Playa Grande - An Island Paradise

The Old Age of Nostalgia

“Those hours given over to basking in the glow of an imagined future, of being carried away in streams of promise by a love or a passion so strong that one felt altered forever and convinced that even the smallest particle of the surrounding world was charged with purpose of impossible grandeur; ah, yes, and one would look up into the trees and be thrilled by the wind ~ loosened river of a pale, gold foliage cascading down and by the high, melodious singing of countless birds; those moments, so many and so long ago, still comeback, but briefly, like fireflies in the perfumed heat of a summer night.” ~ Mark Strand

This is an excerpt from Island Whimsy - Designing a Paradise By the Sea by Celerie Kemble. I mentioned in my post from a few weeks ago - This & That From Bald Head Island that I had ordered this book and I’m so glad I did! I’ve been sitting on the porch pouring over it and reading every word! As you can see by the pictures, it’s an extraordinary book and so inspiring for anyone who loves decor and island living!

If you don’t know Celerie Kemble…she is a decorator with Kemble Interiors, a design firm founded in Palm Beach by her mother, Mimi McMakin. ... A tastemaker known for her approachable design advice. Celerie has several decor books including Black & White and a Bit In Between, and To Your Taste - Creating Modern Rooms With a Traditional Twist, that are almost as inspiring as this one!

As you can see from the pictures, the decor at Casa Guava is very whimsical and not at all fancy or formal. The rooms are livable and beach friendly with unusual and repurposed items and colorful upholstery! Much of the fabric (such as the chairs above) comes from Celerie Kemble's line for Henredon.

“Pieces that spark memories or hopes for the future come together over time to form the soul of a home, and they’re the one element a decorator can’t easily provide for you.” ~ Celerie Kemble from Island Whimsy

When initially flipping through the book, this copper bathtub was one of the first things that caught my eye! What fun would it be to put my 3 grandsons in that tub for a scrub after a day at the beach! I think books like this inspire us all to make our surroundings more beautiful and that’s the beauty in buying them and revisiting them for ideas!

As Baldy and I get older and our family continues to grow…a playroom like this one seems like a good idea! What child wouldn’t love to play in here! Kemble designed the ceiling fixture.

I can only imagine hours spent on this porch swing, reading and relaxing…

Vintage garden chairs surround the dining room table and the Antique Victorian circus tent paintings that flank the doors are fabulous and whimsical, which was a dream of Kembles when designing the space.

I absolutely love the botanical prints combined with the different colors and prints in the room. It looks collected over time rather than decorated, which is very visually appealing and so interesting!

A collection of vintage trivets add color to the wall.

“A house by the sea should be a house of dreams. Where windows and doors are thrown open to the ocean, and gusts of cool, salty air turn us all into kids again--buoyant and joyful. Spending childhood days on the beach and in the magical, romantic chaos of her family's rambling house internationally renowned interior designer Celerie Kemble has a deep-rooted connection to the sun and surf. However, in the summer of 2004, Kemble laid eyes on a wild swath of jungle in the Dominican Republic next to minty-blue water and an endless stretch of golden sand, she fell madly in love. Over many years, she designed a home away from home there, an island retreat--a clubhouse and a grouping of family homes and guesthouses--suffused with light and air, full of indoor and outdoor rooms for relaxation. In her latest book, Island Whimsy, Kemble recounts the deeply personal and creative journey of designing Playa Grande and bringing this labor of love to life.” ~ Amazon

Island Whimsy is full of so many more beautiful images as well as a winding story of how the house cam to be! This is a book worth buying that’s filled with timeless ideas and inspiration that you’ll return to over and over again!

Just in case you want to replicate anything in the book…here is a boutique of fun things that might get you started!