When Phoebe Howard took on the major renovation and decoration of a Georgian house in Jacksonville, Florida, she knew she’d have to strike a delicate balance of historical propriety and modern flourish for a family with young children. “Although the house is traditional, the client likes striking, modern furnishings,” she says. So the designer, known for her deft use of color and fabrics, set about creating a house of many moods, from the cozy, glossy blue library to the shimmery, romantic master bedroom. The shifts in color and light form a mosaic of fresh spaces grounded in proven principles of design. But foremost in the design objective was comfort and uncomplicated practicality for family life.
