Passport to Style: Key West

Happy Sunday!  According to the calendar, summer doesn’t end until September 23rd, so there’s plenty of time to enjoy!  Grab your overnight bag, sunscreen and passport, we’re headed to Key West, Florida (USA).  Key West is the southernmost city in the Continental United States, located 129 miles southwest of Miami, Florida, and 106 miles north-northeast of Havana, Cuba.  Cuba, at its closest point, is 94 miles south.  Key West is a small seaport city, total area 7.4 square miles and on the dividing line between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.  It was also a hideaway for authors Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams.  Key West is divided into four distinct areas: Old Town, Casa Marina, Mid-Town and New Town.  With a tropical climate, similar to the Caribbean islands, the bright-colored historic homes (1886-1912) dotting Old Town called conch are wood-framed one or two-story structures built on foundation piers above the ground, with metal roofs, horizontal wood siding, and covered porches, attributed to immigrants from the Bahamas.

Some Key West design elements are bright colors, clean lines and minimal clutter with the focus on bringing the outdoors in as much as possible through the inclusion of large windows with minimal coverage and vibrant color selections that mimic the sand, sun and sea.  It’s typical to see white furnishings with pops of bright-colored pillows or throws, louver shutters, natural fabrics, coastal art and accessories such as seashells, sailboats or sailfish in this laid-back tropical seaside oasis.

Tylar’s Treasures newest release Key West Collection at Perfect Ten is a tropical inspired living room collection, available for 50% off from September 1-15 (it’s out early).  The collection includes aqua blue, lime green and crisp white animated rowboat chair and love seat, table lamps with sailboat decal, painted white coffee table and end table, paisley vase with lime twigs, turquoise bowl with floral, sailboat wall art and ceiling fan.  To complete the styling, I incorporated nautical oars, jars filled with sand and shells, seashell art, potted palms, turquoise candle tray, shell rug, bench with aqua toss pillows, captain lanterns and Sway’s mason jar beach vignette with palm tree and animated bird & fish (@Fantasy Gacha Carnival 8/12-9/12).   Tylar’s motto for laid back lifestyle printed on the pillows is “Sandy Toes & Salty Kisses,” so when transforming your home with the Florida Keys look use a vibrant color palette and remember “All you need is LOVE and the BEACH!”

Taxi to Perfect Ten event please…

Structure: Scarlet Creative, Petite Cabine

• Tylar’s Treasure, Key West Collection (Rowboat chair, couch, 2 tables, 2 lamps, wall art, 2 vases & fan) 50% off @ Perfect Ten (9/1-9/15)
• Circa Living, Cyprus Escape Set (Mediterranean Mix: Bench, Table with flower display & trio shell art)
• Second Spaces, Riviera Pillows & Riviera Candles Teal
• Floorplan, Captain’s Desk Lantern (Ocean) & Coastal Sideboard
• StoraxTree, Summer Sun Potted Plant A (***FREE*** Group Gift)
• Sway’s, Jar World (Beach) @ Fantasy Gacha Carnival (8/12-9/12)
• Shabby Tabby, Beachy Plaques
• La Galleria, Seashell Aqua Rug & Seashells on Stands
• Studio Skye, Palm Trees & Sand Dunes

Seaside Living

Transitioning seasons can be one of the hardest and most challenging aspects in home design.  A solution is to add the upcoming seasons decorative accessories or color palette. The above seaside cabin living room space is awash in soft blues and greens, a typical spring color palette and the addition of nautical oars, sail boat, seashells and beachy wall art makes this an inviting spring/summer getaway.  Get a jump start on summer by checking out the Perfect Ten event (June 1-15) where you can find Tylar’s Treasures “Sea” oar sign, repurposed barrels side tables, oar table lamps, and compass rug all for 50% off.  I also used Shutter Field Beach Living Set released for the May round of The Challenge theme: Holiday/Beach and accessorize with The Mustard Seed Beachy Signs, Floorplan Oar Frames and Apple Fall Storm Lamp.  Hope you are inspired to change it up and Let’s Get Decorating!

Taxi to the Perfect Ten event please…

Structure: Scarlet Creative, Petite Cabine

• Standby Inc, Hemingway Desk
• Apple Fall, Flat File, Harry’s Boat, Seaside Candle, Storm Lamp (Old Wood) & Boat Oars
• Cheeky Pea, Dock Bar
• LISP, Zoe Chair
• Shutter Field, Beach Living Set (Sofa, Coffee Table & Decorative Accessories)
• The Loft, Nautilus
• Sway’s, Beach Shells
• Floorplan, Oar Frames
• The Mustard Seed, Beachy Signs
• Tylar’s Treasures, “Sea” oar sign, barrels side tables, oar table lamps & compass rug (50% off)

Beach Day

The phone was ringing off the hook this morning.  I dragged myself out of bed and reluctantly answered.  It was real life calling to inform me to get up, go outside and enjoy the beautiful weather.  “I can’t, I have too much to do,” I said, but real life wasn’t hearing of it.  So I surrendered, packed the Mustang, put the top down and headed over the hill to Half Moon Bay, CA (USA).  Wow, the beach was gorgeous.  The puffy white Cumulus clouds caressed the ocean, the sand rippled under my toes and the squeals of joy from young treasure hunters blanketed the shore.  It was a great day at the beach; I rushed home to recreate the experience in Second Life.

Luckily for me the Perfect Ten event opens tomorrow, June 1st -15th and Tylar’s Treasures has the ideal beachcomber collection on sale for 50% off.  All items in the Sea Collection are sold separately and include: Adirondack chairs, pillars with ship wheel coffee table, ‘Sea’ oar wall art, dusty blue compass rug, sea barrel/crate, and pillar with seagull.  I headed over to The Mustard Seed and picked up the bronze flamingo welcome beach sign that’s on sale for $60L until Thursday, June 4, 2015.  Ms. Lavinia Godenot, owner of The Mustard Seed, gave me a sneak peek of her Day at the Beach Hunt prize (June 1 to 31), the magical beach buckets with twigs and seashells (2 versions: with or without twinkle lights).  One can’t go to the beach without a towel, so I hurried over to [free bird] and picked up the Day At The Beach Towel Rack (**free** for all group members, ends TONIGHT).  Finally, I had to reproduce the children’s thrill at finding buried treasures.  Little Llama created the Oh-FISH-ally Summer Set (kids beach chair, treasure cooler and sandcastle kit) for The Challenge May theme: Holiday/Beach.  I loved creating the exterior seaside styling and was inspired to design a coastal chic interior; upcoming post featuring more items from the Perfect Ten event and The Challenge.  Summer is almost here, so grab these beachy deals and Let’s Get Decorating!