A Contemporary Residence Marries Contrasting Elements

Details

contemporary exterior and pool

Its Mediterranean-inspired facade transformed, a Hallandale Beach home boasts a clean-lined look.

contemporary brown foyer ipe-wood door...

A custom ipe-wood door by Mastercraft Wood & Hardware marks a bold foyer in a Hallandale Beach home by 2id Interiors. Robert Carpentry used dark walnut for the ceiling, wall panels and louvers. Vibia's Link ceiling lights from The Lighting Studio are displayed overhead, and ceramic tile flooring from Italgres runs throughout the home.

contemporary living room three-dimensional walnut...

The living room's three-dimensional walnut accent wall hides a door to a powder room. Vibia's Wireflow pendants from The Lighting Studio hover above Artefacto armchairs and coffee tables, a Nube Italia sofa and Ditre Italia ottomans from Anima Domus, and a custom cowhide chaise. Phabrica constructed the linen draperies, and Custom Couture Rugs made the silk-and-wool rug. The ceramic flooring reappears above the walnut wall, reaching the ceiling.

contemporary bedroom office area desk

The designers brought stylish efficiency to the master bedroom with a Pianca shelf and desk, both from Anima Domus. The shelf holds keepsakes, while the desk welcomes a Holly Hunt chair in black leather and metal.

contemporary living room white sofa...

Edging the living room, the stairway's walnut treads and risers are visible through the Starphire glass railings, both created by Bella Stairs. Artwork by Juliana Sicoli is displayed behind the sofa

contemporary kitchen neutral palette porcelain...

Neolith porcelain tile covers the countertops, backsplash and island in the kitchen. A Hansgrohe faucet and Blanco sink from Faucet Direct add versatility to the island; the sink and Franz Viegener faucet beneath the Ornare cabinets are from Farrey's Lighting + Bath. The Sub-Zero appliances and Wolf range hood and cooktop are from Bell's Appliances. Michael Dawkins Home pendants and Artefacto chairs complete the look.

contemporary dining area metal base...

Textured-leather Artefacto chairs with a metal base surround a glass-topped table in the breakfast area. Linen draperies by Phabrica soften the space.

contemporary outdoor sitting area by...

A 25-foot-tall vertical garden by landscape designer Marcio Ferreira of Giardino makes a statement on the patio, where a trio of tables from Addison House are situated between a pair of Artefacto outdoor sofas. The space connects to the living room via sliding doors that open fully as well as the Italgres flooring that flows between inside and outside.

contemporary bedroom white and brown

Warm neutral tones pervade the master bedroom, where wood paneling by Anamar Cabinets and Seabrook linen cover the walls. Atop a custom J.D. Staron rug, a Maxalto armchair and a round drum table from 4141 Design form a seating area at the foot of the custom bed. Vibia's Swing wall lamp, affixed above a Pianca end table from Anima Domus, and Morosini's overhead Fog pendant are from The Lighting Studio.

contemporary bathroom white freestanding tub...

In the master bathroom, five book-matched slabs of Onyx Avorio marble from Marble of the World and wenge-wood panels from Anamar Cabinets surround the freestanding MTI tub, the towel rack and the Grohe tub filler, all from Farrey's Lighting + Bath.

contemporary bathroom brown accents

More Onyx Avorio marble from Marble of the World reappears on the countertop of the master bathroom's makeup vanity. A Grohe faucet is mounted to a custom mirror by Electric Mirror, both from Farrey's Lighting + Bath. To the right, the custom shower doors are made of smoked glass trimmed in dark bronze.

Buying or building a house can be one of life’s most stressful events. Purchasing a half-built residence, then, would seem an ideal solution. It was for a young couple who acquired a home in Hallandale Beach, Florida, with a Mediterranean-style exterior and a partially constructed interior that was ready for anything.

Designers Rafaela Simoes, Laila Colvin and Kathy Saldana were enlisted to transform the property. Their efforts yielded a sleek showcase of clean lines and contemporary furnishings that reveals little evidence of the home’s Mediterranean beginnings.

Devising a chic, updated plan to suit the residents’ taste and lifestyle wasn’t without its challenges. Initially, the design trio assumed the structure’s facade would inspire their ideas. But after getting well-acquainted with their clients, they quickly discarded any adherence to barrel tiles, columns and arches. “We realized they liked very modern styles,” Simoes recounts about their 180-degree creative pivot, which affected the home’s exterior as well.

To achieve a much-needed blank canvas, the designers worked with general contractor Gilles Bouchacourt on revising the residence’s interior architecture. Arches and window casings, baseboards, trim and molding were all eliminated, while floating walls and recessed lighting were incorporated among the newly spare spaces. “After that, we were free to do what we wanted,” Simoes says.

That autonomy entailed a bit of mediating, however. The husband, who led the decision-making for his family’s dream home, “wanted it to be very masculine,” Simoes recalls, “but because the house is on the water, we didn’t want it to feel too heavy.” To meet that goal, the team made sure to take the wife’s differing taste into account, which meant spaces would also include feminine accents.

Achieving balance between opposing forces motivated a design concept of contrasting elements that was implemented throughout the home and continued outdoors. From room to room, hard surfaces like pale ceramic flooring and chocolate brown wood accents are softened by lush upholstery and dramatic swaths of linen draperies, imparting a pleasing sense of continuity. Graceful touches appear via furnishings that are weighty yet elegant–such as the living room’s leather-and-metal armchairs and metal-and-mirrored coffee table–and from airy lighting, like the fixture hovering over the dining room’s substantial table.

The disparate features are displayed to dramatic effect in the living room. There, the designers conceived an intricate accent wall composed of walnut and constructed by Robeisy Martinez of Robert Carpentry. Consisting of multiple individual pieces randomly arranged, the 10½-foot-tall focal point is stunning–and provides a couple solutions: “We wanted to increase the width of the room,” Simoes explains, so the piece reaches halfway up the wall while the sides are extended, drawing the eye out. It also cleverly conceals the door to a powder room.

Visible from the living room, the patio holds another high-contrast moment. There, a vertical garden by landscape designer Marcio Ferreira of Giardino shows off evergreen perennials, ground orchids, ferns and other species, lending a verdant accent to the home’s neutral palette. “We tried to do a unique feature for every room in the residence,” Colvin says. Walnut repeats as a focal point on the paneled walls and ceilings of the foyer and the dining room. And in the master bathroom, a gorgeous book-matched onyx wall presides over the freestanding tub like artwork. “I think it’s the most beautiful area of the house,” Saldana says. “It’s every woman’s dream to have this bathroom.”

The master bedroom is no exception to the dark-and-light scheme although more emphasis is placed on the light: The upholstered bed, a pair of leather chairs, an area rug and the ceramic tile are all shades of ivory. A highlight in this room is the recessed niche in the espresso-stained oak wall that contains an LED-lit art panel. “An organic photograph can help prevent a modern design from feeling too cold,” Simoes says.

During a two-year period, the team took careful steps to get everything just right for the house, down to the last selection. “The materials are very unique,” Bouchacourt says. For instance, they sourced ipe wood from Bolivia for elements like the front door, garage doors, balcony accents and patio ceilings. “It took six months to get some of the pieces because of their size,” the general contractor says, noting the wood needed to wrap 24-foot-long balconies. “They had to find the right trees.”

Transforming the home’s style inside and out brought its share of surprises for the designers and, especially, the owners: Midway through the process, the couple learned they were expecting a second child. A guest room, formerly planned in gray and navy, was ultimately converted to a warm, soft-pink nursery for the little girl. A generous timetable and creative agility eased the often-arduous process of making a dream home, Colvin says. “We had freedom to create, and we had the time to do it perfectly,” she says. “That made a difference, and it makes this house very special.”