Sunset Key Escape

Located on Sunset Key, a private island south of Key West sat a two story Key West-Style cottage in need of a major renovation.  “The owners wanted something casual but with more panache than the typical, funky Key West cottage style, the clients have a fantasy that they’re trying to create visually, and it is our job to interpret all the components and create something that is entirely unique." Says Phyllis Taylor. The renovation included an exterior update of fresh paint, new louvered shutters and outdoor lighting. But the greatest architectural intervention came with the removal of a light blocking staircase and replaced it with one that would accommodate a Palladian window that flooded the space with sunlight. The interiors celebrate its new found light with the use of bright colors and the  graceful balance of refined elegance and casual flair. Color and texture provide relaxed counterpoints to the meticulous woodworking that prevails throughout, including citrus green grass-cloth on the foyer and living room walls, the home’s signature hue, married with cool aqua and pops of sunny yellow as visual echoes of the sea and sky view.

Architecture by William Taylor  

Interiors by Phyllis Taylor

Built by North/South Builders

Photos by Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn