Text: Tiffany Adams
Photos: Tom Grimes
When designer Deborah Leamann’s clients attended a cocktail party at this Vero Beach home, they immediately knew they were stepping inside a gem. Enchanted by the picturesque property, they were more than delighted to hear it would be going on the market. “They actually made an offer at the party,” Leamann says of the fateful gathering.
Tucked into an enclave of greenery that appears to beckon, the allure begins before you reach the front door. “It’s so charmingly integrated into the landscape,” Leamann says, “that my clients nicknamed it ‘the jewel box.’” Built in 1953, the property started as a three-bedroom, traditional Spanish-style home. Through the years, alterations and additions have been made, giving it a collected, meandering feel while also allowing it to meet the needs of its inhabitants.
However, Leamann and her clients had no plans to add their own curve to the floor plan. “We did not lift a sledgehammer anywhere,” Leamann says. “We do a lot of renovation projects, so it’s refreshing to have good bones in place and be able to put the homeowners’ stamp on it,” she adds. These “bones” became the starting point for the design. “The home itself was the inspiration. The clay barrel roof, the stucco exterior, the gardens—it’s all just oozing charm,” Leamann says. Personalization came through wallpaper, art, furniture, and accessories. “We really changed the complexion of the home,” Leamann says.
Inside, Leamann describes the interior as having more of a “Regency, Hollywood Hills” feel. Existing selections such as terrazzo flooring and pecky cypress installations, both of which she describes as “quintessential 1950s Florida,” became key players that amped up the authenticity of the structure in its setting.
“I looked at the interior and thought, ‘Let’s embrace all of this. I listened to the house and to my clients,’” the New Jersey–based designer says. To that point, she and the homeowner, with whom she had previously worked on several projects, including the couple’s homes in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and New York City, walked through much of the project in tandem. “She [the client] loves to sit by my side while I design. I don’t do this with anyone else, but she absolutely fell in love with the process during the first project we worked on together,” Leamann says, noting her client’s penchant for details.
Leamann notes the coral-like hue plays well with the greenery seen outside the window, continuing the design’s balance between the indoors and outdoors. Nestled between the kitchen and dining room, the bar blends beauty and function by offering a display cabinet alongside full-size appliances.
Since the home has gone through several iterations, Leamann attests that rooms have undoubtedly served different purposes in past lives. For example, the den, which boasts built-in bookcases from the pecky cypress, was feasibly a bedroom at one point, and the small dining room just off the kitchen is likely not where the first owners dined. In its current state, everything is tied together with threads that extend from room to room, weaving a curated design that has a well-connected flow for both foot traffic and visual appeal. The hint of pink on the dining room chairs blossoms into a vivid coral in the adjoining kitchen, while the living room furniture was designed to float in the center of the room, allowing guests to move effortlessly throughout the space.
While the new owners have put their own mark on the space, they have carried on the tradition of hospitality, frequently hosting gatherings and dinners. “It’s the kind of house where everything is organized and parties can be pulled together at a moment’s notice,” Leamann notes.
