Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

This Florida Home Is Full of Dramatic Touches (Like Monkey Wallpaper)

This Florida Home Is Full of Dramatic Touches (Like Monkey Wallpaper)

A wardrobe stylist–turned-designer dresses his own house in top-to-toe theatrics.

Every morning, designer Fitz Pullins and his fiancé, Steve Williams, are greeted by a barrel’s worth of silver monkeys and dozens of fluttering blue jays. The colorful menagerie-or, more specifically, the Cole & Son wallpaper depicting it-fills their en suite bathroom, visible from the bed through a pair of French doors. “What’s more invigorating than a jungle?” Pullins says. “Waking up, brushing your teeth-I want it to be entertaining for me.”

It’s a modus operandi for his life and his approach to designing his own home, a five bedroom, five bathroom in Jacksonville, Florida, just steps away from the St. Johns River. “I’ve been in Jacksonville all my life, born and raised,” he says. “I tried to escape a couple of times and it didn’t last very long.” Pullins and Williams purchased the nearly century-old, Prairie-style house five years ago, and have been busy transforming every square inch of it ever since: In addition to adding new plumbing and electrical, the couple opened up walls, gutted the kitchen, changed a sunroom into a closet (“We love clothes,” says Pullins, a former wardrobe stylist), and installed a saltwater dipping pool. (A wine cellar remains on their to-do list.)

                                

Several motifs emerged throughout the house: ornate fixtures and tilework, millwork painted a glossy black, and irreverent art choices-the painting in the living room is based on a scene that artist Caitlin Hurd saw while in a coma. The kitchen was no exception: “We knew we definitely wanted to display our artwork, so we painted the walls white to create a gallery,” Pullins says. (The couple also own and operate a regional art space in town.) High-contrast accents in black and gold boost the room’s drama factor; of the scrolling lanterns over the island, Pullins says, “I was drawn to them because they just reminded me of Europe. I wanted our home to look well traveled.”

Despite the prevalence of black and white, it’s color-the bolder the better-that Pullins always comes back to. So when it came to choosing a hue for the living room, the largest space in the house, Pullins couldn’t help but indulge in a moody peacock. “I fought for blue since we first moved in, and I finally got my way,” he laughs. “I just love color, honestly. It’s in my DNA.”

Foyer


                                

“We wanted to make this major entrance,” says designer Fitz Pullins of the high-gloss, high-contrast entry in his Jacksonville, Florida, home. Chest: Bernhardt. Mirror: antique. Tile: Cement Tile Shop. Pendant: West Elm. Art: Ashley Woodson Bailey. Paint: Cloud White (on walls) and custom color (on trim) by Benjamin Moore. Dining room chandelier: RH. Dining chairs: Jessica Charles.

Kitchen


                                

Lenmar’s UltraLaq sealant on top of its DuraLaq black undercoater (matched to the home’s trim) gives the cabinets a mirror-like shine. Stools: HomeGoods. Pendants: Circa Lighting. Counters: Opustone. Cabinet hardware: Alno. Faucet: Waterstone.

Living Room


                                

“It’s where we do most of our ‘adulting’-drinking wine by the fire, playing games, hanging out,” says Pullins. Sofa: Cisco Home in Ralph Lauren fabric. Chairs: Tov Furniture. Cocktail table: The Mostest Vintage via Chairish. Green pillows: Rodeo Home via Tuesday Morning. Rug: Stanton. Pendant: France & Son. Paint: Washington Blue by Benjamin Moore. Art: Caitlin Hurd.

Breakfast Nook


                            

The French doors that originally divided the space from the kitchen were removed and reused for the bedroom’s en suite bath. Chandelier: RH. Banquette: Vanguard. Pillows: Leah Singh (pink and black), Ralph Lauren (tan and white). Table: All­Modern. Chair: Four Hands. Rug: Tuesday Morning.

Main Bathroom


                        

“I saw that wallpaper and I fell in love,” says Pullins of the Cole & Son pattern, a collaboration with Ardmore Ceramic Art. Vanities: RH. Fixtures: Waterworks. Chair: Anthropologie. Sconces: Arteriors. Rug: Texere via Oasis Rug & Home.

Courtyard


                                

“Our neighbors, are like, ‘Oh, you guys are in the one with the small pool, right?’ ” laughs Pullins. “That’s us.” Furniture: Martha Stewart. Green paint: Gumdrop by Benjamin Moore

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×