Kate and Jim Clark knew it was “the one” the moment they laid eyes on a 1928 Mediterranean villa that was just blocks from their beloved Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, where they’d vacationed for years.
But the Connecticut couple’s warning was clear to Graham Veysey, their Greenwich designer: “You are going to have to look past the lion toilets and swan-shaped faucets!”
Those oddities, however, were the least of their worries: Turns out, the house itself was unsound and had to be rebuilt from the ground up. The resulting design looks nearly identical to the original, minus the heavy stone embellishments on the exterior stucco, and the dark Spanish floor tile inside.
Veysey took cues from Kate’s sophisticated yet whimsical style to create a new environment that blends luxe fabrics and furnishings with funky modern lighting and a healthy dose of Pop art.
“She already has an eye, and she’s willing to take chances,” Veysey says of Kate, who has a background in fashion. Case in point: Kate needed no convincing to go wild with copper accents in the white kitchen, or say “yes” to velvet and wool upholstery despite the warm climate.
“I wanted the house to feel crisp and fresh, but it still had to feel cozy,” Veysey says. “It’s so livable for them. They walk in and instantly feel like they’re home.”
