In her new coffee-table book, Palm Beach resident and interior designer Victoria Hagan redefines 21st century luxury and the significance of home through a selection of new projects from coast to coast, including a gorgeous Mediterranean-style manse on our shores.
Hot fuchsia pink fills the study
You’ve recently released Live Now with Rizzoli. Congratulations! What was the process like selecting the projects in the book? I was inspired to write this book after experiencing the power of home as a sanctuary over the past couple of years. We all witnessed the unimaginable, and if we were lucky enough, we had a cocoon to support and comfort us. These projects were selected for Live Now as they reflect the distinct lifestyles of each client and how they provide nourishment from the outside world, whether during the best of times or the most challenging.
Fruit trees and florals adorn the outdoor patio.
What do you hope readers take away from this collection of your work? We have a symbiotic relationship with our spaces. As a designer, I am tasked with coaxing opportunities out of my clients’ residences. Time to pivot has allowed for all of us to better understand the true essence of home. I hope my readers take away the importance of creating surroundings that inspire and sustain and, once this has been achieved, feeling appreciation and gratitude.
How does your aesthetic shift from such varied markets as Palm Beach, Sonoma, Martha’s Vineyard and NYC? What is the constant? Each location’s energy and rhythm will lead to organic aesthetic shifts. These different locations inspire different lifestyles, which will inform my design decisions. A constant is the inspiration I derive from my clients and the goal of creating timeless interiors that encourage family living. In the end, isn’t that what it’s all about?
A sea of cerulean washes over the kitchen
In the book, you feature a gorgeous Palm Beach home. What was the origin of this project? This client happened to see a rather colorful New York project that I had completed and contacted me to design their family home. I love Palm Beach and have my own home on the island. I always enjoy designing Palm Beach homes with spectacular colors, like orange, coral and azure, and neutrals that blend the outdoors with the indoors so seamlessly.
What were the programmatic requests? The client wanted a vivid environment, infused with a sense of joy and happiness, where someone could walk in and feel like they were being embraced by each space.
The owners chose a large wine cooler to store their collection.
Walk me through your process when designing a home. An important factor when designing this home was that it was going to be the family’s primary residence, not just a vacation home that was to be used sporadically. Because of this, I really had to consider how this home would support and complement the daily lifestyles of the family. We were also very careful in how we implemented color throughout the home, conscious of where we should show restraint and where we might indulge.
How does your design philosophy have a presence in the project? The project features great texture, natural elements are celebrated through strong silhouettes, and color is used methodically. The home is timeless, yet each decision was inspired by how the family lives now. We considered visual cues as well as the emotional ones.
Vibrant artworks grab the spotlight in the living room.
Any memorable moments or surprise hurdles to overcome? Many Palm Beach homes are for sojourns. This home was to be used day in and day out. We wanted to respect the local resort vernacular while also making it highly functional, substantive and personal.
Favorite design moment in the home? The conscious relationship between indoors and out really celebrates the way this family lives.
The dining room drips with blue and hints of the tropics
The home is a riot of color and patterns yet still feels serene. How do you strike that balance? Color is a tool to be used intentionally. There is nothing random about it. It is one of the many important elements that go into a project. We carefully studied where color and pattern should be applied and where we wanted other design elements to take center stage.
Interior designer Victoria Hagan.
Tell me about the collaboration process between you and the clients. The inspiration behind each project starts with the client and their hopes and needs. I brought shape to the clients’ ideas while considering both form and function. It was a true collaboration.
The bedroom is pretty in pink
Any local artisans of note who were involved in the project? The design team consisted of Smith and Moore Architects and Nievera Williams Landscape Architecture.
What advice do you have for others in the industry? Live now with gratitude and hope, because you never know where tomorrow might lead us.
Photography by: PHOTOGRAPHED BY PERNILLE LOOF
