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Jupiter Magazine

Creating a Happy Place

By Alyssa Morlacci

Photography by Austen Amacker

Interior design talent abounds in South Florida, that is clear. But when our local designers aren’t accessorizing an oceanfront condo or mapping plans for an Intercoastal-facing villa, have you ever wondered how they design for themselves? We did. So we asked for a peek inside six local designers’ favorite rooms in their own homes.

 

 

Krista Watterworth Alterman

Creative director at Krista Watterworth Design Studio, on her master bedroom

Krista Watterworth Alterman became a designer by accident.  Plan A was an acting career. (Fun fact: Watterworth-Alterman says she was close to landing the part of Debra on the Showtime series “Dexter.”) While studying at The New School in New York City, the Palm Beach Gardens resident auditioned for an HGTV show, booked the role and realized she need to learn about design.  “It was more of a return to self than an accident. Actually.”  She says of her studies at Parsons School of Design.  “I remember as far back as 7 years old drawing elevations and dissections of homes and apartment buildings.” Says the now 46 year old.  “I loved to show people “living” in their spaces.  That’s why design is such a personal process for me.”

 

WHY THE MASTER BEDROOM?

It’s a room where we dream, connect, cry, love and escape…. My master bedroom is very special.  I had the lyrics of our wedding song put in the songwriter’s handwriting and printed on a wallpaper mural.  It’s called “valentine’s day” by Bruce Springsteen.  Our home was in shambles, and there was dust, dirt, no flooring, windows missing… it was a renovation war zone.  The mural was the first moment when we started to see the light toward a finished product.  I walked my husband in with his eyes closed and revealed my special project.  He love it, thank god!

 

FROM WHERE DID YOU DRAW INSPIRATION?

Inspiration for this room comes from a need to feel grounded as well as a newly found love for open space. Moving from Manhattan was a big leap for us – the world is quite different in Palm Beach Gardens.  As a family, we needed a Zen-type of comfort to help us adjust to our new environment.  Plus, we had so much space (something foreign to a manhattanite), so my approach to design had to be adjusted.  The creativity and talent of a Manhattan designer is based in part on how well she can utilize space.  Now, the options are endless.  It was a real adjustment to my view on the creative process.

 

WHAT ARE YOUR THREE FAVORITE ELEMENS OT PIECES IN THE ROOM?

The elements that mean the most to me in this room are things that touch my heart.  I love my husband’s guitars.  Instruments show up I a lot of my work for that reason.  Music is very important to our lives.  There is always either jazz, classical, reggae, pop or classic rock providing our daily soundtrack.  I also love our nightstands mostly because I love dressing a nightstand,  it’s an intimate experience  the nightstand is an altar to display objects reflecting a true piece of who we are.  I spend painstaking moments accessorizing – mostly because it has to be perfect.  That requires thought.  My husband’s glasses, his favorite book, a hugs and kisses mug, and a succulent all make for a perfect visual montage of who he is. The mural is my first and only” can’t do without” element.  It is the pure definition of who we are as a couple and how we define our riles in life. Our connections comes before all else.

 

WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN DESIGNING A ROOM LIKE THIS?

Research and though.  Research the inhabitants, and once you’ve collected all the data, really think about how to put the pieces of the design puzzle together.  In the end, it is solely and uniquely their one of a kind canvas.  It should be like no other.

 

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