New Beginnings in a Bermuda-Style Vero Beach Home

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When a married couple purchased a 4,500-square-foot, three-bedroom home on John’s Island in Vero Beach seven years ago, they knew it would require a new roof, new floors, and a better kitchen. Once the pandemic took hold, they began considering other adjustments, like a home office for the husband. And after a visit with an architect, the project ballooned into a head-to-toe renovation that would add a new primary bedroom and a guest house, and grow their living space by 1,700 square feet. 

Trusting a friend’s referral, the homeowners reached out to Lisa Erdmann in Palm Beach to handle the interiors. “They wanted this to feel very much like Florida,” she recalls. “It’s a home for friends and family. That’s how they want to live in the house: very casually.” As the expansion called for new furnishings, the challenge was to create a look that also incorporated pieces the couple had grown fond of while taking the style in a fresh direction. “Lisa was willing to work with us,” says the wife, a retired schoolteacher. “The second I met her, I felt like I was working with a friend.” 

The homeowners had already chosen white cabinetry designed by Dawn Wallace Designs and fabricated by Wood Mode, along with Estuary Oak engineered flooring. “It was kind of a blank canvas and we really just added a lot of fun color and pattern,” Erdmann explains. 

It all begins in the living room, where the upholstered seating features three different patterns, ranging from stripes the designer added to the client’s existing armchairs to large-scale modern florals on new club chairs. Erdmann introduced yet another print for the drapes. The walls in that room were painted Cloud White by Benjamin Moore, but a nearby hallway extending to the primary bedroom goes in an entirely different direction thanks to a dose of high-gloss traditional oil-based enamel in a deeply saturated blue. Aside from those two spaces, every other room is covered in wallpaper. 

“I’ve never had so much wallpaper in my life,” the homeowner admits. “I was initially scared of using it in the kitchen, but now, I absolutely love it.”

Considering the wife’s office is predominantly papered in raspberry, lime and lemon shades, and the guest house features a heavy hand of royal blue, it is natural to wonder if her husband was equally enthused with the color selections. “He was involved in everything and also wanted to give his stamp of approval,” says Erdmann. “It was a true joint effort.”

Looking back, the designer is proud she was able to repurpose many of the couples’ existing pieces and bring forth a truly vibrant palette. “They were game for bold patterns and color,” says Erdmann. “What else can a designer ask for?”

Story Credits:

Interior Design by Lisa Erdmann, Lisa Erdmann Interiors, Palm Beach, FL

Architecture by Moulton Layne, Vero Beach, FL

Builder JC Welton Construction, Vero Beach, FL

Text by Rikki Altman-Yee

Photography by Carmel Brantley, Ocean Ridge, FL

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