Artwork inspires luxury condo decor

A lifetime's accumulation of furnishings, pictures and photographs greeted Troy Beasley and his design team when they arrived to redecorate a luxury condominium in Winter Park, Fla., recently.

Many of the posters, paintings and photos reflected the homeowners' ties to the theater and ballet. Other pictures and artifacts were collected during their worldwide travels. All had been randomly displayed throughout the condo.

"We really wanted to showcase the art in the redesign. That meant a lot of reframing and repositioning," said Beasley, co-owner, with his wife, Stephanie Henley, of Beasley & Henley Interior Design. Also working on the project was design assistant Jacqueline Nardin.

To create more cohesive displays, the team grouped like-themed works into collections. In the sunny breakfast room, a half-dozen sketches and paintings of theater costumes are grouped on a single wall. In a hallway outside the master bedroom, framed photos create a visual family tree. In an angled passage leading to the guest suite, vivid theater posters in bold black frames line the walls. And photos and paintings from their travels are collected in the den.

The designers also used artwork to inspire color schemes, create a mood (serene in the master bedroom, cheerful in the kitchen) and reflect the personalities of the homeowners.

For the spacious entry hall, Beasley selected a huge, Renaissance-style painting of a figure swathed in a red cloak and turban. On closer inspection, the figure turns out to be a tabby cat.

"The painting really reflects the personalities of the homeowners," explained Beasley. "They are quite formal, but also have a great sense of humor. They adore cats. And the turban is very theatrical."

By simply rearranging the artwork, the look of the condo was transformed and refreshed, said Beasley.

"The husband didn't even recognize some of the works in their new locations," said Beasley. "He kept asking, 'Is that ours?' "