Since we looked at this house, my mind has been racing about what style of design I wanted to lean into for #TheCoolColonial. We are a household that embraces color and texture and the outdoors and I would like that reflected in our home. I also like the idea of leaning into the era our house was built – which is in the 1920s. As I was thinking about this house in the early days, I was instantly drawn to Hollywood Regency and Organic Modern design. But those are two seemingly opposing design and architectural styles. So how will they come to life in harmony at our house? Let’s take a look.

Hollywood Regency

First making its appearance in the 1930s, Hollywood Regency is marked by glam and wealth. It was inspired by Hollywood’s Golden Era, as actors and actresses seized the opportunity to make their living spaces reflections of their fashionable lifestyles and appearances. Although its emphasis on opulence makes it similar to Art Deco, Hollywood Regency is a much more eclectic and ornamented style, cultivated by interior designers who strove to create theatrical, over-the-top environments. Hollywood Regency was defined and refined by interior designers like Dorothy Draper and William Haines – whose design houses still exist today. Today, Hollywood Regency is often replicated through flamboyant and artful prints like animal print and animal objects, flamingos and palm leaves, and chinoiserie.

What appeals to me about Hollywood Regency is the sense of making any space a real vibe, giving every corner a sense of splendor through color and texture, and a sense that the room is a special place to be.

Organic Modern

Taking cues from nature, Organic Modern design emphasizes minimalism and harmony between man-made elements and the natural world. Organic design trends in home furnishings promote natural forms and minimalist materials like wood and glass. It features clean lines, a neutral color palette and surfaces generally devoid of flourishes or embellishments. In other words, it is the opposite of Hollywood Regency!

Organic style is a main characteristic of Midcentury Modern design, which we love and of which we have a few vintage pieces of furniture. Midcentury Modern is a movement that rose in prominence in the United States from the 1940s through the 1960s, led by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, furniture designers Eero Saarinen and wife-and-husband team Ray and Charles Eames. What I love about Organic Modern is its emphasis on clean lines, as displayed in Midcentury Modern, and on simplicity and nature. Organic Modern is also on display throughout the Caribbean and whenever I visit family in Haiti or go elsewhere in the Caribbean, I find myself resting on visual moments created by a piece of beautiful wood furniture and how rooms are open to the nature around them.

Hollywood Regency + Organic Modern at The Cool Colonial

With Hollywood Regency and Organic Modern seemingly at opposite ends of the design spectrum, how will these two come together in our new house? I think what I like about these two styles is the flamboyance of Hollywood Regency and the embrace of organic forms and natural materials in Organic Modern. We’ll see how Hollywood Regency meets Organic Modern at The Cool Colonial as I design and work on each room and floor of the house.