Family friends and clients Christian and Manala Douglas took that advice to heart when working with Howard on their newest (and hopefully forever) home in Jacksonville, Florida. Inspired by a visit to Chatsworth House, a renowned mansion in Christian’s home country of England, the couple wanted a modern version of an English country manor: an unpretentious home with functional, updated, and, most important, family-friendly interiors to accommodate their growing family. So Howard went to work, keeping interiors updated and clean-lined by incorporating relatively sparse plasterwork and avoiding heavy moldings and architectural details. Next, the designer added visual interest with color, sculptural fixtures, and strategically placed pops of pattern. “That fixture is definitely the centerpiece here,” Manala says. “It feels like a piece of jewelry set off against black velvet. It becomes the Hope Diamond in the room.” “The ceiling and the windows really deserved to be the standouts here,” Howard says. “The rest of the room was kept relatively simple. The sisal rug and sofas almost recede in comparison.” As for the splash of yellow, the designer believes every successful room needs layers of color. “The yellow plays off the blue beautifully,” he notes. “It’s a standard Florida palette with a bit of a spin—more hip and modern.” The real showstopper here, however, is the curved-apron hood with brass banding. Other elements were chosen for their supporting roles. “The hood was actually a given before we even started the house,” Howard says. “Manala and Christian had seen it and fallen in love with it.” He notes that he designed everything else in the room so it wouldn’t detract from the hood. “It’s the mack daddy in the room, no doubt,” the designer adds. “Even the lighting was purposefully kept smaller in scale so as not to compete with it.” Metal details, including the brass banding on the hood, brushed nickel and antique brass sconces, and brass and bronze fixtures over the island, were intentionally mixed for depth. “To me, this room started with the artwork,” says Manala of a brilliantly colored Hermès scarf, which is framed above the credenza. The scarf is special to her because it was a gift from her aunt, but had been in her closet for almost 12 years. “I finally have the right place for it, and it’s really one of the highlights of this house to me. It makes me feel like I’m home.” Against the room’s otherwise quiet palette, the intricate piece comes to life, serendipitously playing off the home’s coastal-with-a-twist scheme. A marriage made in design heaven. A mix of textures as well as buoyant color distinguishes the bedroom’s serene atmosphere. A white flokati rug, a tufted headboard, a smattering of animal prints, and heavy, velvety curtains encourage total retreat. “It’s almost as if you’re given a big bear hug every time you walk into the room,” Howard says with a laugh. Manala wholeheartedly agrees. “It feels like a luxurious, romantic hotel suite,” she says. “It’s toy-free, kid-free, and impactful.” Amethyst velvet draperies with custom pelmets “feel like they should be in a hotel suite,” Howard says. “In my mind, these are rooms where it’s OK to step outside of the box colorwise,” Howard says. “Your living room isn’t necessarily that space, but why not in your primary bedroom?” He admits to some nervousness when Manala said she wanted a pink closet. “But in the end, we really embraced it, and it turned out beautifully. It’s just a warm, happy hue.” Benjamin Moore’s “Pink Ruffle” gives a girly edge to Manala’s dressing room. Manala and Christian Douglas are pictured here with daughters London Rose, 4, and Isla, 3.
