Your Home Magazine – May 2022

Balance & Beauty
A Colorful Home Filled with Peace

By Channing Spano
Photography by Joey Duhon

A simple but special home was the desire of this New Orleans family when they moved to Florida’s East Coast. Relocating for their daughter’s education, the family wanted to put down roots in a place that was reflective of their personalities and lifestyle. They sought out help from Nikki Levy, Creative Director at Nikki Levy Interiors, to help them realize their dream home filled with life, while also appealing to their taste for more organic materials and colors. “Overall, I would say the house is a great example of contemporary eclectic design,” says Levy. “The challenge was creating balance between making each space clean and precise while maintaining their personality and ensuring the items we chose were interesting enough to stand on their own. Each piece had to be really special in order for me to incorporate them. So that the spaces didn’t feel overcrowded or under-designed.”

A family affair, Levy was able to help everyone infuse their own tastes into the home. “The family was wonderful to work with, even their girls got involved with their own bedroom designs. Most of the selections were made during the height of the pandemic shutdowns and the owners were so understanding about timing issues and delays,” Levy explains. “They were also trusting of my eye and suggestions, and I’m so happy I was able to guide them through the process during this unique situation.”

The expertise and knowledge Levy offered comes from a lifetime of experience and a lineage of builders, furniture makers, and craftsmen. Originally from South Africa, Levy and her family moved to the States with three young children in 2010, “After everyone had settled in, I felt like it was time to get back to work doing what I love,” she says. “It started small, I worked out of my bedroom, then the dining room, and then found a small office. Now I am fortunate to have a team of 10 people and a roster of clients again.” Operating under the philosophy that each client is unique, she has created a reputation for listening to her clients as she makes their functional home a stylish place that matches their tastes and lifestyle. “I love what I do and have been finding the joy in it again as my team and I work through the challenges supply chain issues and lockdowns have created for our industry,” Levy explains. “We are discovering new ways to work and source items and it’s helping us create an even better experience for our clients as we’ve pulled together to create really beautiful interiors.”

ELEVATE
The home’s exterior features and contemporary lines and soft colors that make a big impact upon arrival. Pavers lead to two separate garage spaces covered by coffee colored doors with linear window details. Stone accents are subtle and enhance the look of the modern landscaping.

BEGIN
Off the home’s entry, what was supposed to be the new formal dining room is now a comfortable reading room, perfect for getting a peaceful start to the day. “They are very introspective people and wanted a cozier space to ‘just be’,” says Levy. Transforming the space into a reading and reflection area started with two chairs from Bernhardt that Levy personally approved after making sure they were comfortable in person. She then added two reading lamps behind for visual appeal and functionality. On the opposite wall, Levy designed a veneered wood built-in that was thin enough to accommodate a table and chairs, should the owners decide to convert the space back into a dining room and backed it with a fantastic wallpaper by Phillip Jeffries that mimics the look of terrazzo. Outside a small atrium has been painted in a warm tone and vines have been added to give the space life and an organic element.

GATHER
The living room is a study in color. “They wanted the home to have color but not overwhelmed by the tones and how it was used,” says Levy. The teal velvet sofa makes a statement, but doesn’t feel gaudy thanks to the organic elements and colors Levy used to finish the space. For example, the unique wallpaper by Kelly Wearstler that accents the custom wall unit is softened thanks to the grasscloth used at the back of the unit. Levy explains, “The juxtaposition between matte and velvet finishes keep the bolder pieces from feeling too loud in the space.”

GRAZE
In the kitchen, Levy helped the owners make selections based on their desire for a functional space that matched the elevated design of the rest of the home. “They loved the idea of a bright and contemporary space with clean lines that embraced the breakfast nook since it would be their main dining area,” says Levy. “I love negative space, so I enjoyed playing with that concept here as we picked a cabinet color that almost perfectly matches the porcelain tiles.” The light watched wood laminate cabinets pair well with the Caesarstone quartz countertops.

The breakfast room adds a pop of color to the kitchen through the unique fabric used on the chairs. Pulling from other rooms in the house, like the library upstairs and the adjacent living room, Levy selected a fabric with burnt orange and smoky blues for the breakfast nook. The tone of the bleached, white oak table from Worlds Away matches the cabinets while adding in a more organic element. Above, a chrome chandelier offers some sparkle to the space and continues the unique and contemporary lighting theme throughout the house.

REST
The cohesive flow of the home can be seen in the master bedroom as earthy tones meet touches of metals all enhanced by contemporary shapes and patterns. Next to the upholstered, bolster headboard with wood frame, the shagreen nightstand is topped with a lamp with leather-like finish. Phillip Jeffries wallpaper with a geometric woven pattern elevates this chic yet simple room.