JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - In a competitive environment like new home building, interior design is an effective way for a builder to distinguish itself from its competitors in terms of its corporate image and product offerings with the branding of its model homes. Interior design also provides the opportunity to create a powerful and distinctive identity, which is critically important to the builder's market position.
Consider ICI Homes, which has worked for over six years with Sisler Johnston Interior Design to create interior spaces that complement its new home marketing strategies. Sisler Johnston recently completed a sophisticated, world-class environment for ICI's Preakness V model home at Magnolia Preserve at Julington Creek Plantation.
"This home is one of my favorites," said Judith Sisler Johnston, president of Sisler Johnston Interior Design and ASID Allied Member. "The  Preakness V offers wonderful formal and family areas, lots of architectural detailing and many custom home amenities."
To add impact throughout the home, Sisler Johnston chose signature furniture collections, including two beautiful collections by Tommy Bahama. The home's formal living and dining rooms have several pieces from the Rumba Del Sol collection by Lexington Home Brands.
This exotic collection of carved woods, luxurious leathers and wrought iron highlights transitional designs and is finished in a distressed warm mahogany. The dining room includes a table, chairs and sideboard from the collection while the living room features cocktail and accent tables. Using elements from the collection in both rooms helps to unify the design.
Sisler Johnston created a pleasing design using contrast and combining large and small scale pieces with different elements, such as glass and stone, against dark wood. The living room has a unique, iron-front curio to display collectables, a lounge chair with woven cane inlays and two accent chairs upholstered in a small leopard print. The dining room has a three-stepped recessed ceiling detail painted in a mocha accent tone. Both rooms are finished with architecturally interesting window dressings.
Sisler Johnston painted most of the ceilings throughout the home in the same khaki tone as the walls to highlight ICI's extensive use of crown moulding, wainscot, chair rail, and plant ledge accent moulding.
The foyer, kitchen, family room and breakfast area have large sized chiseled edge stone floor in a Moroccan brown to complement the relaxed, Moroccan casual decor. The kitchen has granite countertops, a specialty tile backsplash, maple glazed mocha cabinets and upgraded millwork details like corbels and turned posts. The island is counter-height for added functionality with pull up bar chairs in leather, rattan and woven cane. The kitchen has stepped plant ledges over the cabinets and a glass-front pantry, which allows a variety of accessories and greenery to be displayed among the groceries. The family room overlooks a generous sized screened lanai and pool area designed with interlocking pavers. The lanai furnishings are charcoal iron in a neo-classic design. They have grasscloth patterned sling seats and backs.
The master suite, overlooking the lanai, is dramatic and inviting. The Bahamian-styled, woven rattan poster bed is dressed with a basil green matelasse. There is an iron bench at the foot of the bed with an animal print chenille cushion. Ruby cording, tassels and fabric accents add contrast to the basil and khaki color scheme. A dark wood neo-classic lounge chair features a textured brushed chenille back and leather seat. It is accompanied by a leather box on stand accented with nailhead trim, which serves as a snack table. Instead of a matching mirror for the dresser, Sisler Johnston chose a bronze-colored round carved wood in a tropical pattern as an interesting accent. The metallic finish coordinates with the dresser hardware. Unmatched pieces give the room a feeling of having collected furniture pieces over time.
The cabinetry used in the master bath features storage towers that separate the his and her vanity areas designed with mirror mounted decorative lighting. There is a whirlpool tub, walk-in shower and water closet. The master bath has a stepped ceiling and a glass block window surrounded by a cascading basil and khaki fabric against the blonde basketweave faux wall covering. Instead of colonial paneled doors, Sisler Johnston chose two panel doors with an eyebrow curved at the top to complement the arched doorways and interior arch features.
Visitors to the model can preview a second Tommy Bahama furniture collection featuring a Bahamian-styled honey finish desk and credenza in the model's home office designed to reflect a love for Caribbean travel vacations. The study's woven sisal valances, palm tree upholstery and brushed suede executive chair offer contrast to the Rosemary green and taupe patterned wall coverings. The spacious office includes a reading chair, floor lamp and monkey patterned magazine rack.
The boy's room is painted in blue denim and designed for a modern cowboy with wood-grained bunk beds. The girl's room, in shades of butter, persimmon and ocean, appeals to a beach enthusiast with its seaside framed art and nostaligic bathing beauties sculpture. Upstairs are two bonus rooms, one designed as a guest suite and the other as a media room equipped with a wet bar, custom cabinets and theatre seats that recline complete with cup holders. A full-size antique popcorn machine and the room's movie theatre wallpaper border help create a realistic theatre environment to watch big screen favorites in surround sound. Even the adjacent bathroom extends the theme with its wall coverings, a pattern of hot dogs, soda bottles, popcorn, and French fries.
"You have to see this to appreciate that a room demonstrating so much fun also reflects the elegance and value of this customized home," Sisler Johnston said. "This is one of ICI's best-selling floor plans. It's easy to understand the reason for its success."
The Preakness V has over 2,700 square feet and is one of three decorated ICI showhomes at Magnolia Preserve, a gated neighborhood at Julington Creek Plantation where ICI Homes has 90' and 100' homesites available. Residents will enjoy private community amenities as well as the use of the Julington Creek Plantation Aquatic Center and the community's 18-hole championship golf course. Students living in the community attend schools in the highly rated St. Johns County School District. ICI homes at Magnolia Preserve are priced from the $500s to more than $1 million.
ICI Homes appears on Builder magazine's list of the top 100 home builders in the nation. The privately held company is one of the largest residential developers and homebuilders in Northeast and Central Florida.
Sisler Johnston Interior Design of Jacksonville creates award-winning interior designs for the real estate industry, hospitality industry, commercial, and residential clients. The company celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2004.
The Sisler Johnston team of licensed, highly trained and gifted designers successfully creates living spaces from concept through realization throughout the United
States. Judith Sisler Johnston combines experience, knowledge and professionalism to help clients develop their vision while analyzing their design requirements. The company has been recognized with more than 50 industry awards, including Aurora, Laurel and Excel awards.
For more information about Sisler Johnston Interior Design, call (904) 288-0908 or visit the Web site at www.sislerjohnston.com.
|
|
