SOUTH GROVE HOME

PROJECT:

A house for a dynamic professional mother and her two teenage children. The rather basic interior required creative upgrading to accommodate the design savvy owner’s busy social life while enhancing family time and adding functionality.

BRIEF:

The Assure team was commissioned to reimagine the property for stylish and practical living.

The client requested that existing small rooms be opened up to create a more spacious layout, making better use of the existing square footage. Delivering generous wall space was also key in order to display the client’s growing contemporary art collection.

Overall, the original rooms felt dark, and the lighting needed to be upgraded to include proper lighting schemes in spaces which mostly only had surface mounted fixtures. Throughout the property floors and surfaces needed to be upgraded to inject a feeling of lightness.

From a technical and lifestyle point of view, the house required audio visual facilities/ capabilities. Finally, the client requested additional kitchen storage, and more appealing cabinetry.

DESIGN:

Assure created a restful and neutral color palette deploying a considered use of hues ranging from blush pink in the living room to light taupe and complex variations of white in more private spaces.

Across the different rooms, natural materials, an Assure signature, include linen, cotton, warm leather and tactile wood. These are carefully balanced with iron as well as polished cement, lacquer and glass which achieve added sophistication and keep the house feeling modern.

The strong natural light streaming from the many windows was softened with window treatments in raw linen. The textured fabric adds depth while filtering the strong Florida sun, creating a more defused effect. From a technical angle, Assure designed a lighting plan to include recessed lights for general lighting as well as sourcing decorative lights for the dining area and the primary bedroom. In the primary bedroom, a gesso coated metal pendant centers the room while providing sculptural interest.

The client, a collector of contemporary art, brought an existing collection which was enhanced with new pieces sourced in partnership with Assure from both international and Florida artists to create a stimulating house that the family could enjoy in full.

Less visible but equally important, Assure added invisible speakers in the living /dining area, and surround sound speakers in the family/ kitchen area, as well as speakers in the covered terrace and primary bathroom. Security cameras monitor the exterior.

Being mindful of this specific project’s budget Assure worked with existing layout, floor materials, cabinetry and transformed as needed. In the Living/ Dining room Carola Pimentel and the Assure team created a welcoming entrance where no foyer existed while carving out a large space that felt open and flexible for entertaining. On the stairs and above the entrance console, art reflects the client’s taste and creates a statement on stepping through the front door.

Openness was achieved by removing the wall that originally separated the Dining and Living rooms. The oversized custom-made area rug makes the space appear bigger. An indoor /outdoor rug specified for performance can handle the constant foot traffic of an active young family with teenagers and a dog. This room is a social space with plenty of walls for the client’s art collection as well as comfortable seating mixed with important design pieces.

The glass-topped dining table surrounded by vintage Thonet chairs can accommodate up to ten people as needed on special occasions. It purposely doesn’t overwhelm in order to maintain the impression of lightness in the room.

In the Family room, the studio designed a bespoke extra generous bookcase for travel mementos, family photos and books as well as smaller works of art that personalize the space.

The design of the bookcase in natural oak adds warmth without darkening the mood or looking heavy. This specific design is a version adapted from one the studio created for the family’s previous house.

In the Kitchen the peninsula originally had two heights. Assure adapted the counter to one height which now accommodates three stools for informal meals. The quartz countertop and backsplash, under cabinet lighting and an added top layer of additional cabinets give the room increased functionality.

In the Primary bedroom, the generous layout includes a small seating area in front of the bed that gives the feeling of a comfortable hotel suite. Favorite art is hung throughout mixed with a textured wool rug, sleek leather bench, boucle unholstered swivel chairs and a suede custom bed part of Assure’s upholstery collection. A new oak wood floor replaces a previous dark-stained one making the space fresh and inviting.

The bespoke built in displays favorite ceramics and changing objects and is sometimes used as a home office.

Outside the terrace and garden extend the feel of the interior with stylish seating and an intimate dining area. The custom concrete terrazzo keeps things cool and outdoor furniture by the pool ca be moved around to follow the sun.

Assure delivered a home where family and guests feel welcomed, relaxed and not uptight. “The thing I like best about the house, says the client, is that it feels elegant but at the same time very liveable with plenty of space for my kids and I to enjoy our home. There is great flow between rooms especially now that Assure has opened it up and created something very special for us.” The perfect backdrop for South Florida life.