Stephanie Watkins: A Colorful Maryland Paradise
Photographs by Stephanie Watkins
Stephanie Watkins has a full plate. For most of every day, she’s a nursing professor at a Maryland university, with 15 years of experience in her field. The rest of the time, she’s a full-on creative, the mind behind Casa Watkins, a lifestyle, interiors and content creation site that serves as an outlet for all of her many creative endeavors. Her other major outlet for the past 11 years, has been her home - a gorgeous, 3100 square foot single family home in Aberdeen, Maryland.
Stephanie’s move-in story was a dream come true. Her husband had the home built five years before they were married. “I moved in and put my special touches to it when we were married in 2010,” she remembers. Her biggest touch: the spectacular use of color that lights up every room in this home. In this turquoise and yellow living room, Stephanie’s furniture and textile choices make a bold statement. A green velvet sofa, yellow drapes, and an array of colorful textiles work together in this room. The colors combine, tied together perfectly in the artwork that hangs over the living room mantle.
“As a Caribbean gal, I like bold colors, powerful patterns, and a tropical flair achieved with plants,” Stephanie explains. On her blog, she describes her personal style as, “Glo-bo,” pairing a modern Bohemian aesthetic with infusions of global style. This corner of the living room says it even better. Textured walls and a modern table paired with woven baskets, global textiles and a colorful Persian-style rug gives us Stephanie’s “Glo-bo” style in one beautiful moment.
Successfully pairing the styles of two different people is one of the biggest challenges couples face when decorating their homes. It can be even more difficult when one person has lived in the home longer than the other. Stephanie’s home was no exception. “I like an eclectic mix between the casualness and worldly look of bohemian style,”’she says, “and my husband prefers modern style with a bit of luxe. So, I've been able to balance our two distinct styles in our home.” Modern touches in the lighting and rug help balance the more traditional table and seating in the dining room. Global elements such as the basket gallery wall contribute to a layered and eclectic look.
The dining room was one of the home’s larger makeover projects. Originally the formal living room, Stephanie changed things up in order to give the space a different flow. “After we converted the dining room, it became the first room you saw as you entered our home.” Like the living room, the dining room is a bite-sized introduction to her whole aesthetic, which is exactly what Stephanie was after. “I wanted the room to be an introduction to what guests would feel as they progressed through the house,” she reflects.
Quietly stealing the show in this dining room is a silver wallpaper that wraps the room in pattern. But what makes this particular wall the center of attention is the beautiful collection of woven baskets. Arranged as a small gallery wall, the woven texture of the baskets mimics the pattern of the wallpaper while accentuating it with bright colors. “Art is a favorite element around the house,” Stephanie confides.
While the dining room was one area that required a lot of Stephanie’s attention, her biggest project by far was the kitchen. “It was a total remodel,” she remembers. “We extended the kitchen by knocking out the wall that separated it from the dining room.” With an eye on the possibility of one day selling the home, Stephanie chose the new layout with sales appeal in mind, but still found ways to reflect her own aesthetic through the decor. “I wanted our kitchen to be modernized but still have personality and pizazz,” she explains.
The process of designing a home never ends. There’s always the next space that could use a little touch-up or a whole new look. For Stephanie, the sunroom was her most recent makeover. Doubling as a playroom for the kids, this family-oriented room is a wonderful in-between space that lets the family enjoy elements of being outside and inside together. “I love when we open the windows and allow the cool breeze to filter in,” she muses. “The bright colors in this room are great to inspire the kids when they make their art.”
Even in the most colorful of homes, the bedroom is often a place of serenity and calm. “Our bedroom was created to make us feel like we are on vacation,” Stephanie explains. White walls and neutral furnishings make the bedroom stand out against the vibrant palettes of the home’s other rooms. “I kept the colors serene and added plush pillows to the bed for that retreat feel,” she says.
Where the main bedroom is Stephanie’s moment of calm, the kids’ room is a return to full, colorful form. “The kids really enjoy the colorful walls and curtains,” she says. “Their room designs have gone through so many changes,” she reflects, “and it just continues to evolve as they get older.”
Some parts of the house were a joy to decorate. Others were just in need of help. For Stephanie, her laundry room was the big rescue mission of her design plan. “I avoided it for a long time,” she admits. “It was dark and lifeless.” With just a few simple steps, she was able to completely change the look of the room and how she felt about it. “The globally inspired wallpaper, rattan lighting, and painting the cabinets really brought the room to life. Now I don't mind doing the laundry!”