This Miami Beach Escape Mimics A Chic, Sophisticated Hotel

It was no surprise that Eden and Paul Dedrick reached out to designers Bella Mancini and Taryn Burns for help with their new Miami Beach residence. After all, they had worked together for six years. But the next part of the call was a little more unexpected: The toy industry executives had sold their company and were taking some time off, pre-pandemic, to travel. “Oh, by the way, we’re leaving,” Eden recalls saying. “We’re not coming back for 18 months, and you’re going to have to pretty much finish this without us.” So with that, the couple gave Mancini and Burns a blank canvas—and almost complete carte blanche to design it.

To kick things off, the Dedricks did have a look in mind: They desired a crash pad that was chic but low maintenance. “Eden wanted it to feel like a big fabulous hotel room that was super modern and a little different than their full-time residence,” says Mancini, who also worked on the couple’s residence in western New York. Before the clients left on their world tour, the group met in Miami for a whirlwind shopping trip. “We sat on a million pieces of furniture,” Mancini says. The rest of the project was completed long distance, with the designers emailing options or sending a sample abroad.

The apartment didn’t need major renovations, but the design duo still saw areas that could be improved—namely the kitchen. The previous owners had updated and opened up the galley kitchen, but its dark wood backsplash felt out of place, and the layout needed a little more functionality. Luckily for them, Mancini and Burns didn’t have to search far for help. “We were actually working on the apartment next door,” says general contractor Juan Carlos Romano. He replaced the backsplash with a textured black-and-white marble mosaic and added a white-oak-and-metal island—conceived by the designers and built by Romano—that doubles as a breakfast bar and storage unit. “The apartment isn’t large, so we wanted to make everything multipurpose,” Burns says.

Brimming with inspiration from a trip to Salone del Mobile, the designers approached the project with the idea of infusing a sexy, sophisticated vibe. They enhanced the apartment’s sleek architecture with gleaming brass lighting fixtures and graphic black-and-white elements, such as eye-catching terrazzo tables in the living area and on the balcony. They then balanced the slick elements with natural materials and textures: linen bedding, wool rugs and warm wood nightstands. “Taryn and I always want every space to have a bit of an earthy twist, no matter how modern it is,” Mancini says. Anchoring the living area, a pair of large leather-clad ottomans act as sofas, cleverly leaving the ocean views unobstructed. The gray-taupe ottomans also served as the foundation for the subdued color palette, which is accented with the occasional deep blue or rust tone. “We wanted the design to be light and neutral,” Burns says.

In keeping with the apartment’s hotel feel, the couple didn’t plan on entertaining, so in lieu of a formal dining setup the designers opted for a modest marble-topped table and two gray tweed chairs. “It’s a place where the owners can have cocktails and then go out to dinner or have coffee in the morning and go to the beach,” Mancini says. A focal point of the space is a large-scale work by Deborah Dancy, part of the condo’s art collection the designers curated, which includes works by Andrew Zimmerman and Lourdes Sanchez. Featuring fluid black lines, the Dancy piece echoes the nearby kitchen’s web-like light fixture. “We didn’t want the art to match the furniture, but we certainly wanted it to complement everything,” Burns says. “We kept some pieces black and white and added colorful modern pieces that allowed the white walls and floor to pop.”

Used in key areas, wallcoverings add their own splash of color. A hand-painted blue-and-white design makes a striking first impression in the elevator entry, and a windowless laundry area comes alive with a botanical print. It’s these kinds of unexpected details that elevate the getaway, creating the ideal Magic City escape for the owners. “The design encourages you to live in a more lovely way, which is how you want to feel when you’re in Miami,” Eden says. “Miami is a place to go and live pretty.”