A Cool, Comfortable Penthouse
The Pinnacle of Luxury Living on the Gulf Coast
By Marcia Bradford, Condo Owner Magazine, June 15, 2013
When Rhonda and Steve Williams decided to buy a vacation home on the beach, they knew they wanted a place fairly close to their year-round home in Houma, La., so that they wouldn’t have to spend a lot of time traveling back and forth. Additionally, they were seeking a spot with great views and lots of amenities.
A spacious 5,600-square-foot penthouse unit at Turquoise Place in Orange Beach, Ala., with an impressive 7,500-square-foot deck overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, fit their needs perfectly.
“While visiting the area, prior to buying, we looked at several condos, and Turquoise Place had the biggest and nicest condo with the best view,” Rhonda recalled. “It also had great amenities, like the indoor and outdoor pools, a lazy river, a gym and tennis courts. Better yet, it offered easy access to the beach and the beach in this area is always well-kept and very clean.”
Even before the Williams family purchased the unit on the 23rd floor, Rhonda had some clear ideas about decorating her vacation home.
“I wanted it to have a beachy feel, but not to overdo that concept,” she explained. “The idea was to use beach-like accessories to complement the views, rather than have an all-out beach scene that included the fabrics and furnishings.”
Working with Patti Waldrop, owner of Posh Interiors in Orange Beach, Rhonda chose to use colors that reflected the sea, sky and sand outside. Patti said that process involved selecting fabrics for the furniture upholstery and bedding before choosing wall, ceiling and carpet colors. “Unless you are using neutral paint colors, it is always best to find the fabrics you want first, then match paint colors to the fabric,” she advised.
In the large living room and dining area, as well as the five bedrooms, Rhonda sought to keep the look light and airy. “Since it’s so big, I didn’t want to close it in with dark wall colors or dark furniture,” she said.
Patti said that Rhonda’s clear sense of what she wanted helped the two of them work together to design an interior that is both attractive and functional, awesome yet inviting, creative and comfortable.
“Rhonda came to Posh with a vision in mind for the unit,” Patti recalled. “She already loved Tommy Bahama furnishings but wanted to make sure we used light fabrics and colors so it didn’t get heavy. Rhonda knows what she likes, which is a joy for a designer. It was very easy for me to find the perfect pieces for each space once I knew her style.”
One of the challenges that the expansive living, dining and kitchen area presented was finding a way to make it feel intimate. Patti said that defining the spaces with furniture groupings and a few larger objects — including a baby grand piano and a large indoor tree — helped accomplish that goal.
“The double preserved palm tree would be overwhelming in a smaller space, but it fits into this room nicely,” Patti said. “There is so much room that we could also include the baby grand piano and still have lots of space for relaxed seating. Also, we included three wall fountains so that the sound of trickling water was prevalent throughout the unit. The color scheme of blues and greens combined with the panoramic views of the Gulf make this unit the pinnacle of luxury living here on the Gulf Coast.”
The end result was everything Rhonda imagined and more.”Patti was great to work with and we were on the same page from the beginning,” Rhonda said. “She spent a lot of time helping me find the things I wanted and helping me make it feel inviting and comfortable. She had some great ideas and I could not have been happier working with anyone else.”