“ Everything in my house means

something to me fo r its beauty,

functionality, or personal

attachment,” says Jayme. Her

collection o f paired champagne

flutes (i) is a case in point: “ They’re

so pretty, and they’re functional,”

she says. “ I probably have

12-15

pairs.” Jayme’s favorite accent color

is white, seen on an Ikea rattan

shade (

2

) jazzed up w ith high-gloss

spray paint, a whimsical elephant

table (

3

), and crisp white molding

that sets o ff gray dining room walls,

a color she jokingly describes as

“ Florida on an overcast day.”

a

s

“ I t w a s l o v e a t f i r s t s i g h t

for me with this house, but it

still needed some attention to make it feel like mine,” says Jayme. Since it

made no sense for her to pay for major construction or carpentry as a tenant,

she devised her home “rentervation” plan by identifying four cosmetic

changes that would have the biggest impact for the fewest bucks. First, she

secured the landlord’s permission to repaint. “Go ahead,” the owner said.

“I’ve never liked those colors.” Next, Jayme had rugs custom cut to fit the

rooms. The seagrass rugs reinforce the beach aesthetic and provide a

low-maintenance covering that withstands the traffic of her two large dogs.

Then she took down the ceiling fans that hung everywhere and replaced

them with her own fixtures, which she can take with her if she ever moves.

Finally, she bought bamboo blinds, cheap enough to buy in the exact sizes she

needed for nearly every window in the house and a sentimental reminder of

her grandmother’s Cocoa Beach home.