Palm Beach homes are typically bathed in preppy shades of pink and green, while horse farms are usually dressed in plaid wool and mohair. But when the owners of Copperline Farm—she a show jumper, he a polo player—set out to build a home in Wellington, Florida, an equestrian village on the outskirts of Palm Beach, neither vibe felt quite right. They turned to Dallas-based interior designer Ashley Avrea Cathey of Avrea and Company for guidance. “The house is in Florida so it needed to be light and airy, but it’s inland and on a farm, so a beachy look would not have been appropriate,” Cathey explains. She came up with the perfect compromise: a soft yet sophisticated home that subtly pays homage to the homeowners’ beloved animals.
The homeowner loves de Gournay and beautiful patterns, so Cathey wanted to create a garden moment in the entryway. The whimsical Creel and Gow rattan chairs, John Lyle Design console, and lights from the Lamp Shoppe Dallas feel like they are “growing” out of the flowering print.
NATHAN SCHRODERIn addition to their horses, the couple has five rescue dogs, which factored heavily into the design choices. Cathey selected indoor-outdoor fabrics for pieces the dogs were destined to nap on, and detailed patterns (like the Quadrille linen on the living room sofa) were chosen to disguise muddy paw prints and occasional spills. The mix of patterns in the living room “makes the house look more collected, like things were bought and inherited over time,” she explains. “And because everything is in the same color palette, it feels harmonious.”
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An abstract modern painting is juxtaposed with the couple’s pony portraits to keep them from feeling too precious. The custom ceramic horseshoe lamp by artist Jennifer Nocon on an Italian sideboard cabinet from Wolf Hall Antiques adds a touch of whimsy to the space.
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Comfortable chairs upholstered in a stripe from Classic Cloth invite guests to linger over dinner at the table by Rose Tarlow—and take in the view. But the focal point is the bespoke credenza inset with hand-painted de Gournay botanical panels on a durable tea paper.
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Cathey has a rule of thumb about dogs and floors: “If you have black Labs, choose dark floors; if you have yellow Labs, opt for light floors. I have golden retrievers and dark floors and learned this lesson the hard way,” she admits. Since the owners have a menagerie of dogs, Cathey settled on a neutral, in-between color that is less likely to show dog hair and scratches.
The homeowners are young and fun, so Cathey wanted to infuse the living room with a sense of playfulness. A cornucopia of prints in cotton and linen keeps the room feeling light, airy, and not too serious. The couch is upholstered in a Quadrille fabric which coordinates with a Bonacina rattan chair upholstered in a Classic Cloth stripe—and a plaid rug by From Jaipur With Love pulls it all together.
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A magnificent view of the horse fields is framed by black steel windows. The kitchen features muted white oak cabinets and beams that don’t distract from the sweeping vista. When the homeowner is cooking, she can look out on the loggia which overlooks the stables.
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A framed Hermès scarf with equestrian details became the centerpiece of this guest room, while citron lamps add a refreshing pop of color. The Oushak rug and wicker dresser are both vintage; Cathey picked up the dresser at a flea market and had it painted to match the walls.
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Still, there are moments of pure luxury. The homeowner loves soft pastels, so a floral Erdem for de Gournay wallpaper was chosen for the entryway that stretches up to the arched ceiling, which was lacquered in pale green to match the wallpaper’s background. De Gournay paper was also used in the dining room, where custom botanical panels were inset into a credenza. To balance these more feminine details, Cathey thoughtfully added masculine touches such as the custom wood and leather nightstands in the primary bedroom, which ground the delicate pastel canopy.
The stately bed in the primary bedroom is curtained in paisley Pierre Frey fabric, which melds with the light blue Holland & Sherry wool on the walls to create a dreamy escape. The room is unmistakably soft and feminine—down to the D. Porthault bedding and the scalloped rattan bench from Noel Pittman Design at the foot of the bed. Custom wood and leather nightstands add a more masculine counterpoint.
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A guest bedroom is perhaps the most quintessential “Palm Beach” room in the house—but done in a restrained way. Scalloped Julia B. Casa bedding, Quadrille paisley chairs, and a Holland & Sherry ottoman, which repeats the scallop motif in nailheads, add subtly feminine touches. The room is wrapped in quietly patterned Surfaces by David Bonk wallpaper that also covers the ceiling, creating a peaceful cocoon.
NATHAN SCHRODERWhile there are many beautiful things to look at inside Copperline Farm, the eye is meant to be drawn outside. The windows were intentionally left bare in public spaces, so as not to obstruct the breathtaking views and to let the owners to watch their horses grazing in the fields. The abundance of windows didn’t leave a lot of room for art, but the homeowners wanted to incorporate portraits of their ponies into the decor. Cathey typically doesn’t include portraits of children on the main floor of a home, “but we made an exception here!” she says with a laugh. To prevent the horse portraits in the hallway from looking cliché, she placed them adjacent to a striking piece of modern art. There are other nods to horses throughout the home (note the framed Hermès equestrian scarf in a guest bedroom and the custom horseshoe ceramic lamp in the hallway), but they are equally subtle.
Even with refined touches, the house still feels relaxed—a place to kick back after a long day of riding. “If someone can’t put a drink down or put their feet up, we haven’t done our job correctly,” says Cathey. Job well done.
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Gleaming stables welcome the farm’s equine residents.
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“Restrained sophistication was paramount,” says Cathey of her approach to the project.
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The complex, which includes a dressage arena and a grass jumping arena, is also home to a number of rescued horses.
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