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
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×