The Platings’ eclectic 1950s home is filled with remnants that reflect their love for local art, retro color palettes, and the Lakeland community.

Originally built in 1954, Jack and Rachel Plating’s Lake Hollingsworth home underwent large-scale renovations in 2014.

One of the most unique features of Lakeland is the dispersed mid-century modern homes across town. Nestled in neighborhoods all around central Lakeland, beautiful ’50s and ’60s-style homes reflect the influential work of Frank Lloyd Wright from right across the lake. The large front-facing windows, straight lines, unique door frames, low ceilings, and long rectangular architecture classify many of the Lakeland mid-century homes around Lake Hollingsworth. 

One of the most beautiful and well-maintained retro homes in town belongs to the Plating family. Like buried treasure in a Hollingsworth neighborhood, the home of Jack and Rachel Plating was built in 1954. The previous owners had only painted some walls and added on to the living room; everything else was completed by the Platings. Much of the house remains completely original because of this. In 2014, upon moving in, Jack and Rachel began to make their new house a home with some large-scale renovations. 

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The eclectic, mid-century kitchen is surrounded with striking sky-blue kitchen cabinets that are originals from the ’50s.

“Every surface was either painted, sandblasted, wallpapered, de-wallpapered, or refinished,” says Rachel. The striking sky-blue kitchen cabinets are the originals from the ’50s, distinctly close together and in quirky rectangular shapes, just with a fresh coat of paint. Jack constructed a mid-century modern kitchen island for the room to tie the eclectic style together. The largest renovations completed in the home were in the master bathroom which was originally a pass-through; the back family room which was sandblasted down to the original bricks; and the spacious laundry area and studio office space which were just a storage room.

After the large renovations, and many smaller changes throughout the years, the home reflects a bohemian, mid-century modern, and colorful abode. Jack, Rachel, their four children, and labradoodle dwell in the eclectic home which is filled with curated art pieces and countless local artists’ work. Rachel explains the process as slow and steady, remarking that every story was collected somewhere along the way. The whole house breathes a story.

After walking through the bright, dazzling-blue mid-century door, the front foyer area greets every guest with plant life and a tropical leaf pattern on the walls. To the left is a guest room, which retains an original built-in from the ’50s. Local artisan Kelly Riley (June Taylor) refinished the built-in in a red shade which contrasts the beautiful velvet emerald curtains. The living room across the foyer feels like home by combining the ornate with the whimsical. There lies a collection of books, his-and-her chairs near the fireplace, and a giant monstera plant. The fireplace, and its entire wall with built-in shelving, is painted jet black. Every vintage piece, family photos, and pieces collected by the kids pop in contrast to the black. 

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The master bath features a black clawfoot tub altered by Jon Bucklew of Seventeen20, shelves made by Giving Tree Handmade, and walls painted by Rachel herself.

The master bedroom is painted a bright blue, and the walls are lined with artists’ work. Elizabeth Hults, Natalie Good, and Karis Medina’s unique pieces reside next to family photos and even some of Rachel’s paintings. “I’m more of a maximalist than a minimalist, and this room really shows that,” says Rachel. The eye-catching textile Jack curated from Istanbul lies across the bed and ties the whole colorful room together. The master bath, just through the door, features a black clawfoot tub that was altered with the help of Jon Bucklew of Seventeen20. The walls are lined with shelves made by local woodworker Giving Tree Handmade, and the walls are painted by Rachel. Over a two-year period, between pregnancies, she created an abstract, metallic mural on the walls of her favorite room to unwind. The glass-encased subway tile shower fills the back wall, thanks to the help of Complete Kitchen and Bath for executing the Platings’ bathroom dreams. 

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Positioned right above the bookshelf, The Circus was painted by Rachel’s best friend and is one of the largest paintings in the house.

The back of the house was originally a screened-in porch with a wet bar, but the Platings redid the entire area. On top of sandblasting the walls, they made a desk and workspace area for Rachel. The area houses school space for the kids, as well as a playroom space. The back part of the house is where the kids typically build large forts, and because of the massive windows overlooking the pool, the area is filled with light at all times of the day. The space also houses one of the largest paintings in the house by Rachel’s best friend, Karis Medina. The Circus is an ode to nostalgia representing beauty found in the mundane and simpler times, positioned right above a bookshelf full of picture books.

On the side wall is a massive yellow painting titled Paradise Ave. The piece, which features a blue Billie Holiday, rainbow baby, flamingos, and tropical foliage, inspired the color palette for the entire house. 

The dining room houses another built-in wall filled with vintage vases, pottery, and dining ware. Over the table, as a chandelier, are large antique glass bulbs. On the side wall is a massive yellow painting titled Paradise Ave. The piece, which features a blue Billie Holiday, rainbow baby, flamingos, and tropical foliage, inspired the color palette for the entire house. The whole house is furnished with plants from The Green House Garden Store, large retro rugs, and various gathered bits and pieces on every shelf. 

“Every surface was either painted, sandblasted, wallpapered, 
de-wallpapered, or refinished.”

One of the most incredible secrets to the house is right out the back door. The Platings built a tropical paradise outside the home. The previous owners left much of the back covered in concrete, but they broke it up to allow for some greenery. The garden changes seasonally, but there is everything from butterfly flowers to tropical plants to massive succulents. Complete with a cozy hammock, dining table, and outdoor couch seating, the backyard is hard to beat. Jack also recently built an outdoor playhouse for the kids. So between its rock wall and the mid-century pool area, it’s hard to want to come inside. 

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The Plating family has grown and changed constantly since moving in. Growing children, career shifts, and all sorts of transformation have happened inside the walls of their home. The neighborhood kids play together almost every day, and the whole street is beautiful and quiet yet central to everything. They can see the lake from the front of the house but are still tucked away from all the traffic. Family also just moved down the street, so now the kids can ride bikes over to see their grandparents. The Platings have lived in Lakeland together for the past 12 years, and because of the family-like community and dear friends they have so close by, they plan to continue calling it home for a very long time.