A Dated Florida Home Gets a Chic, Modern Makeover

When designer Lisa Sherry first saw the home her clients were considering purchasing in Plantation, Florida, 15 minutes from Fort Lauderdale, she knew one thing had to happen: “Get rid of everything!” she laughs. “It was a total gut job. It was a typical south Florida home. True to what I love to do, the plan was to take down walls and have a large free flowing space that felt interconnected to the outside.”

After tearing down a handful of archways, moving walls, and creating a more seamless, open floor plan in which the homeowners could entertain easily and take advantage of the home’s great bones, Sherry went to work executing her signature neutral hues and earthy organic textures throughout the home. “The result is an open airy, casual, organic interior,” she says. “It truly marries the inside and the outside.”

Were there any special features of the home you wanted to take advantage of in your design?

The homeowners wanted to add outdoor living spaces and take out the old-style pool and replace it with a more modern one. Opening up the small windows on the back of the house was transformative.

What did the homeowners want to achieve with the home’s interiors?

They hired me because of my casual yet sophisticated style. They also didn’t want it to look like every other Florida home. It needed to be beautiful for themselves and for their guests yet easy to live in and family friendly.

What was your vision for the home’s design?

The homeowners wanted a house that wasn’t typically Floridian in style but instead more East Coast/Virginia—where he went to grad school—with some classic woven in. So there was a lot of lightening up of the color palette because the colors were all typical 90’s Florida colors: salmons, deep blues, and oranges.

What was the biggest design challenge?

Creating a kitchen that was large enough for entertaining and hosting a lot of friends. We took out the dining room, breakfast room, and the wall to the living room to really open things up in the main living space. We opened up the back wall completely and installed folding doors that bring the living room and the outside together to create one inside-outside room. 

Did you use anything you consider to be your signature design details?

I always love the mix of neutrals and organic materials as well as as many white walls as possible and lots of texture thrown in. The Lucite swing is something I have in my own beach house and would use one everywhere if I could. The kiddos love it!

What is one design element readers should try?

Editing of furniture and accessories, balancing large and small scale furniture, and, as always, lighter walls make a room feel larger—but don’t forget to add texture so it doesn’t feel cold.

What do you love most about this home and its design?

So many things! First, the family that inhabits the space. Truly, they are the kindest people! These clients really trusted me to do my thing. The concrete powder room sink was one I really pushed for. Also, the large-scale tile floor in that room. I love powder rooms that are unique and interesting. It’s where the guests go, and they don’t have to function with proper lighting. Dim is always good!

Tour the Vintage-Filled Home of the ‘Twin Peaks’ Costume Designer How a Family of Four Lives Comfortably in 650 Square Feet A 1950s Bungalow With a Scandinavian Twist