Miami Beach Penthouse

Miami Beach Penthouse Project Details

Originally designed when I was a co-owner of a two-person design firm in Boca Raton, Florida, this 4000 plus square foot penthouse was one of many vacation getaways from the owners' primary residence in Germany, and was visited two or three times each year. From the first meeting, I was the lead designer, sketching a conceptual idea for the front entryway: a pair of tall doors with side-by-side ornate letter G's as door pulls that represent their surname. This sealed the deal and we were awarded the job on the spot.

Bringing this idea inside the penthouse, I used their first name initials, M & L, on the owner's bedroom suite doors. All eight of these door pulls were custom hand crafted out of stainless steel from a local vendor I found. I oversaw the entire process from design to fabrication to installation. Throughout, I had to ensure that the hardware lined up on both sides of the door (not an easy task!) This first renovation successfully completed, the client hired me [solo] for their second renovation. 

The Second Renovation included the following:

• Tearing out all 4000 sq ft of existing floors throughout, to replace with new 36" square cream colored polished porcelain tile.
• Design & installation of an all new kitchen with coordination of new ventilation to the outside.
• Design & installation of owners Master Suite Bathroom.
• Installation of additional recessed lighting in the Kitchen, Dining Room, Hallway, and two Outdoor Terrace Areas.
• Installation of two new hot water heaters with increased capacity.

Not to mention the coordination of  mechanical and electrical engineers, storing all of the newly installed furnishings, engaging the same storage company to build over 20 custom wooden crates for storage of the client's original artwork collection including numerous renowned artists' work shipped from Germany.

Customizations and Special Touches

I designed and commissioned all of the custom millwork and cabinetry through-out the penthouse. All of the millwork was fabricated from a rare white bleached Anigre wood. They include the dining room table top, base, and table leaf inserts, as well as two matching floating shelves with drawers. Fabricated out of the same are the living room bar, master bathroom vanity, master bedroom walk-in closets, family room entertainment wall unit and coffee table. The private elevator entrance and the main entrance foyer [as you pass through the penthouse main doors,] are also wrapped [floor to ceiling] in the same rare white bleached Anigre wood. 

The dining room walls were hand-painted and stenciled in a rich eggplant purple color. Each stencil was sprinkled with a layer of custom colored black & eggplant glitter.

The custom light fixture fabricated from individual rods of hand blown Venetian glass were installed like complex pieces of a puzzle.

Another custom chandelier for the living room incorporated thousands of clear and white quartz beads all hand strung that hang from a canopy finish in a magical satin gold finish, depicting the definition of elegance.

Blueberry colored mohair fabric panels were used to cover the family room walls and the same mohair was used to design and fabricate a custom fifteen foot long queen sleeper sectional that sat 10. We used 150 yards in total!

The Master Suite

In the owners master suite (bathroom and closet cabinetry,) I used Swarovski Crystal hardware like pieces of jewelry and authentic 14-carat gold accent tile on one shower wall. The master bedroom nightstands and dresser were constructed from a maple hardwood finished in a sage green color and detailed with a Crocodile Glass drawer fronts and dressed with custom bronze drawer pulls that color matched the faux finish wall color.

Sheets of Capiz Shells cover one curved feature wall in the powder room while the rest were painted in authentic white Venetian plaster. Mimicked in the floor detail,  are similar mini accent shell tiles. Completing this gem of a powder room is a stunning vanity top fabricated from a piece of White Onyx, and a vessel sink encrusted with clear crystals.

To execute a penthouse project of this caliber requires thoughtful, precise, and fine detailing found in every wood and stone species, lighting fixture, fabric choices and window treatment, painted finishes, and rugs all culminating in the epitome of chic modern elegant living.