The kitchen used to be enclosed, but it was opened with a peninsula added.
are kicking off their shoes and settling into home interiors, and we’re here for it. So is this Siesta Key condo on Midnight Pass, where pretty pastels and punches of color and pattern mark a rebirth for this Gulf front condo once stuck in the ’80s.
Organic touches of rattan and bamboo in the pendant lights and barstools.
Purchased by the Rieger family in 2021, the Riegers have since opened up the kitchen, added an office and sprinkled a dash of Old Florida charm throughout. As luck would have it, condo owner Christine Rieger’s daughter, Ali Rieger, 28, is an interior designer who recently launched in New York City, but traveled south to spearhead the project. (Family perk!)
The goal beyond the gut job? “Make the space colorful and layered, while maintaining a fresh and carefree aesthetic,” Ali says.
The entryway.
Christine lives in New Jersey most of the year, and so she and Ali took some risks with this project they wouldn’t have up North.
“I never would have gone with a blue kitchen up north,” Christine says. “We used pinks and blues more freely here. We go more traditional in Jersey.” There, she lives in a 150-year-old Victorian home with a white kitchen and coaches high school tennis full-time; here, she plays daily. To add a personal touch to the space, Ali hung vintage embroidered tennis racquets as a nod to the family’s love for the game.
A peacock chair adds bohemian flair to a bedroom.
They discovered Siesta Key when Ali’s grandparents started visiting in the ’90s. “In 2004, we bought a two-bedroom condo and for the next 20 years, tried to escape there whenever we could during school breaks,” says Christine. Then, in 2021, they bought this three-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath condo, which was built in 1982, for $1.7 million, and brought its 2,481 square feet back to life.
Living room
Ali’s inspiration for the interiors came from the outside. “Siesta Key Beach is known for its powder white sand and clear blue water, and I wanted to echo that palette inside,” she explains. One of the first design decisions was to paint the kitchen in Farrow & Ball’s cult-favorite Parma Gray. “Everything else evolved from there,” Ali says.
The burl coffee table adds texture. And to add a pop of pink, Ali chose a GP&J Baker fabric for the throw pillows. Wall sconces are from Ballard Designs.
“We wanted to have fun with it since it’s a vacation home we could be quirky and whimsical,” she says. If she had to name it, she’d call the style “coastal-traditional and a little bohemian.”
Schumacher’s Meander wallpaper was installed into the backdrop of the bar, which was formerly a coat closet between the entry and kitchen.
“They’re going for vintage Florida but making it a little more buttoned up,” says Kathryn Sandland, a cabinet maker with Sarasota-based , who built and installed cabinets throughout the condo.
One of three-and-a-half bathrooms.
The bedrooms are outfitted in light patterns with organic furniture pieces, including wall-to-wall sisal and wool floor coverings.
One of three bedrooms.
Meanwhile, gauzy curtains over woven wood window shades create a layered, cozy effect.
Now that the condo is picture-perfect, are there plans to resell it? “No,” Christine says. “It’s our forever happy place.”
Bedroom daybed.
Get The Look
Ali Rieger and Kathryn Sandland share their takeaway tips and trends
Cabinets
In the heart of the home, Sandland is seeing fewer white kitchens. “We see more color, fun details like louvered and lattice effect doors and different wood species,” she says. “Bleached walnut is gaining popularity—it’s light, but you get the grain which adds personality. Even in modern homes, people are starting to do warmer tones, like desert and earthy neutrals.”
As for finishes, high gloss is out and being replaced with matte, non-reflective sheens. Satin brass is still in for hardware, though. “We thought it was a trend but it’s here to stay,” she says. “It’s a lot of antique bronze and matte black. We hardly see polished hardware anymore.”
Bedrooms and living rooms
Changing out the shades on lamps is an easy way to refresh a space, Ali Rieger says.
“Splurge on custom pillows,” she adds. “You can make a lot of impact with a personal touch and not spend what you might on curtains.”
As for decor pieces, she recommends building a collection.
“If you love it, get it. It will always find a home if you love it,” she says. “Vintage is hard for clients because you’re often on a time limit, and you can’t hem and haw because an item might be gone the next day. So pop into boutiques and shops. Personal items bring a story into a space.”
Other Ideas
Incorporate one natural texture in each room, for a warm, welcoming effect—either through furniture or textiles.
Never use an overhead light (or if you do, maybe only while cooking). Instead, add ambient light via surface lamps, picture lights, and sconces, and outfit them with warmer lights and bulbs for a cozy glow.