The owners of this Sunny Isles Beach condo always dreamed of having a vacation home on the coast for their international family. “After searching and looking at many apartments, we chose this one because it’s so large and has magnificent views,” says the wife, who primarily lives in Brazil with her husband.
Indeed, the condo’s size and location made it the ideal gathering spot for the couple, their two sons and their many grandchildren who live in Brazil, Canada and the U.S., but the interior layout left much to be desired. “The apartment was ugly and outdated,” the wife recalls. “It needed a major overhaul.” To remedy the situation, the homeowners turned to Laila Colvin and Rafaela Simoes, the Brazilian design duo behind Miami’s 2id Interiors. Over a 6-month time frame, Colvin and Simoes fluently translated the family’s varied design requests—fun and colorful, beachy and tropical, organic and earthy—in a stylish, cohesive way.
The spectacular Atlantic Ocean and Intracoastal Waterway views that first attracted the owners became a natural starting place for the new design. “On Sunny Isles, the water changes from green to blue to teal, and we wanted to embrace that,” says Simoes, who together with Colvin turned floor-to-ceiling windows into focal points of the decor. The glass panes and sliding doors are dressed in sheer white linens for unobstructed views, while artwork, textiles, tiling and accessories in blues and greens echo the ombré water vistas. A backdrop of soft white walls and crema marble flooring paired with wood accents and natural textures ensures the home feels cozy rather than cold.
However, Colvin and Simoes did much more than just dress the space. In the condo’s original layout, a formal dining room assumed a large central space with beautiful east and west views, and an office area sat off the kitchen—neither type of room encouraged relaxed family vacations. The designers devised a new floor plan better suited to their clients’ needs, converting the formal dining area into a welcoming family room and tucking a casual breakfast nook against a corner window. They also transformed the office into a family-friendly dining room that comfortably seats six. “We flipped the use of the layout, and they loved it,” Simoes says. “Now they have living and family rooms in the main area with the best views.”
Though the vistas outside certainly command attention, the scenery inside is no less striking. The living room’s colorful gallery wall grew around two small black-and-white photographs from the owners’ personal collection. Colvin and Simoes framed the special prints and centered them within an eclectic mix of found artwork. A heavy carved peroba coffee table adds an organic element to the room and is one of several signature Brazilian pieces showcased throughout the Sunny Isles Beach condo. Others include the twin Bruno Faucz chairs flanking the coffee table, as well as a large abstract artwork in the family room that was custom-painted by Miami-based Brazilian artist Margot Jannes.
Two taupe egg chairs sit atop a plush purple rug in a windowed corner just off the living room—an invitation to relax and enjoy unobstructed views. Directly behind is a lighted bookshelf the 2id Interiors team designed to hold the homeowners’ books and beloved accessories. The bookshelf connects to a new textured panel wall fabricated by KEJ Installation Furniture that runs along the living and dining rooms, adding visual interest in the condo’s public space and concealing doorways to more private areas.
Colvin and Simoes sourced furniture, textiles and other decorative items from showrooms in Brazil and from local shops in the Miami Design District. When they couldn’t find the perfect piece, they designed it themselves, such as a modern wall unit in the family room crafted from walnut and accented by white lacquer shelving. Larger items such as the sofas and dining chairs were shipped from Brazil, allowing the homeowners to test them first for comfort before committing.
The bedrooms reflect the clients’ differing personalities: one room’s shades of white, tan, green and blue feel effortlessly beachy, while another room’s ambience is a more literal interpretation of the request for an organic feel with khaki-hued leaf-patterned wallpaper and pops of green from the bed and accent rug. “Rafaela and Laila were able to decipher our personalities to create a vacation home that truly reflects our family,” the wife says. “The decor is cheerful and practical, and we love being together here.”
–Erin Marvin
