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-*oak 44LL Ito**

Feeling their decor was dark and
depressing, the owners wanted to
change to more of a summer look.
"My husband is retired," she explain-
ed. "We're in Florida all winter and
wanted this house to be open and
bright."
Designer Lucy Vesely says of the
remodeling, "I grew up in that house
but when I walked in after the changes
I saw it in a totaily new way. The house
had a new open look, but the existing
decor looked closed in and gloomy.
"We wanted to do something fun
and exciting. The clients were ready for
a change and have been willing to ex-
periment with ideas."
Describing their approach, Vesely
said, "We used most of what the
owners had. They have worked with
good designers and have good
pieces. We've added new dimensions
with fabrics and color. Our goal was a
sharp, crisp, clear result."
Nancy Farrell, her partner, says, "We
try to avoid a set look in our decor. We
helped our clients find out who they

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are and what they want to do with their
home."
Complementing the character and
charm of the home, the decor is an in-
teresting blend of textures and styles.
It is at once alluring and inviting.
You enter the home through the cozy
vestibule, which has a tile floor and a
striking hand-made wallpaper. To the
left, decorated in the same paper, is the
powder room with an ornately carved
old lavatory stand, to which the owners
added a new sink and a mirror. A col-
lection of antique hat pins sits on the
counter.
The vestibule leads into the large
foyer which serves as a music room
and dining room and is the center of
the house. All the rooms connect to it.
To achieve a lighter look, the designers
replaced the black shag carpet with a
bleached oak floor.
Though the owner says she likes to
play it safe with white, Vesely convinc-
ed her to take a chance with color.
Hence the walls are painted a delicious
geranium shade. "We adore the col-

To keep a rural
setting, the
walls of the
game room are
from an old
barn, while the
Spanish wood
and formica
game table is
surrounded by
iron chairs
redone in fabric
of snow
leopards. All
flowers by Don
Cilluffo.