This midcentury modern rennovation all began with a college friend we’ve known over 30 years. (Yes, I’m that old.) He bought a vacation home in Ft. Myers, Florida, with plans to trade in his New Jersey winters for some Gulf Coast sun. And what did he go and do? He invited my husband and me to visit his new digs.
Big mistake. We fell in love with the down-to-earth feel of this small southern city, its budding arts district, and especially its proximity to Sanibel and Captiva Islands. Just beautiful! By the way, did I mention the cost of homes there is extraordinarily reasonable right now?
Move over snowbirds, soon the sounds of Rolling Stones, Cars and even a little Pink Floyd may be drifting through your condo corridors as your new Baby Boomer neighbors move in. My husband and I snagged a great deal on a wonderful condo with an awesome view of the Caloosahatchee River and the downtown Ft. Myers skyline. We just had to look past the beige ceramic tile and traditional cherry cabinets and imagine a funky little oasis filled with vintage finds and abstract art.
We recently moved from our suburban home of 14 years to a small urban condo in Cincinnati, so we’ve gone through the downsizing process already. With no existing furniture we need to work around, we decided a fresh palette would allow us to go in any decorating direction we like. So Midcentury Modern it is. I’m going through a crazy Orla Kiely stage right now. I’m falling in love with the simple lines and geometric shapes of the forties and fifties. Think Carol and Mike Brady coming over for a Moscow Mule on our lanai. Classic rock playing from our surround sound. And discussions of what tattoos they should get now that all 6 kids have grown up and flown the coop.
Follow my progress as I spend the summer remodeling this condo. I’m no design expert, so I’ll be learning as I go along. So come on, join me!
the transformation
