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Houzz Tour: Museum-Inspired Moments in a Beachfront High-Rise
A couple’s love of art guides these designers toward a warm neutral color palette and rich textures
When approaching how to finish this new condo in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, DKOR Interiors looked to museums for guidance. The homeowners, a couple originally from Colombia, love to collect art, and their paintings, sculptures and crystal pieces inspired the design. The unit was raw except for the kitchen and bathrooms, which already had high-end finishes provided by the developer. In addition to providing the furnishings, flooring, wallcoverings and paint, DKOR designed the lighting scheme and architectural elements, including millwork, built-ins and even new walls.
“After talking with our clients, our design concept was ‘treasures of life,’ ” interior designer Marianna Cerullo Di Bella says. “We were inspired by museums like the Louvre and how they place art. They may create a special niche, a crystal box or a newly plastered wall atop old concrete blocks or a stone wall to showcase art. We created similar little moments throughout this home.”
“After talking with our clients, our design concept was ‘treasures of life,’ ” interior designer Marianna Cerullo Di Bella says. “We were inspired by museums like the Louvre and how they place art. They may create a special niche, a crystal box or a newly plastered wall atop old concrete blocks or a stone wall to showcase art. We created similar little moments throughout this home.”
Look to the left to see the deconstructed telescope sculpture coming through the foyer wall into the TV den. The floating console on this side gives the illusion that it too continues from the foyer through the wall. “This console is for those functional needs, like when you’re on the sofa and need a spot to put your drink,” Cerullo Di Bella says.
The designers knew their client was an art collector and that he liked colorful pieces. “This meant toning down the colors in our design so that it wouldn’t compete,” Cerullo Di Bella says. It also meant searching for interesting textures to keep that background from falling flat. For example, the sofa is a nubuck suede, the flooring is honed marble and the TV wall is a combination of natural stone with wood built-ins. While the unit is contemporary, the idea was always to layer in comfort and coziness with texture and color.
Also seen in the foreground of this photo is one of two kitchen islands. “We had to pay attention to the materials the developers had chosen for the kitchen and made sure our choices worked with them,” Cerullo Di Bella says.
The designers knew their client was an art collector and that he liked colorful pieces. “This meant toning down the colors in our design so that it wouldn’t compete,” Cerullo Di Bella says. It also meant searching for interesting textures to keep that background from falling flat. For example, the sofa is a nubuck suede, the flooring is honed marble and the TV wall is a combination of natural stone with wood built-ins. While the unit is contemporary, the idea was always to layer in comfort and coziness with texture and color.
Also seen in the foreground of this photo is one of two kitchen islands. “We had to pay attention to the materials the developers had chosen for the kitchen and made sure our choices worked with them,” Cerullo Di Bella says.
The bright painting we saw in the previous photo will help you get oriented. The kitchen is in between the family room and the dining room. The kitchen has two islands — the one next to the TV den is a breakfast bar, and the one closer to the dining room is a work island. DKOR added the storage cabinets along the left wall, powder-coating them for a lacquered look. The bottom portion of each storage door has a reeded texture. The large wooden door with the leather-wrapped handle on the left leads to the primary suite.
“This chandelier was important — we wanted it to be something that wouldn’t disappear visually when it was turned off,” Cerullo Di Bella says. The sculptural fixture is made of opaque textured glass in the shape of petals.
The dining room table’s top is porcelain that looks like natural stone. “We wanted this to be beautiful and functional,” the designer says. “This looks very elegant but it’s also durable and easy to clean.” The chairs are two-tone leather — soft nubuck on the inside and a more durable polished leather on the outside.
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“This chandelier was important — we wanted it to be something that wouldn’t disappear visually when it was turned off,” Cerullo Di Bella says. The sculptural fixture is made of opaque textured glass in the shape of petals.
The dining room table’s top is porcelain that looks like natural stone. “We wanted this to be beautiful and functional,” the designer says. “This looks very elegant but it’s also durable and easy to clean.” The chairs are two-tone leather — soft nubuck on the inside and a more durable polished leather on the outside.
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On the left side of the kitchen, the designers created another museum moment. This one is a sculpture niche outlined in stone and lit from above. It provides a wonderful little moment of discovery.
You can also catch a glimpse of the previously mentioned reeded texture on the bottom portion of the storage door at left. This is a great example of how playing with texture, even in a small and subtle way, can add depth and interest.
You can also catch a glimpse of the previously mentioned reeded texture on the bottom portion of the storage door at left. This is a great example of how playing with texture, even in a small and subtle way, can add depth and interest.
The clients wanted to be able to close off the dining room from the kitchen, particularly during special Sabbath dinners. Creating this temporary wall was quite a feat. “First we had to make sure that a high-end mechanism for doing this existed,” Cerullo Di Bella says. “And the big challenge was that we had to create a door within the wall for access to the kitchen and the powder room.”
The wall is made of MDF panels powder-coated to match the storage wall doors. The last panel on the left is one of the kitchen storage doors. Pivoting hinges allow it to swing open for access through the wall. The other panels move along a track in the ceiling and, when not in use, tuck into a niche on the right side of the room. The temporary wall’s panels have the same reeded pattern along the bottom that the kitchen storage doors have.
The husband found the 3D artwork on the right for this space. “Throughout the design process, we’d show him renderings and let him know the approximate scale the art could be. Then he’d find art he liked for those places,” Cerullo Di Bella says. For this museum moment, the designers added a wallcovering with a subtle texture. “We were always thinking of museums,” Cerullo Di Bella says. “This kind of resembled an older building with less-than-perfect plaster walls. It’s a little rustic.”
The wall is made of MDF panels powder-coated to match the storage wall doors. The last panel on the left is one of the kitchen storage doors. Pivoting hinges allow it to swing open for access through the wall. The other panels move along a track in the ceiling and, when not in use, tuck into a niche on the right side of the room. The temporary wall’s panels have the same reeded pattern along the bottom that the kitchen storage doors have.
The husband found the 3D artwork on the right for this space. “Throughout the design process, we’d show him renderings and let him know the approximate scale the art could be. Then he’d find art he liked for those places,” Cerullo Di Bella says. For this museum moment, the designers added a wallcovering with a subtle texture. “We were always thinking of museums,” Cerullo Di Bella says. “This kind of resembled an older building with less-than-perfect plaster walls. It’s a little rustic.”
“The husband also likes to collect Scotch and loves to entertain. It was important to him to have a place to fix drinks and share them with friends,” Cerullo Di Bella says. So she designed this bar and placed it between the dining and living rooms. She measured the bottles and designed the shelves to accommodate their heights accordingly.
The shelves are natural stone and the back wall is bronze mirror. “The mirrors added some glam to the bar,” the designer says. LED lights tucked into recessed channels illuminate each shelf. The lower cabinets have pullout shelves to hold more bottles.
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The shelves are natural stone and the back wall is bronze mirror. “The mirrors added some glam to the bar,” the designer says. LED lights tucked into recessed channels illuminate each shelf. The lower cabinets have pullout shelves to hold more bottles.
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“I also designed the little seating area for two with drinking Scotch in mind,” Cerullo Di Bella says of the area at the back of this photo. “He can pour the drinks for himself and a friend, then sit, sip and enjoy in this spot.” A cluster of pendant lights makes the area more intimate.
With its glass doors closed, the bar has the look of a crystal box. “I used a nontransparent glass here so that you wouldn’t see all the bottles when the bar is closed,” Cerullo Di Bella says.
With its glass doors closed, the bar has the look of a crystal box. “I used a nontransparent glass here so that you wouldn’t see all the bottles when the bar is closed,” Cerullo Di Bella says.
“We placed the furniture in here to view the ocean, not the walls,” Cerullo Di Bella says. “We also took inspiration from sculpture and architecture with the furniture. For example, the coffee tables have round bases and metal tops.”
Browse sectional sofas in the Houzz Shop
Browse sectional sofas in the Houzz Shop
The designers planned this wall to show off art. On the left they planned a space for the homeowners’ large blue piece. On the right they provided built-ins for a collection of treasured artifacts and a few books. The stone continues along the wall to the right. By combining wood, wallcovering and stone, the designers created depth and interest through texture. On the left, a cognac-colored side table adds another warm color.
This niche combines two natural stones. The stone on the wall is Taj Mahal quartzite. The stone that forms the thick shelf along the floor is Cielo quartzite. “This has more blues in it that play off the art piece on the left,” Cerullo Di Bella says. The shelves are amber glass that plays off the wood veneer on the right. Integrated into the millwork, LED lights illuminate the artwork and wash down the beautifully veined stone on the wall.
Outside, this side of the balcony has a small outdoor kitchen with a grill, sink and wine cooler, a dining area and this comfortable extra-large lounger for two. “The wife loves to read and we wanted to give her comfortable places to do that,” Cerullo Di Bella says. “This lounge chair is all about her.”
The balcony is long and sleek. “To us it was important to make it feel cozy out here,” Cerullo Di Bella says. “We purposely chose bulky furniture and made different moments out here, like the sectional sofa lounge. We used robust furniture that had rope elements and was very comfortable. Having a place to enjoy the view was the most important thing.”
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“The apartment came with a bare powder room, and we wanted to make sure people experienced the concept and design while they were in the powder room,” Cerullo Di Bella says. To do that, she designed a long floating vanity made of Tempesta quartzite. The wall behind it is another textured stone, and the long mirror is backlit.
An artful trio of crystal pendant lights has a mobile-like presence in the room.
An artful trio of crystal pendant lights has a mobile-like presence in the room.
Just through the door to the primary suite, the designers created this little foyer space. It creates a feeling of separation and privacy from the more public spaces in the home.
They covered the wall in an oxidized bronze tile and added a floating console with outlets for chargers inside. The mirror has a sculptural feel. “We loved this mirror because it looks like a found object,” Cerullo Di Bella says.
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They covered the wall in an oxidized bronze tile and added a floating console with outlets for chargers inside. The mirror has a sculptural feel. “We loved this mirror because it looks like a found object,” Cerullo Di Bella says.
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To create interest and add texture in the bedroom, the designers concentrated on the headboard wall. The top is paneled in a bird’s-eye wood veneer and the bottom has a patterned wallcovering. The paneling protrudes off the wall, allowing lights along the bottom of it to wash down the wallcovering. Oversize pendant lights bring the crystal motif into the suite.
Across the room, a media wall combines bird’s-eye wood panels, darker wood and LED-lit display shelves.
“The double chair is another reading spot we created for the wife. Like some of the outdoor furniture, it also has rope textures in it,” Cerullo Di Bella says. These kinds of textures add subtly rustic touches to the home that make it feel warm and inviting rather than overly sleek.
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“The double chair is another reading spot we created for the wife. Like some of the outdoor furniture, it also has rope textures in it,” Cerullo Di Bella says. These kinds of textures add subtly rustic touches to the home that make it feel warm and inviting rather than overly sleek.
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with adult children
Location: Sunny Isles Beach, Florida
Size: 4,485 square feet (417 square meters); five bedrooms, 5½ bathrooms
Designers: DKOR Interiors
Keeping their concept in mind, the designers created a warm neutral color palette that lets the couple’s beloved treasures shine. Meanwhile, a rich mix of textures adds depth and coziness. The layout of the apartment was one long, open plan, starting here, with a view through the family room, kitchen and living room. “Our clients didn’t want a TV in the living room and wanted to create a cozy TV den that didn’t feel so open,” Cerullo Di Bella says. So the team added this wall to create a foyer on one side and close off the den on the other.
Cerullo Di Bella wanted the entry to set the tone for the home. “We knew we wanted this to be one of our museum moments,” she says. “Our client found the deconstructed brass telescope sculpture — the brass pieces hang from nylon threads inside.” Beneath it, a floating console anchors the wall. The client procured the large Baccarat crystal piece on the left side of the console. Crystal pieces are some of the treasures of life that pop up throughout the home. “And the sconces look like glass — and kind of like a slice of agate,” Cerullo Di Bella says.
They recessed a strip of wallpaper into the wall and lit it from the sides. “The strip of wallpaper was inspired by museums where there’s a plastered wall but you can see that concrete block where it has chipped away,” Cerullo Di Bella says. Gold flecks in the wallpaper play off the brass in the sculpture.
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