Jennifer Hunter took on some very special clients in Palm Beach: her parents. Given the Manhattan-based designer did a stint as an intern with the late, iconic designer Albert Hadley, a darling of the Palm Beach social set, her aesthetic aligned with the architecture and locale. “The building is a quintessential Palm Beach apartment from the 1960s,” the founder of Jennifer Hunter Design says.
Since the home was completely renovated before her parent’s purchased it, Hunter’s involvement was purely decorative. “It was a typical builder home in serious need of character,” she says. Her vision for enlivening it? Old World Palm Beach with a twist in color combos and pattern pairings.
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Hunter softened the typical pink and green Palm Beach palette by turning green into a watery turquoise and hot pink into a cotton candy hue. “Aqua is a little more unexpected, yet still impactful,” the designer says. Hunter pulls both colors through the entire scheme, and also repeats shapes—scallops are a favorite—to create a smooth flow from room to room. “I’m telling a cohesive story,” she notes.
Pattern is also part of the tale. Hunter counterbalances bold geometric moments with softer silhouettes and organic patterning. For example, in the living room, she mixes upholstery in stripes, dots, and arrowheads with a Greek key patterned rug. “Design is about creating a conversation between the pieces you pair together,” she says. “They need to speak to each other.”
Living Room
Shown above.
Sofa upholstery: Brunschwig & Fils Ventron Woven in Aqua. Coffee table: Oomph. Ottoman upholstery: Alan Campbell Jacks II in French Green/Turquoise. Surfboard: Natural Curiosities. Media Cabinet: Bungalow 5.
Dining Room
A custom pedestal table by Jennifer Hunter Design is more substantial than the usual bistro table, providing a grounding element with the classic woven Frontgate chairs. Chandelier: Circa Lighting.
Kitchen
A cool tile backsplash draws in the ocean-inspired tones from neighboring rooms.
Primary Bedroom
"This headboard is the anchor that ties the blues and corals throughout the room," says Hunter. "I love to take classic silhouettes and play up contemporary patterns and colors to give them new life!"
Headboard upholstery: Brunschwig & Fils Kaitag Warp Print in Aqua. Bench: Maggie Cruz. Chaise upholstery: Sister Parish Appleton in Robin’s Egg Blue/Paprika. Window treatments: Pindler linen and colored sheers. Lamps: Vintage from Chairish.
Bathroom
Zanzibar Trellis wallcoveirng by Schumacher, in Blush, provides an almost architectural element in the small room.
Guest Room
"The guest bedroom is definitely my favorite room in the home," says Hunter. "Whenever anyone walks into this room they gasp with excitement! The Lucite storage chest is a subtle contemporary juxtaposition against the traditional turned wood bed frames, which are a fresh take on the Jenny Lind design."
Wallpaper: Paule Marrot. Beds: Crate & kids. Carpet: Stark Missoni Mela. Window Treatments: Brunschwig & Fils Les Touches in Aqua with Pindler sheers. Lighting: Circa. Parrot: Vintage Mario Lopez.
Q&A
House Beautiful: What inspired your design?
Jennifer Hunter Design: Old World Palm Beach, but we re-invented it for today's way of living. I brought in motifs that mimic tropical beach life through a fun, contemporary lens by using a mix of patterns and materials and re-imagining the color schemes.
HB: How did the architecture impact the design?
JHD: The architecture is particularly unique, with its S-shaped structure which provides water views from every room. The dining room, for example, is all about the view. We embrace the concept of outdoor living by using bistro chairs and parasol lamps. Linen drapes allow the room’s abundant natural light to filter into the space in a subtle and soft way.
HB: Were there any unique functional considerations?
JHD: The home has to function for my parents day-to-day, but also needs to work when I visit with my husband and two girls. I created a guest suite with two queen beds, a little kitchenette in the closet, and a more casual living area off the guest room.
HB: What was the biggest investment?
JHD: The majority of the budget went towards custom furniture and textiles. We used all of my favorite textile brands, including Schumacher, Brunschwig & Fils, and Sister Parish, throughout the home.
To save, we left all the existing kitchen and bathroom fixtures and materials as is and just added decorative elements, such as wallpaper. We also sourced a lot of vintage accents and accessories.
HB: How do you make such a bold wallpaper work?
JHD: We incorporated fabrics that are subtle yet complementary to this wow factor wallpaper. This space is a great example of balancing sophisticated design with a playful approach.
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