Bright Colors Get Their Moment in Hobe Sound Home

1 of 11

It does not happen often; but when a client and an interior designer not only agree upon but embolden each other on a home’s redesign, it’s kismet. 

“We had the same vision. They are adventurous and not afraid of color,” says Jackie Armour, principal and owner of JMA Interior Design, of her clients Liz and George Ross. “We provide a beautiful, safe haven for our clients; the COVID-19 pandemic really made that hit home.”

Avid golfers from Rye, New York, the Rosses have vacationed in the Hobe Sound area for many years. Recently they yearned for a larger home to accommodate their evolving lifestyle with their four sons; three in college and one in high school. “My parents have been here in Loblolly since the eighties,” explains Liz. “We have a lot of friends from Rye here, and so do the boys.” 

The couple started house hunting in the midst of the pandemic. This home in Loblolly—a private golf community in Hobe Sound—was built in 1998. “It was so bad, I walked in and out,” Liz says. “But my husband realized the potential, so we bought it in June.”

The design plan came together in just two days. The main choices were made, but both Liz and George contributed more ideas, sending photos back and forth to Eden Tepper, a senior designer and project manager who frequently works with Armour.

The Bermuda-style architecture of the 3,000- square-foot home and its adjacent 725-square-foot guesthouse is a favorite throughout Florida—offering a grand entrance, a symmetrical façade, and classic proportions. “It had great bones, but was too formal,” says Armour. “They wanted a different aesthetic from their Colonial home in New York, and bright colors are having a big moment. We’re getting a lot of requests for that.” Several large interior columns were removed, and a wall was added to define the foyer and create an office for George. 

The springboard for the home’s signature color story was a single show-stopping piece: a coral red coffee table that stands as the centerpiece in the living room. Liz found it at a favorite online store, Oomph Home. Classic blue and white stripes, a variety of patterned fabrics, and textured wallpapers add to the home’s joyful, easy ambience.

Armour and Tepper designed the custom, periwinkle blue wet bar in the living room. “Finishes take things to another level,” Tepper says. “I chose gloss [paint] because it gives modernity and a more playful, unexpected twist.”

“Everyone hangs out in the kitchen and there are always friends over for cocktails,” Liz says. “[Armour] and her team took care of everything and really listened to what we wanted. When people come over, they’re blown away. It’s an amazing house to entertain in. It’s the first of all my homes where the whole house is to our exact taste, and it’s really thought out,” she adds.

But she gives all credit to her design team. “You have to trust them,” she says. “They understand the vision better than you.”

Story Credits:

Interior Design Jackie Armour, JMA Interior Design, Jupiter, FL

Builder Nicholas Mansoukis, Mansoukis Construction, Hobe Sound, FL

Text by Daisy Olivera

Photography by Carmel Brantley, Delray Beach, FL

Open to see Interior Design Sources: