A historic Palm Beach house, once owned by Austro-Hungarian royals Prince and Princess Odescalchi, has been restored to its former glory. The circa-1918 house had a façade redesigned in 1937 by Howard Major, but a series of renovations over the decades had left it lacking in character.
According to Ellen Kavanaugh, the designer tasked with reviving the house, it had become “very ‘vanilla’ and very dark” and had lost its original spark.
Preserving the Past
The new homeowners enlisted Ellen Kavanaugh and Patrick Seagraves of SKA Architecture to restore the house, with a focus on preserving its original character. They aimed to retain the small, separate rooms, each with its own unique identity, while bringing the home back to its original glory.
Ellen Kavanaugh recalls that the inspiration for the revival began with a single panel of Zuber ‘Isola Bella’ wallpaper, a panoramic scene that has been printed in Rixheim, France, using the same antique wood blocks since 1843.
A Delicate Balance
The Zuber wallpaper was used to sheathe the dining room, creating a delightful greeting at the front of the home. To balance the wallcovering’s grandeur, Ellen Kavanaugh installed an unexpected counterpoint on the ceiling – a woven straw cabana matting that costs roughly $5 per panel.
This unique combination of materials and textures is a hallmark of the restoration, with Ellen Kavanaugh making deliberate choices to echo the ethos of the original house throughout the design, much like designing a color palette for a garden.
In the foyer, lime-washed cypress wood on the ceiling was paired with Venetian plaster walls in a celadon green color, creating a unique and inviting space.
A Touch of Hollywood Glamour
In the living room, custom window seats and a William “Billy” Haines sofa bring a nod to Hollywood glamour, while a tonal art piece by Laura Deems adds serenity to the space.
The kitchen displays a subtle tiki theme with its rounded cypress cabinet doors and Ming-inspired floating shelves, with a pink ceiling and little gold stars adding a touch of magic to the room.
Upstairs, the private quarters are equally transportive, with a petite dressing room featuring Pierre Frey silk fabric and a Murano vintage pendant, creating a space that is both indulgent and luxurious.
They achieved a home that finally feels loved again.
The result is a home with a unique blend of original character and luxurious touches that make it a true gem of Palm Beach.
