My Houzz: Relaxing Mexican Resort Style in a Florida Home

When Ryan and Amber Duncan need a break from their busy lives as owners of six Tampa, Florida, businesses, they escape to their favorite resort in Los Cabos, Mexico. So when the couple bought the waterfront home they were renting on Florida's Anna Maria Island, they decorated it in a way that recalls the breezy, relaxing feel of that Mexican getaway.

The family of seven had lived with the previous homeowner's furnishings during the two years they rented, so "it never felt like the house was truly a reflection of who we were," Amber says. She and Ryan reached out to Sharon Laird of Surroundings Interiors to help with the redecorating process. Using colorful hand-painted Talavera tiles, vibrant textiles and other authentic Mexican accents, Laird designed the home to make the family feel like they're on vacation all year long.

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Ryan and Amber Duncan and their 3 sons and 2 daughters, ages 5 to 15
Location: Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island, Florida
Size: 3,700 square feet; 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
Year built: 2006

The previous owners had left the sofas behind; the Duncans added new slipcovers. Although the slipcovers are white, they stand up to the couple's five children thanks to weekly washings. The coffee table top was made with wood from a vintage door.

Sofas: PB Basic Slipcovered Sofa, Pottery Barn; coffee table: Magnolia; tray: Roost; area rug: Ridgeway, Capel Rugs; rattan chairs: Lexington Furniture (no longer available)


The large built-in entertainment center got a fresh coat of paint, transforming it from its former black hue to sunny yellow. Fish sculptures and artwork are sprinkled throughout the home — like on the coffee table — in honor of Ryan's former career as a professional fisherman.

The entry area, seen in the far-right corner, includes a graphic red upholstered chair where the children can sit and take off their shoes. Then they place them in the vintage banana crate underneath the console table.

Entry table, banana crate: Magnolia; upholstered chair: Astrid, Anthropologie (no longer sold, although a similar chair is available); window treatment: Apolline; end table: custom made by local carpenter Jerry Lewis; lamp: Serena & Lily (no longer available)


The home's staircase was devoid of any color or personality.


AFTER: To bring Mexican flair to the Florida home, the owners installed imported Mexican Talavera tiles on the stair risers. The end result is a beautiful staircase that adds a punch of color.

Pep Up With Patchwork Tiles


"We went into this not really knowing what to expect," says Amber. "We both love a more vintage look, and Sharon really nailed it, and would always present options with numerous price points." A distressed vintage sideboard and eclectic mirror bring a touch of Mexico to this living room vignette.

Throw pillows: Jamie Young Collection, Horchow (no longer available); wall paint: custom color, Porter Paints; mirror: Made Goods (no longer available)


Ryan and Amber brought home this colorful Otomi embroidery from one of their many trips to Cabo San Lucas. They used it as the primary inspiration for their colorful global decorating scheme. During the redecorating process, they added a kid-friendly doorway under the stairs, which leads to a storage room. The couple's three boys, ages 5 to 7, use it as a playspace.

Wall paint: custom color, Porter Paints


The home's upstairs hallway has a wraparound banister that borders a reading nook and Amber's home office.


Amber's office was carved out of an elevator shaft. The space was given a facelift with a coat of chalkboard paint and a custom-built L-shaped desk.

Chair: 1956 Steel Armchair by Tolix, Sundance


This seating area outside the master bedroom needed some warmth and color.


AFTER: The Duncans kept the leather sofa but added new lighting, artwork, a rug and new Mexican-style doors to the master bedroom. This area is now a nook where Amber likes to read to the kids before bedtime.

Artwork: Ken Potter; rattan chair: Ocean Breeze Chair, Lexington Home Brands; rug: Porcelain Rug, Company C; stool: Amil, Made Goods; lamps: Serena & Lily (no longer available); metal crosses: Sarasota Architectural Salvage


The main goal in the master bedroom was to re-create a room from the owners' favorite resort,
One&Only Palmilla in Los Cabos. "The master bedroom furniture was a splurge," says Amber. "The bed is the exact bed from the resort. It was custom made and delivered via a crane over our house and onto the back deck." They upholsterd the headboard with embroidered Otomi fabric.

Bed: Alamo, DeMejico; nightstands: Alamo, DeMejico; pillow: Orimono, Anthropologie; lamps: Poseidon, Zentique; headboard fabric: Jacaranda Home; fringed coverlet, shams: Pillow Talk (no longer available); wall paint: Blue Lake, Benjamin Moore


A cozy sitting area opposite the bed features a patchwork love seat and a basket-weave planter. Ryan confides that the wall used to be decorated with purses, but the couple agreed to display their collection of hats instead — making Ryan very happy.

Love seat: Lee's Furniture (no longer available); planter: Anthropologie (no longer available); paint: Tear Drop Blue, Benjamin Moore


A wooden barn door was custom made for the entrance to Amber and Ryan's master bathroom. Curtain panels from Anthropologie frame the opening to the closet.


The master bathroom features a double vanity and walls painted the same ocean-inspired blue as the bedroom.

Mirrors: Fiona, Made Goods; towel hook: Novelty Bird Hooks, Pottery Barn (no longer available); wall paint: Blue Lake, Benjamin Moore


The couple's three sons share a room that was rather uninspiring before. The boys were each born 13 months apart and wanted something that was fun and reflected their love of the beach.


AFTER: The fish artwork on the wall reflects the boys' love of water activities. Picking up on the colors in the painting, Laird painted the walls a soft blue.

Stools: Serena & Lily (no longer available); abacus: Abacus Wall Art, CB2; storage beds: Belden Beds, Pottery Barn Kids; sheets, pillows: Serena & Lily; oar, buoys: Sarasota Architectural Salvage; wall paint: Morning Sky Blue, Benjamin Moore


The upstairs bathroom is used by four of the children. The custom-painted wall treatment is meant to resemble a traditional Mexican blanket, or Saltillo serape. Each child has an individual monogrammed towel hook.

Towel hooks: Anthropologie; blue accent paint: Mendelssohn Concerto, ICI Paint


The couple's 9-year-old daughter loves to surf, and her walls are adorned with custom-framed photographs of her riding the waves. Her bedroom is the only one on the home's first floor, and is furnished with two beds to accommodate friends during slumber parties.

Beds, dresser: Belden, Pottery Barn Kids; bedding, pillows: The Land of Nod; stool: Design Legacy; desk: Small Space Solutions Hutch, Pottery Barn Teen; framing: custom, The Great Frame Up; wall paint: Limelight, ICI


The couple left the kitchen as is and appreciate its open layout. "With five children it gets hectic and crazy around here," says Amber. "The openness of the home allows for a lot of chatter, so it can get loud. But we are able to locate all the kids in a matter of seconds."


The kitchen island has a built-in wine refrigerator. The adjacent dining area was designed to evoke the One&Only resort, with deep red walls complementing a collection of Mexican lanterns and plates.

Dining table, chairs: Os De Mouton, Restoration Hardware; wall paint: Royal Garnet, Valspar


Ryan says the Cabo-inspired dining area is his favorite space in the house. "The lights in the dining area are done exactly like the restaurant at the One&Only resort," notes Amber, who repurposed some vintage spools to create the custom wine rack on the wall.

Dining table: Salvaged Wood Trestle, Restoration Hardware; hurricane lanterns: Arteriors; wall paint: Royal Garnet, Valspar


"While the kids are at school, Ryan and I work from home on some days," says Amber. "It is so peaceful, and we couldn't ask for a better view."

The couple's home office got a facelift with this custom-built banquette. Filing cabinets underneath the bench store Ryan's paperwork. Amber purchased a number of photo frames at Hobby Lobby and created this gallery wall inspired by a photo she saw online. Throw pillows made from Mexican textiles complete the space.

Bench: custom built-in, Jerry Lewis; frames: Hobby Lobby; cushions, pillows: Apolline; chair: Zentique; wall paint: custom color, Porter Paints


This porch seating area is right outside the home office and faces Bimini Bay, making it an ideal spot for entertaining. "Our friends sometimes just pull up their boat and come in through the back porch area," says Amber. The Talavera tiles inside were replicated here with an outside area rug.

Rug: Company C; patio furniture: Patio.com


This is the view of Bimini Bay from the Duncans' porch.


The upstairs balcony has a custom-made swing and overhead pergola panels inspired by an architectural detail seen on a trip to Puerto Rico. The family spends a lot of time here reading, relaxing and enjoying the mild Florida weather.

Lounge furniture: Melrose Modular Seating, Frontgate; overhead panels: Parasoleil; lighting: Lamps Plus


The couple's 15-year-old daughter really liked a 10-foot-long swing on a family trip to Puerto Rico, and requested one for the upstairs porch. They hired local carpenter Jerry Lewis to re-create the porch swing in the appropriate size. The sides are made from vintage shutters, and the cushions are covered in the same striped motif used in the upstairs bathroom.

Porch swing: Jerry Lewis


The back of the home faces Bimini Bay. Seen here is the upstairs balcony with the custom swing and the seating area outside the home office.


The stair risers leading to the first floor are covered in imported Mexican Talavera tile, to match the interior stairs.


Amber and Ryan, shown here in their living room, work an hour away in Tampa and love being able to enjoy their relaxing island neighborhood. "Our home is so comfortable and beautiful now that we don't ever want to leave," says Amber.

She has advice for other homeowners who are thinking about redecorating their homes. "You should be open-minded and not do anything until you can truly do it the way you want it," she says. "We wasted so much money on trying and guessing what would work for us."

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