A STUDY IN CONTRASTS

A DESIGNER REIMAGINED A WATERFRONT MEDITERRANEAN IN NORTH PALM BEACH AS A MODERN, ISLAND-INSPIRED OASIS, CONTRASTING THE ARCHITECTURE'S CLEAN LINES WITH TEXTURE AND INTRICATE DETAILS

- BY PAIGE PORTER FISCHER

A pair of petite palm trees flank the 8-foot-tall turquoise doors (painted Arsenic by Farrow & Ball). Glass panes reveal the view straight through the house to the water beyond it. A cedar shake roof and "X" railings nod to traditional island architecture.

LIVING ROOM

Designer Ellen Kavanaugh relaxed the living room’s modern lines—the glass stairwell, the D'Urso swivel chairs and the curved sofa—with casual textures: a wall treatment made of cabana matting, a fish basket light fixture by Tucker Robbins, and a woven abaca rug. Bifold doors open completely to the outdoors, creating a seamless connection to the water. “Across the water is a preserve with mangroves, so it’s all nature all around you,” she says.

Ellen Kavanaugh believes that opposites attract—at least when it comes to interior design. “Aesthetically, I really love the surprise of contrasting elements in a space,” she says. “I think a little bit of contrast is what makes a room feel fresh.” Ellen and her husband, builder Chip Valle, were tasked with hitting refresh on a North Palm Beach house that, despite its dated Mediterranean facade and garish interiors, boasted incredible water views on the Intracoastal Waterway. “The house was quite heavy, ornate, which didn’t fit the homeowner’s lifestyle at all,” Kavanaugh says. “He’s very outdoorsy and active. He loves to surf, dive, and fish—and he’s almost always wearing a T-shirt. I really wanted to create a home that better reflected his personality and his passions.” Kavanaugh’s vision was a clean, modern version of an island colonial,