork collected over generations, has created a space that is uniquely hers and deeply meaningful.

In the laundry room, you’ll find artwork her husband made as a child hanging near the sink.

Her daughters’ childhood self portraits are proudly displayed on a wall near the kitchen, and her father-in-law’s beautifully drawn, realistic portraits of those same girls are displayed in the living room.

A funky drawing picked up during travel hangs next to dog portraits Cheryl and her husband created themselves near the piano.

Whimsical clay vases from France on the dining room table hold paper flowers Cheryl created at a local workshop.

Cheryl’s collection of trinkets and treasures — some feeling more serious, some silly, some full of whimsy — has created a space with no regard for trends or idealized aesthetics.

Instead, the home is a collage of love passed through generations, across continents of travel, and in the everyday moments she shares with her husband and in her South Florida community.

Watch Cheryl’s home tour to catch a glimpse of her design magic — you’ll be inspired.

Carmen’s Colorful Home is a Celebration of Belonging

Carmen is married to my husband’s cousin and, though we live only about an hour apart, that distance is far enough to keep us from seeing each other often.

You know — jobs, kids, life.

We visited Carmen and her husband Scott several years ago, when our boys were elementary aged, and even though it was my first time meeting them, I felt welcomed and loved on in a way that stuck with me.

I also felt very impressed by their gorgeous home, which is naturally why I reached out to Carmen all these years later to be featured on Styled in South Florida Home Tours.

In her usual warm way, she invited me back to her home and generously allowed me to showcase every inch of her stunning space.

I loved seeing the house again, but more than that, I loved learning about Carmen.

I learned that she and her family came to this country as Cuban refugees with only the suitcases they could carry and moved into a small apartment in Massachusetts.

Her home design is inspired by her father, who was so careful in the items he selected for their tiny home.

Though they had left everything they owned behind and come to an unknown — and cold! — place, they were able to reinvent themselves and create a new space of belonging.

The apartment wasn’t much, but Carmen remembers walking into it and feeling like it was everything.

She also remembers that her father built her a swing inside, since they didn’t have any outdoor space. Carmen has carried that feeling of whimsy and joy into her own home design through art and color.

She and Scott have lived in their house for 32 years, and it has evolved as their family has grown and changed.

When their son moved out, they had to decide whether to stay put or start somewhere new. They decided to stay, and began shaping the house to suit their new, empty-nester life.

This included converting a guest bedroom into a dream closet for Carmen.

Carmen’s style is “just about happy,” as she puts it. She surrounds herself with color, artwork and photographs that bring joy, and collections from travel — all a reflection of her and her family’s life.

Just like her parents did in that tiny Massachusetts apartment, Carmen and Scott worked together to build a space of belonging, for them and anyone who walks through their doors.

I certainly felt the love during my visit.

I hope you’ll enjoy getting to know Carmen as I have.