Jennifer Ash Rudick gives us a private tour of Palm Beach’s most inspirational homes.
La Follia, an exquisite Italian Renaissance style dream house completed in 1995 and one of the most beautiful houses I have ever seen. Eighteenth century blue and white chinoiserie plates add warmth. The courtyard of the yellow guest room can be seen beyond the terrace. Enormous pots of orchids add splashes of colour to the garden.
The morning room at La Follia. Palladian style arched doors open onto the Atlantic Ocean.
Interior designer Lillian Fernandez transformed a Palm Beach cottage once belonging to Peter Pulitzer. The dining room overlooks the pool and the Intracoastal Waterway beyond.
“We planted three hundred rose bushes. Every year we got a great yield which is not easy in Florida.”
View of the courtyard and pool from the West Terrace at La Follia. To the left of the pool, a ligustrum tree is hung with orchids. Hans, the family’s German shorthaired pointer, stands guard.
A tented loggia faces the garden to the east at Gumdrop House, Palm Beach.
“In Florida I use bright colours.
Anything else can get lost.”
– Meg Braff
Brilliant sherbet colours in interior designer Meg Braff’s West Palm Beach apartment, reflect her zest for life. Buoyant aqua and orange wallpaper take centre stage in her office hideaway.
Maurice Fatio was hailed for his striking entrance halls. The Swiss-born American architect’s charm extended beyond his majestic 1920s Mediterranean Revival houses. An impeccable dresser, he was also known for his mastery of the tango. His homes were so sought after, his personality so alluring, that Cole Porter wrote in a song, “I want to live on Maurice Fatio’s patio.”
Palm Beach Chic by Jennifer Ash Rudick.Vendome Press, $75. (Sold in the UK as Tropical Chic, £40) Buy now
Palm Beach Chic by Jennifer Ash Rudick.Vendome Press, $75. (Sold in the UK as Tropical Chic, £40) Buy now