When the owners—a busy couple with teenage and college-age children—decided to furnish their new pool and patio area overlooking a south shore beach at Tucker’s Point, they turned to none other than Laura Farge-Lowe, vice president of Island Trading to create a space as beautiful as the view. The “blank piece of canvas,” as Farge-Lowe put it, was elegantly styled with lovely grey-brown furniture with turquoise and silver accents. Here, the “exterior designer” (as we’ve dubbed her!) explains the inspiration behind the design and the services she offers her beloved clients.
What was your inspiration?
We took our inspiration from the indoor masterpiece designed by the talented Kim Hughes at Designs for Living. With such exquisite taste, she made our job easy! Our other reference point was the ocean; we wanted the eye to continue straight through from inside the house to the turquoise water of the pool and sea—the furniture could not be a visual barrier.
What were the different areas that you designed and furnished?
We designed and furnished all of the outdoor areas including two dining spaces, an outdoor living room, the pool deck including an ocean-side bar, bedroom terraces and, my personal favourite, a fabulous circular fire-pit area for evening cocktails.
Where do the furnishings come from?
We wanted each vignette to look different but at the same time to flow beautifully together, so we combined different weaves, fabrics and suppliers to do this. The main collections are Gloster, Kingsley Bate, Dedon, Skyline and Tuuci.
Can you describe the dining table setting?
We selected colours for the table settings that echoed the ocean, along with interesting textures such as the Kim Seybert bamboo placemats. Because the owners love to entertain outside we wanted to make sure that everything is practical; all of the plates and glasses, for example, are unbreakable!
Some people may not know that you do this sort of thing at Island Trading. Can you explain the services you offer?
While we are a family-owned retail business, as part of our white-glove service we frequently work with architects, designers and clients directly to help them create their dream outdoor space. Many of our customers have beautiful taste and ideas about what they like, but we also offer guidance on our extensive collections of furniture and accessories.
Would you call yourself an “exterior designer”?
I like that and I will from now on! In Bermuda we spend so much of our time outdoors that our pools and patios deserve to be just as appealing as our indoor spaces.
Anything else you think we should know?
We have over 30 years of relationships with our suppliers and while we carry a significant amount of inventory, we are also able to special-order all manner of designs, fabrics and styles. You can call in at Island Trading for a browse or consultation at any time!
