There comes a moment in life where you face a road that parts two ways. The moment that you have to take difficult decisions for your own peace of mind or for mending a disturbing situation. However, we also face situations where we gladly make the right choices to improve our quality of life and to move forward in the right direction.
As an Interior Designer my role is also to guide my clients to take the best steps out of a whole array of opportunities and choices. Not easy at times, sometimes even conflictive, but at the end of the day both parties have to compromise and be content with the end result.
When designing this condo, I learned the importance of letting go. We tend to attach ourselves to material and even physical things that no longer serve us for good, but we are so blindsided, that our focus and clear state of mind gets blurred, and we find ourselves wandering through a valley of uncertainty, doubt and even fear.
All because we are not willing to let go, in the fear of facing the unknown, whether it is right or wrong.
I had the luck to meet this client that finally just bought his home. He was living for years in rentals and suddenly… poof! A golden opportunity presented itself to purchase this new condo. All to his expectations. A pool, modern kitchen, spacious walk-in closet and even an open outdoor area that he wanted me to transform into a outdoor open air bathroom.
But before that, he had this immense doubt of taking the step of finally being a homeowner. That big decision of more stability and responsibility. Because hey… owning a house is no joke! The maintenance, the taxes, just to mention a few that comes along with the package, are non-negotiable.
But there is nothing compared to having “your own” home!
I had the pleasure to be involved in designing this house and bringing all of his design wishes to life. He wanted it light yet balanced with some modern/ contemporary dark wood furniture.
Since the living area and hallway had mostly floor to ceiling glass windows, I chose to use neutral taupe colored silk curtains, that would reflect the light especially at night when the ceiling lights were on. The ceiling was high and gave the house a distinct look with these warm recessed ceiling lights that were introduced into the design. These warm recess lights gave the house a bright and crisp look.
I always say that the 4 things that can improve or diminish a design are paint, flooring, curtains and lighting. These are imperative in transforming your space into a beautiful realm. The right paint color for this open floor plan was off white for the walls and super white for the ceiling. This combination together with the natural light of the big windows and doors automatically gave the illusion of more space and it combined perfectly with the 60 x 60 cm light cream glossy tiles.
To bring balance into the whole, dark chocolate wooden side tables and coffee table was incorporated to fuse with the beige modern L- seat sofa. I found these wooden stools very interesting to add as additional seating. The blank wall at the other end of the room was adorned with natural stone tiles. Nothing fussy, but with a touch of class to elevate the design. Also, the perfect way to hide all the TV cables. I asked the carpenter to cut a big piece of lumber to create this rustic mantle. After shopping around, I got some interesting findings like these two cream colored accent chairs, for additional seating. These fluffy carpets that I got matched perfectly with the dark wood and off-white furniture. Very comfy by the way…
Ever since this gentleman liked well defined pieces of art, I delicately chose some master pieces to place on the 1 x 1 meter coffee table, the mantle, and also on the console further down the hallway. Large off-white candles of my “I Will Survive! - Collection Candles by “Welcome Home Designs & Mayra Collection” where also infused into the decor. These handmade candles have a very fresh fragrance that transformed the whole area into a relaxing atmosphere for moments of romance.
For a pop of color in the seating area, burgundy pillows were matched with this voluminous velvet throw contrasting with the light and dark hues. Very handy for cuddling in when opening up the space on a chilly night. The modern wooden side table lamps and the bow lamp added sufficient illumination while keeping the cozy look and feel.
And to compliment the remaining blank walls, they have been enhanced with paintings and sconces with candles in the hues that match the total design.
A different distinctive makeover!
Oh, by the way… You were wondering how the outdoor bathroom turned out?
Yes… that was also a great challenge with a perfect outcome since he wanted to be all naturelle embracing nature while taking a shower or just enjoying his jet tub under the stars while sipping on some rose.
Reminding himself that being able to let go of his fears and stepping out of his comfort zone, gave him a totally different perspective to jump into a wide sea of positive possibilities for him to enjoy for years to come.
By simply letting go!
About Nadin
Nadin Benito is a well-known International Interior Designer at Welcome Home Designs, based on the beautiful island of Curacao where she has more than 20 years of design experience under her belt, as well as being a producer of her own TV series. During the illness and passing of both of her parents in less than 1 year apart, but also 3 of her close friends, Nadin founded Welcome Home Foundation - Curacao which is dedicated in designing Pro Bono for a good cause, namely for Cancer patients and Cancer survivors, who went through drastic life changes, by designing an area in their home/ location completely for free including all decorative items, to give them hope and help them gather much needed strength.
“As an Interior Designer, I had the opportunity to experience the importance of creating beautiful places at several Cancer patients’ and survivor’s homes, in order to give them hope and also to contribute to their prompt recovery after all the chemotherapy and exhaust. By experiencing the passing of my own parents, 3 close friends and other close family members due to Cancer, it gave me the ultimate push to continue with this noble work... Designing for a good cause… An area where the Cancer patients feel welcome and at peace. Cancer does not take a break. But with this noble cause, we can ensure that hope for these patients and survivors won't either…”
Visit Nadin at www.welcomehomefoundationcuracao.com.