Soothing Minimalism Leads Way To Oceanic Views In This Miami Getaway
The living area’s sofa by Shelby Parker joins Four Hands’ Ravine accent tables, Radnor’s Molded lounge chair and Indo-’s Pilar coffee table on Art + Loom’s Dipped Edge rug. The Visual Comfort flush mount and wall sconce are from Icon Ltg.
Nearly 1,000 miles from South Florida, a couple in Puerto Rico had long admired designers Lisa Hynes and Heather Weisz’s work on Instagram. So when their social media feed serendipitously showed the American duo outfitting a nearby residence on the Caribbean island, they simply had to meet. The couple reached out and, after hitting it off, enlisted the pair to help with their new retreat in the States.
These followers-turned-clients—art collectors with two teenage sons—had recently purchased a pied-à-terre in Miami’s Design District for their sojourns to Art Basel. Their unit, on an upper level of a contemporary building with enamoring views of Biscayne Bay, was just a shell when the designers came on board—even the flooring was absent. The blank slate meant the pair had free reign to make early decisions that catered exactly to the owners’ needs. “They were looking for a space, now that their children are older, where they could appreciate more of the art and cultural offerings in the Design District, make quick visits and have a fun experience all together,” Hynes says.
Considering the area’s creative surroundings and the abode’s intended use as a getaway, the aesthetic they had in mind was a “family-friendly bachelor pad”: something easy, fun and relaxing. “We wanted it to be interesting and feel comfortable, a bit organic and lived in—not a typical dark, sleek, modern bachelor pad,” Weisz describes. Materials needed to be cozy yet durable, like the soft indoor-outdoor textiles and white oak flooring the duo selected. “The clients wanted a space they could enjoy and not worry about ruining anything, so all the materials are performance fabrics,” Weisz notes. “The floors are warm and inviting, and there’s nothing you can’t throw yourself down upon.”
Small tweaks helped the apartment feel more like a home and ensure functionality for every member of the family. In the kitchen, for instance, the designers added custom cabinetry to maintain an uncluttered look while allowing for more storage; in the adjoining dining area, a custom banquette doubles as a vantage point to watch television in the connecting living area, where a curvy, low-profile sectional is ideal for enjoying the sweeping view. For the bathrooms, they swapped out modern white vanities in favor of custom wood versions. “We wanted to bring in some softer materials—contemporary, clean lines but with an organic feel,” Weisz explains.
Other decisions were made to improve spatial arrangements. In the primary bedroom, a structural column ran up the right side of the headboard wall, impeding furniture placement. The pair responded by mirroring a second column on the opposite side, adding a fluted detail for interest and installing integrated floating nightstands, using the space wisely.
Knowing the owners’ growing art collection would adorn the residence, the duo kept most walls blank and maintained a largely neutral color palette through white- and cream-colored furnishings, wood elements and edgy touches of black. But for a concentrated accent, they turned to the sparkling bay below. “The owners wanted to keep the apartment fresh, airy, clean and minimal in order to play off the beautiful turquoise colors of the water,” Hynes explains.
Enhancing the scenery outside, calm, oceanic tones make deliberately subtle appearances throughout—in the weave of the exterior lounge chairs, the ombre of the living area coffee table and the watercolor-style pattern on the den wallcovering, a statement made upon entering the unit. “It’s almost like an extension of the incredible water view,” Weisz muses. “The blues felt like a neutral in this application.” And while the interiors’ intended vibe is soothing minimalism, there are still pops of whimsy, like the peach-hued inkblot pattern of the powder room wallcovering and the border of the living area rug, which echoes an ink stain. “There’s a nice tension between that and stark white,” Hynes observes. “The rug plays off the organic feel of the roughness of the waves breaking.”
This natural occurrence became an inspiring sight for the designers, who observed gentle manatees and boats drifting stories below the apartment’s sunrise and sunset balconies. “We wanted the family to feel a sense of calm and like they would never want to leave,” Hynes says. In this serene space, who would?