New Weekly Article - Bright Possibilities || Home By Design Weekly Article

AUGUST | SEPTEMBER 2011

Now an established professional, dressing homes and commercial spaces for the Los Angeles elite through Michelle Workman Interiors, she stays true to her design roots by utilizing simple yet elevated color palettes. Drawing inspiration from her time spent in Florida, Georgia, and California, Workman has developed a signature style that’s a combination of traditional and modern elements—such as this West Hollywood condo design, which she describes as West Hollywood meets Palm Beach.

Until meeting the inventive designer, the homeowner followed an aesthetic that was purely traditional. Raised in a castle on the Isle of Man with subsequent years spent in Connecticut, the recently widowed regal woman sought the sunny skies of southern California for renewal and a fresh start in all areas of her life—including a new home. The homeowner requested pristine, all-white decor, but Workman knew that a one-note interior would fall flat. So instead, she presented her client with a predominantly white design with green and pops of pink, silver, and gold, inspired by her client’s new stage of life.

By combining several bold patterns in similar shades of green, Workman created a master bedroom design that packs a visual punch.

“I love designing with green because it gives people a sense of newness and a sense of nature,” says Workman. “One of [the] best memories as a child is being outside in nature and exploring, so it brings back that memory too.” The design was originally intended for a beach house, but when the homeowner purchased this 1,800-square-foot condo instead, Workman revamped some of the elements to highlight a more general sophisticated outdoor California lifestyle. A bright, grassy green laid the foundation for the palette, accompanied by variations of the color, such as chartreuse, forest green, and turquoise.

With such a bold use of color, the home could have easily felt too transitional. To maintain the formality of the space, Workman mixed traditional furniture such as the secretary with contemporary pieces such as the deco chairs, and married the styles with the same paint colors. Breathing fresh life into new and existing traditional pieces, Workman added coats of shiny white and bright green lacquer and utilized classic patterns such as chinoiserie, but in daring color combinations.

The sophisticated outdoor inspiration is translated through gold and silver accent colors. “Gold is a very traditional look, and silver is very modern,” says Workman. “So put the two together and you get your yin and yang.” With silver hardware such as the chromed Chinese butterfly pulls and gold accessories such as lamps and picture frames, Workman blends the beauty of nature with the glamour of West Hollywood. The combination is expertly showcased in the dining room “branchelier”; after Workman found a natural tree branch to fit the space, she had it painted gold, wired, and draped in green crystals for a functional, high-style centerpiece.

Although the majority of color in this condo is green and white, the gold additions effectively help create a sense of home. “When you go with white, white, white, you get cold, cold, cold,” says Workman. “So the gold is there to warm things up.” Extra touches, such as the homeowner’s book collection and vases of pink roses, bring warmth, depth, and welcome bursts of color to balance the simplicity of white.

Referencing the original beach design, Workman incorporated subtle ocean-inspired images and accessories consistent with the color scheme. Instead of natural colors, seaside prints in green and pink hang from the secretary doors, a gold-painted shell adorns a side table, and pillows covered with pink jellyfish complement the chaise lounge. Blond wood floors also provide a nod to California’s sandy beaches and maintain a light and airy consistency with the white walls and ceiling.

To maintain the nature-inspired aesthetic, Workman primarily used linen for textiles. Solid white linen curtains flank all the windows, and varied green banding provides distinction. “I really love linen. I think it has a really casual feel, but it can be in a much more formal space because it’s crisp,” says Workman, who also utilized the livable fabric on the immaculate white sofa.

The homeowner, who originally requested an all-white abode, returned from an extended vacation to gleefully discover a dwelling customized with nods to her past and a clean space to create her future. With shades of green and metallic accents, the West Hollywood condo was a leap from her previous style, and Workman was pleased to present the homeowner with a fresh start. “I think that’s what she was really wanting—to sort of reinvent herself at that late stage,” says Workman. “I had so much freedom to help her do that.” With a bit of lacquer, linen, and light, a simple two-bedroom condo became an enviable home full of bright possibilities.