With its subtle play on contrasts, connections, and harmonies, the interior design of a Florida villa by Les Ensembliers reinvents Palm Beach style.

?We worked closely with our client to achieve this result,? explains Richard Ouellette, designer and founding partner of Les Ensembliers. ?She has developed a sharp eye for updating classic designs and turning yesterday?s elegance into a contemporary essential. Her vision brought this project to life. We kept the essence of this period house in Florida while adding a contemporary tone through a careful mix of classic and modern styles.?
A blank canvas on a historical background

The challenge of the project was to capitalize on the historical richness of the villa without stifling the space.
The Regency-style house evoked the opulent beginnings of Palm Beach, with its palace-worthy 16-foot ceilings and a wealth of interior architectural details: plaster mouldings forming cornices, friezes, columns, and other spandrels. The presence of history is manifested all the way to the back wall of the residence, a vestige of one of Henry Phipps?s properties and today classified as a heritage element.

To give the space a contemporary feel and somewhat lighten the weight of history, Les Ensembliers provided a counterbalance to the overabundance of tropical colours that define traditional Palm Beach interior design. The designers decided to turn all the surfaces of the house white, attenuating th...