Keith Lloyd proves he practices what he preaches with the downtown Raleigh condo he calls home. And it’s not hard to understand why he loves this location so much.
“I have lived in Raleigh for the past seven years,” explains Keith. “I am on the 32nd floor of the tallest building in the city; I can park my car at the end of the day and walk to any of the best restaurants and bars downtown Raleigh has to offer. And when it comes to ‘a view’, there’s nothing like it.”
While walking through a To-The-Trade Design Center in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Keith stumbled on a wallpaper sample that inspired the design for his city condo. “The theme of my condo became ‘All Things Men’, with various shades of masculine grey, black and chrome with textures and metals mixed in,” explains Keith.
He wanted it to have the feel of a high-end men’s boutique with an urban twist, so he incorporated textured elements like wallpaper made from men’s suiting material and gunmetal grey grass cloth. “Although my decorating style changes to fit my clients’ needs and architecture of the home, I like big, bold, classic elements that will remain in style for years to come.”
Over the course of eight weeks, Keith made some significant changes to the condo to open up the floor plan a bit more. He removed a wall entirely and added two large columns in its place, and made a small office into a dining room. Custom wainscoting was added to the living room walls and two additional columns were added to give the room a sense of separation from the kitchen. “There isn’t just one room I love the most in this condo,” offers Keith. “I love it all as one unit. I like the warm color palette and textured environment; and of course…the view!”
When asked what he feels makes great design in a home, Keith suggests that it’s functionality. “The first thing I ask my client is ‘how do you want to live in this home or space?’”
He continues, offering advice to readers to find an inspiration piece – wallpaper, a paint color, a fabric swatch – whatever, and play off of that.
“Do not be afraid to take a risk, and by all means, introduce many textures into the overall design that work well together.”