A contemporary apartment for a repeat international client, a couple with multiple homes across the world, who needed a full design service for their new Miami vacation home.
Assure was asked to design a “fabulous” serene apartment for a couple, their family, and occasional guests.
The apartment required rationalization of the floorplan as well as an upgraded lighting plan to suit the new layout, enhance the mood of the desired scheme and be adaptable to evening entertaining. In the Living Room the clients requested the lowering of the ceiling to create pockets for curtains to filter the strong Miami sunlight and to protect their growing contemporary art collection.
Having fallen in love with the spectacular views, the clients wanted the primary bedroom floor plan reconfigured to accommodate a king size bed facing the ocean. A bigger closet was to be carved out of the existing space to create a practical and luxurious primary suite.
The main guest bedroom floorplan also needed reimaging to comfortably accommodate a king size bed and further two bedrooms required well thought-out furnishing to accommodate the couple’s children.
The clients requested that Assure select a suitable edit of existing furniture pieces from a previous Florida property and art from their wider collection to fit into and enhance this new apartment.
Assure was commissioned to execute the full decoration of the property.
Assure, selected a neutral color palette in specially mixed shades of taupe, sand and light grey to create a sense of calm while fashioning a considered backdrop that gave the client’s art collection room to breathe. Subtle pops of color were injected via accessories, wallpapers and whimsical touches throughout the apartment.
Known for their use of natural materials, the studio introduced custom-made terrazzo flooring in the elevator vestibule and foyer. In the foyer, ash wood wall paneling as well as the chevron patterned wood floor used throughout the apartment were custom stained in an earthy hue suggesting the color of raw linen. This thoughtful color choice was specified to avoid unattractive yellowish wood floors which in the Miami sun get even yellower over time.
Most wallpapers throughout the apartment are linen wallcoverings which add warmth and discreet tactility. In the bathrooms and hallways wallcoverings imitate linen and raffia but are in fact vinyl adding stylish practicality and performance.
Due to the foyer’s unusual j- shaped layout, this space was challenging to decorate, and a rug was not an option. The terrazzo floor is striking and decorative enough to stand on its own without needing to be covered. On the bespoke hand cast resin and ash wood console from Apparatus Studio sits a vintage Murano glass table lamp sourced during a shopping trip to Spain and the art pieces including ‘Otherworldy Chewing Gum’ ink and varnish by Italian Gioele Amaro (above console) and ‘Peinture de Bruit 21 ‘colored resins on polycarbonate by French artist Guillaume Linard Osorio were bought by Assure for the clients at Art Basel/ Miami.
In the Living Room, Assure reupholstered existing Italian chairs from Minotti. A pair of custom-made coffee tables in free-flowing shapes break the geometry of the interior. In the same way two side tables, one round and the other oval, soften the angles of the walls. The custom rug references the ocean while echoing the color of the decorative pillows. The sculptural ‘Banquinho’ stool by Brazilian designer Claudia Moreira Salles adds a hint of warmth and natural tactility to the space. Lalique crystal pieces came from the clients’ existing collection and the vintage candle holders were bought in Spain. The painting above the sofa, “El Fin del Mundo” is by Roberta Lobeira,, a large format Mexican visual artist based in Madrid, whose work represents a magical cross between real life and the imagination. The bar in the living room is custom designed with fluted bottom cabinet doors and smoked mirror to reflect the outdoors. It discreetly incorporates two wine coolers.
Assure created a stylish dining space accommodating the clients’ desire to seat as many as 12 people at the table. The separation of the area was achieved with a dramatic circular rug and striking chandelier while maintaining the openness of the large room. The custom round silk and wool hand-knotted rug from Art + Loom adds interest, breaks up the space and allows for free flow across the room. The custom pedestal table with concrete base, brass detail and green glass and brass edge tabletop is surrounded by sculptural chairs by designer Jorge Zalsupin from Brazilian gallery Espasso upholstered in a performance suede which is practical in a dining area. The large light fixture balances the seven feet diameter table and at the same time feels very light so that it doesn’t visually block the room or the stunning views. Sculptural glazed ceramic vases by artist Christopher Russell were spotted at Todd Merrill studio during Design Miami.
The Family Room’s bespoke cabinetry designed by the studio was made by Assure’s workshops. In this hangout space the family wanted comfort and a specially sized textured boucle sectional sofa by Rodolfo Dordoni accommodates groups five or six comfortably for casual lounging. The Assure-designed custom stained wood cabinet houses the TV while hiding the audio equipment.
The existing kitchen was small with limited storage and is made more functional by adding supplemental bespoke cabinetry in the adjoining space. The tall storage cabinets against the wall hide china, barware etc. and extend the kitchen’s functionality providing additional storage. The kitchen lighting was redesigned from the original developer lighting to make for a better layout and to accommodate a hero pendant above the counter. Leather stools in a creamy bone shade are subtle with a certain elegance. The aesthetics of the kitchen is at the same level as the rest of the large room, making it disappear in the context of a sophisticated open plan space.
In the powder room the clients wanted glamour. The bespoke cantilevered stone vanity with surface mounted sink gains drama with a slab Arabesco stone. The same material was used on the back wall and floors. DeGournay’s ‘Deco Monkeys’ wallcovering inspired by a textile from the 1920’s adds unexpected humor and a jolt of color balanced by a graphic contemporary brass mirror.
Accessed through large glass doors the terrace wraps around most of the apartment. Designed for Florida outdoor living the Italian furniture is positioned to enjoy the spectacular views while the plain terrazzo floor is designed to be cooling in the Florida heat.