A stunning resort on an island that once was the hideaway of notorious pirate Black Sam Bellamy has come on the market for $50 million, perfect for an upscale commercial hospitality operation or a sprawling and elite family compound.

Known today as Black’s Island, the seven-acre property, ringed with white sand beaches, sits just miles off the coast of the Florida panhandle. Accessible only by boat, seaplane, or helicopter, the island is a secluded escape. It is occupied by a four-star resort including 26 recently remodeled waterfront bungalows, each with two or three bedrooms, a spacious kitchen, living room, dining room, and laundry room. The round bungalows sport balconies allowing visitors to take in 360-degree views of the palm-dotted island, the luminous waves, and vibrant sunrises and sunsets.

Beyond the individual accommodations, the resort includes everything guests need for a relaxed and luxurious getaway. A four-story clubhouse includes a bar, dining areas, game room, and lounge. Outdoors, guests can enjoy the playing some cornhole in the game area, picnicking on the spacious green lawn, floating in the 40-fott-by-16-foot pool, or relaxing on the surrounding sundecks, in the dappled shade of the palm trees. Kayaking, paddle-boarding, beach volleyball, and a water trampoline all add to the fun.

The island was once the territory of famous and feared pirate Samuel Bellamy, known as Black Sam. The richest pirate in recorded history, Black Sam was often seen as a Robin Hood figure, stealing from rich shipowners and sharing the booty with his fiercely loyal crew of some 200 men, all of whom had a vote in how the ship was run. Bellamy commanded a flotilla, including the Whydah, a former slave ship captured by the pirates after its first two voyages. After only a few months as a pirate ship the vessel went down in a storm off Cape Cod in 1717, taking its notorious captain and most of the crew with it.

Today, the island that was once a pirate’s refuge can be your escape as well. For more details and photos, visit the original listing at Jon Kohler & Associates.

Photographs courtesy of toptenrealestatedeals.com.

When a puffball cloud hovers above the terracotta roof, with a blue sky above and a luxuriously tranquil swimming pool below, a sun-starved Northerner knows she has found her slice of heaven on earth.

Everything is a sensory experience at Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, a Forbes Five-Star property located on the barrier island of Manalapan, Florida. From entering the resort, where guests are enfolded in dreamy interiors and fragrant fresh flowers, to the spa, where an expert massage therapist’s hands knead away post-flight stress, we are encouraged to revel in a decadent “self-centered” stay. Eventually thoughts center on dinner to come: perhaps a plate of expertly prepared local fish and fresh greens, served with a glass of good, cold white wine.

From the start, your only task at Eau Palm Beach is to drop your bags, clear your mind, and start building fresh, happy memories. Service is abundant, skilled, and delivered in a warm, welcoming manner.

It’s no wonder that many of Eau Palm Beach’s guests return year after year. A group of young women in the spa, wrapped in white robes and sipping champagne, were there for a bridal party. A mother and daughter had traveled from New Jersey to relax and catch up, as they do every year.

We’re all here to rejuvenate and refresh; but the way to that special state of well-being is very individual.

At Eau Palm Beach, with tennis courts, a gym (with chef-made cupcakes!) and equipment for paddleboarding, surfing, and snorkeling – plus two large 86-degree swimming pools – visitors can be as active as they choose.

Quieter pursuits are a joy: admiring the color-splashed flower gardens, gazing at a formation of pelicans overhead, relaxing with a book in your Jonathan Adler-designed suite (the fabrics are exquisite), or simply lounging in an oceanfront cabana to watch the waves.

Guests seeking a truly personalized experience may visit the Eau Club, on the fourth floor, accessible by special arrangement.

Eau Spa – measuring 42,000 square feet and one of just 51 Forbes Five-Star spas in the country – is a destination in itself for many guests, with enough treatments and experiences to return again and again. In the women’s spa, water is the center of the experience, with a sauna, a whirlpool bath surrounded by heated stone loungers, and a steam room with personalized body polishes. (Men have their own spa.)

The women’s spa is anchored by a palm-lined courtyard, with pools, fountains, and the soothing soft sounds of lapping water. It is best experienced at leisure, perhaps with a glass of champagne, offered upon arrival at the spa, or a bite of food from Savor, the spa’s cafe.  

Spa treatments begin with a personalizing session: You choose your scent, color, and music, depending on your mood. Beyond spa treatments are places to embrace the moment, including a delightful pool with swing chairs that let your feet move lazily through a shallow pool.

Eau Palm Beach is large enough to accommodate singles, couples, and families in their own environments. Children have their own pool at the Teens & Kids Club. Now and then, a guest is walking the halls with a dog in arms, obviously a bone fide family member; dogs are welcome here with no additional charge. (Eau Palm Beach supports the nearby Big Dog Ranch Rescue, as well as Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Jupiter.)

If the inward traveler urges you to see a bit more of the Palm Beach area, plentiful cultural and culinary adventures await you, all within a 30-minute drive from Eau Palm Beach. The Henry Morrison Flagler Museum stands as an opulent gesture to the Gilded Age, a 75-room mansion called Whitehall, which – along with Flager’s extension of the railroad to Palm Beach – ushered in Palm Beach as a winter getaway for high society in the early 1900s. If you’re hungry, you’re in luck. Shortly down Cocoanut Row is Café Boulud, a haven of fine French food in plush, art-filled surroundings.

Shoulder-to-shoulder with Palm Beach Island is The Palm Beaches, a collection of communities that shine in their own way with museums, gardens, and good food. The Norton Museum in West Palm Beach offers a collection of beautifully curated art, including an outdoor sculpture garden. Also in West Palm Beach is Mounts Botanical Garden of Palm Beach County, a hidden gem with 25 display gardens and more than 7,000 species of tropical and subtropical plants.

Back at Eau Palm Beach, it’s almost time for dinner, and we mull the menus from six unique restaurants, each with excellent food and always-attentive service. At your dinner table, the pristine attention to detail may relax you as much as did your spa visit. Eau Palm Beach staff are plentiful and always helpful, kind, and filled with good suggestions. All you have to do is ask. As an Eau Palm Beach staff member said, “It really is all about you.”

eaupalmbeach.com

We’ve rounded up the latest in oceanfront residences and resorts.

HAVN Residences & Yacht Club, Palm Beach Shores, Florida

HAVN Residences & Yacht Club is a collection of five, three-story revitalized waterfront buildings set along the Intracoastal Waterway in Palm Beach Shores. Comprised of 36 residences, HAVN offers two- and three-bedroom floor plans ranging from 1,823 to 2,662 square feet. Each unit will be finished by interior design firm Shim Projects. Residents will have access to a 52-slip marina managed by F3 Marina, swimming pool, hot tub, fire pit, and fitness center. Pricing starts at $2 million with anticipated deliveries beginning mid-2024. havnresidences.com

The Strand, Turks & Caicos, Caribbean

The Strand, a private residential community located on Cooper Jack Bay, Turks & Caicos, recently introduced a new home design, the four-bedroom signature residences. Starting at $6.5 million, the signature residences include four single-family homes with four bedrooms, a fifth flex space, bonus office, courtyard with an outdoor kitchen, and terrace overlooking a private infinity pool. Additional homes are available at The Strand, ranging from two to six bedrooms, including two-bedroom villas starting at $2.525 million, three-bedroom villas starting at $3.3 million, and grand residences starting at $10.5 million. The Strand is on track for a fall 2024 debut. thestrandtci.com

Baccarat Residences, Miami, Florida

The Baccarat Residences is the brand’s first collection of residences to the Miami market developed by Related Group and GTIS Partners with interior design by Meyer Davis and Architecture by Arquitectonica. Part of SH Hotels & Resorts. Located in Brickell, the property will have 324 flow-through residences, eight penthouses, and twenty-eight waterfront flats. Residents will enjoy over 75,000 square feet of five-star amenities throughout five levels of the 75-story tower, including exquisitely appointed social spaces, a fitness center, La Mer spa facilities, and a private marina. Prices run from $3.425 to $21.7 million. The expected completion of the property, part of SH Hotels & Resorts, is 2028. baccaratresidencesmiami.com

The Abaco Club, Great Abaco Island, Bahamas

The Abaco Club, situated on Winding Bay, is adding The Cays, a new beachfront neighborhood consisting of 36 villa residences. Developed and managed by Southworth, the private Bahamian club’s master plan expansion also includes the Winding Bay Beach Club, which-will offer a resort-style infinity-edge pool, beach bar, and retail outlets, the renovation of existing dining venues, and the multi-phase development of an enhanced amenity corridor. 

Members of The Abaco Club enjoy annual events including wellness retreats, golf and fishing tournaments, and culinary celebrations like the Lobsterfest Food & Wine Festival, while families can partake in extensive kids programming such as “mini members” councils, themed parties and sports activations. The club’s ongoing expansion exemplifies Southworth’s “programming first” mentality, prioritizing extraordinary experiences to foster a genuine community and ultimately reimagine the private club experience. 

Phase one of The Cays will open this year; home prices range from $3.5 to $12 million. theabacoclub.com

St. Regis Cap Cana, Dominican Republic

Located on the Punta Espada Golf Course, the Residences at the St. Regis Cap Cana, the first and only five-star branded real estate offering in Cap Cana, is set to be complete this year. The property will include 70 luxury residences, with a collection of eight penthouses. The Astor collection, some of the most expensive homes in the history of the Dominican Republic, includes the Astor Penthouse, the Caribbean Penthouse, and six Astor Penthouse Residences. These Astor units, all three- to seven-bedroom homes, range in price from $7.6 to $25 million. srresidencescapcana.com

Using nature as her guide, designer Monica Slodarz created interiors for a waterfront condo in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that drink in the views, breathe in the gentle ocean breezes, and reflect the blue-hued beauty of the softly lapping ocean waves.

The condo, for a family with three young and vivacious children, is meant to be a lively yet tranquil retreat as well as a repository for a substantial collection of colorful and edgy contemporary art. To give the art top billing, Slodarz, the principal of Miami-based The Art of Design, created a neutral backdrop that showcases the works as if they are on display in an avant-garde gallery.

“Our sources of inspiration were deeply rooted in the coastal surroundings and the desire to create a haven of serenity and understated luxury,” Slodarz says. “The fluidity of the ocean influenced the use of organic shapes and textures in the home, such as the gently curved furniture, seashell-inspired décor, and driftwood accents.”

The subtle color palette—whites, creams, and soft greys—was selected to amplify and reflect the natural light, making the scenery center stage.

“In a beachfront setting, where sunlight is abundant, these colors make the interior spaces feel brighter, more welcoming, and reduce the need for artificial light during daylight hours,” she says. “The palette also creates a sense of openness that complements the wide, unobstructed vistas of the sea and sky.”

She adds that the “interior becomes a canvas that accentuates, rather than competes with, the outdoor views.”

Those views led Slodarz to overlay a palette of soft blues, sandy neutrals, and hints of seafoam green to the spaces. “The azure waters and the rhythm of the waves served as a constant muse,” she says. “The palette reflects and complements the beauty of the surroundings.”

The materials, too, were selected to accentuate the indoor-outdoor flow of the spaces, creating what Slodarz calls the look and feel of “timeless elegance.” She used a variety of natural materials, including stone, to bring pattern, texture and a sense of luxurious ease to the spaces. The floors, cabinetry, and furniture are made of warm-toned woods, including oak and teak; the draperies, upholstery, and bedding are linen and cotton; and wicker and rattan pieces add a touch of coastal charm.  

The organic nature of the décor is aptly illustrated in the main living space, where a wall of windows highlights a curvaceous sofa whose bulbous white boucle upholstery is as luscious as a marshmallow. Its sultry shape is echoed in the circular coffee table, whose wedged pie-like leaves are clad in natural rattan, another nod to nature. The opposite wall is dominated by two large artworks that bring pops of color to the serene setting.

In the dining room, the curves continue. The dining table, topped by a slab of white marble that matches that of the adjoining kitchen island, is circular. The chairs, upholstered in the same white boucle as the living room sofa, have back rests that look like soft clouds of cotton. The scene is illuminated by a Calder-style mobile pendant, a dynamic piece that sways slightly to catch the eye.

The kitchen, elegant and efficient, is a study in white that’s punctuated by subtle accents of black in the sleek bar stools and the veins of the marble.

The most challenging part of the project, Slodarz says, was “finding the right balance between providing privacy, blocking the view of an old building next door to the south of the apartment, and maximizing the natural light coming from the exterior wall that was all glass. This required thoughtful spatial planning, the strategic placement of custom built-in furniture, and the use of innovative shading solutions that could be adjusted according to the time of day and privacy requirements.”

For a family of four from Manhattan, the lure of true indoor-outdoor living proved too much to resist during the pandemic, and they found exactly that lifestyle in Palm Beach, Florida, in a beautiful home located just steps from the ocean.

“They literally are across the street from the beach,” says Jennifer Mehditash, principal and owner of the New York- and Newport Beach, California-based Mehditash Design.

The house presented some initial challenges in the form of its layout, with features like a too-large entryway with lots of unusable space and a small living room that was cut off from the kitchen. So the clients tapped Mehditash, along with Jupiter, Florida-based architecture and construction firm Thomas Melhorn and Palm Beach-based landscape architect Environment Design Group, to reimagine the home inside and out. 

Clever transformations

The team transformed the front entryway and stairwell from a space that was “sort of empty and not very welcoming” into one that not only made an architectural statement with the reconfigured stairs, but also added storage and functionality with vestibule-style laundry room and powder room and did so with incredible style.

Mehditash loves the powder room’s geometric, black, white, and gray tiles that cover the floor and the bottom half of the walls, as well as the “surprise” of custom glitter grout. Those same black-and-white geometric materials repeat in the family room on the coffee table and the marble sideboard that was custom made in Portugal.

Throughout the downstairs Venetian plaster on the walls gives a beautiful, textured finish. A too-small TV and fireplace wall and oddly configured entryway from the living room to the main bedroom were reworked by creating vestibules on either side of the TV and fireplace that are camouflaged with wide, shiplap-planked doors.

When the doors are closed, it gives the feeling of a single, wide wall, but each door opens to something different: the main bedroom on one side with a more private entrance, and a pretty, “jewel box” home office on the other.

Maximize Space 

In addition to maximizing space in the entryway and living room, the team also opened up the space between the kitchen and living room areas, allowing for a customized kitchen island and bar area, as well as a custom built-in banquette wall dining space.

The kitchen is bright and clean, with a large, custom walnut and marble island and cabinetry that extends to the ceiling, along with pops of interest from large gold-accented globe pendants hanging over the island; a coffee bar in a black metal finish; bursts of color from vintage Murano glass pieces; and a zinc table that’s not only beautiful but sturdy, letting the family’s kids “live their best life on it,” Mehditash says.

Throughout the house, more color and visual interest come from pieces from artists like James Perkins, Sarah Meyohas, Paul Kneale, and Rachel Lee Hovnanian from Voltz Clarke Gallery in New York and County Gallery in Palm Beach.

Indoor-outdoor living 

Part of Palm Beach’s appeal is its indoor-outdoor lifestyle, and the team wanted to create those moments wherever they could throughout the house. “We really wanted there to be that indoor-outdoor living experience,” Mehditash says.

In addition to enlarging the pool and making improvements to the outdoor lounge and loggia dining space, the team used large, windowed doors from the company Brombal that swing wide open onto the pool from the living room, kitchen, and main bedroom and that Mehditash calls a “key feature.”

“The most important thing was opening up the windows and having those windows be stackable,” Mehditash says. “All those back sliding doors open up and stack and so you really do feel like you’re in the outside when you’re in the living room.”

Those touches of the outdoors are echoed in other ways, too, from the natural, cool-toned European oak flooring; to the main bathroom’s rainfall shower; to wallpaper in the bedrooms (think green palm fronds and blue-and-white wave pattern); to the surfboards that not only stand in as décor but that the family really uses; to the performance fabrics that won’t be ruined if someone sits down with a damp bathing suit. “It’s definitely a put-your-feet-up kind of house, while still looking very chic and elevated,” Mehditash says.

Miami-based developer Riviera Horizons and Italian Hypercar brand Pagani have announced the world’s first Pagani Residences, a boutique luxury residential building with interiors designed by Pagani Arte. The property is set to launch in Miami’s North Bay Village this spring, with completion slated in 2027. Fortune Development Sales will lead sales and marketing for Miami’s first-ever Hypercar branded building. Pagani Automobili is a luxury brand renowned for its exquisite quality, unique engineering, and tailor-made handcrafted Hypercars, which stand among the most desired in the world. 

“Pagani Residences represent an exciting blend of Pagani’s bespoke design approach with the finest materials, and the vibrant allure of Miami’s beauty and dynamic energy. This innovative fusion embodies the distinctive essence that defines Pagani,” said Horacio Pagani, founder and CEO of Pagani Automobili. “Our aspiration is for residence owners to evoke the same exhilaration and excitement that our auto enthusiasts and owners experience every time they get behind the wheel of their Pagani Hypercar.” 

Designed by Miami’s renowned architecture firm Revuelta Architecture International, with interiors curated by Pagani Arte, the newly established Made in Italy interior design division was born from the founder of Pagani Automobili. 

The 28-story, amenity-rich property will feature a 240-foot waterfront boardwalk, private boat slips, and entertainment spaces for 70, all-corner residences. The spacious, two-to-four-bedroom homes range from 2,000 to over 3,300 square feet with expansive outdoor terrace spaces ranging from over 800 to 1,040 square feet, with only four residences per floor, making privacy paramount. Penthouses span from 6,900 square feet with up to 4,400 square feet of outdoor living. Pagani Residences interiors are inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s principles of art and science and aim to create residences that thoughtfully combine a refined aesthetic with cutting-edge technology, a testimony to the artistry created by Pagani Arte. 

“Pagani Residences in Miami are set to redefine the art of handcrafted living, presenting a curated experience that effortlessly extends the essence of Pagani—an embodiment of obsession with detail, refined taste, and a level of craftsmanship that is truly rare in today’s world,” remarked the project’s developer, Mikael Hamaoui, founder and CEO of Riviera Horizons. 

Each home will be entirely customized and fully finished with 11-foot ceilings in all residences with waterfront-facing outdoor spaces and 13-foot ceilings in the penthouses with private pools. Owners will enjoy 24/7 concierge service to anticipate every need. 

Pagani Residences will include an exquisite collection of amenities. On the ground floor residents’ amenities include valet parking and porte-cochère, a pet spa, bicycle, paddleboard and kayak storage, 24/7 security, private garages available for purchase and preferred parking. 

To take maximum benefit of the stunning peninsula location surrounded by waterfront views, a private residents lounge is ensconced on level eight along with a library, and media room. A collection of wellness amenities awaits residents on level 27 with a state-of-the-art fitness center, advanced cardio training, dedicated Pilates and yoga studios, spa with stunning views of Biscayne Bay, sauna and steam rooms, and private treatment rooms as well as a restorative wellness lounge. 

A rooftop pool and sky lounge on level 28 await owners along with stunning 360-degree views of the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, poolside cabanas and hot and cold plunges. Fully appointed summer kitchens with chef’s grills complete the package for alfresco, poolside dining. 

“Miami continues to stand as a pinnacle global living destination, drawing buyers from every corner of the world. Pagani Residences, situated against the stunning Biscayne waterfront, will unveil a distinctive harmony between Pagani’s renowned attention to every handcrafted detail as well as the prime positioning of the North Bay Village location,” remarked Edgardo Defortuna, president and CEO of Fortune International Group. 

Situated in Miami’s three-island city of North Bay Village, on Harbor Island, an enclave of tranquility with some of Miami’s most astounding views, Pagani Residences are set in the epicenter of art, culture and lifestyle with a short distance to Miami International and the private airports, shopping, golfing and social clubs as well as Miami Beach, Fisher Island, Bal Harbour, and Miami Design District. 

Pagani Residences are priced starting at $2.4 million.

paganiresidences.com

Tara Cain’s clients so enjoyed their three-month winter escape to Naples, Florida, that by the time they headed back to their Minnesota home on Lake Minnetonka, they had a contract for a 2,600-square-foot condo overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. Construction began within months, and by Christmas the couple, who have two twenty-something kids, were again soaking in the sun. “We touched every space to make it feel more elevated,” Cain says.

The designer encouraged the couple to fashion the getaway in a style different from their traditional Twin Cities home. The condo is open and airy with a coastal vibe and ocean views at every turn. “It feels more SoCal than Florida,” Cain says. “The spaces are neutral, textural, airy, and layered with natural materials and finishes.”

Entry is into a tiny space that Cain defined with a trio of Allied Maker grooved wooden flush-mount light fixtures that have presence overhead. White oak flooring installed in a herringbone pattern spreads underfoot throughout, for a sophisticated but not formal or fussy look. The walls are painted Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace, making the entire space bright, white, and light.

Although the team removed the wall between the kitchen and living area to create a unified great room, there is a 32-inch-wide portion that provides some separation between the entry and the main event. As such, rather than declaring its presence full force up front, the ocean view is partially obscured, resulting in a more gradual unfolding. That small slice of the bright-blue view pulls you in. “You naturally gravitate toward the windows and sliders to the lanai,” Cain explains.

The wall, which Cain paneled along with other walls for a cohesive, elevated effect, presents the first opportunity for artwork: a whitewashed pine sculpture by Caprice Pierucci. The elongated, three-dimensional, lacy twist of wood has the look of a vertebra that might have washed up on the beach. “As you walk around it, you see different shapes and shadows depending on where you stand and the time of day,” says Kathy Ganley, who leads the Midwest office of Mason Lane Art Advisory.

A comfy sectional in chalk-colored performance fabric sits atop a Stark rug made from natural fibers, hugging a pair of faux bois resin coffee tables with fossilized shell tops. The juxtaposition of forms and finishes renders the monochromatic area interesting. A skinny, white oak floating console with caned insets inconspicuously anchors the television on the main wall, to which Cain also added paneling. White pleated linen sconces subtly dress up the vignette and hint at the finely reeded white oak wet bar beside it.

The kitchen and dining areas stretch along the wall behind the sectional. Cain nestled into the corner a U-shaped banquette sporting marine-grade faux leather cushions with channeled backs. While the side wall boasts a picture window with an unobstructed ocean view, the back wall is held by a quietly compelling artwork by Lilian Crum. The piece features calligraphic markings made with sumi ink on paper that floats in a white wood frame. “The organic marks mimic the movement of the water outside,” Ganley observes.

To the left, a custom steel and glass shelf bridges the banquette with the kitchen, providing graphic contrast and display space without heaviness. White cabinetry does its job without encroaching upon the space visually; the quartzite countertops invigorate and tie it to the wet bar. Rattan pendants and leather stools at the island enhance the coastal tableau. “That things are durable and hardworking is especially important in a vacation home,” Cain says. “Leather looks even better as it patinas.”

A small abstract painting with a muted palette by Joanna Cutri is an intimate touch at the island, best taken in up close. “The owner was intrigued by Cutri’s work, so we found a spot for this,” Ganley shares. “She wanted work by female artists; this is a conversation piece that fits in well with the collection.”

Three bedrooms with king-sized beds, en suite baths, and a shared lanai ensure comfort for friends and family. The primary suite, with its commanding view and spa-like bath—now suffused with light thanks to a second set of doors from the bedroom—provides respite for the owners.

The home’s sole spot of color, an artwork of tinted polymer poured on aluminum panel by Susan English, hangs over the bed. “The husband asked for some color in the bedroom, so we gave it to him in ocean hues,” Ganley says. In talking about the procurement of art pieces, she and Cain note that the clear vision and collaboration contributed to the project’s success. “I like to bring the right people together to make the magic,” Cain concludes.

Learn more about the project team

Interior design: Tara Cain Design
Art advisor: Mason Lane Art Advisory

Good things come, an old Chinese proverb says, in pairs. There’s the balance between yin and yang. The contrast of salt and pepper. And the possibilities of pen and paper.

Then there’s Stephanie Halfen of SDH Studio Architecture + Design and her husband, Ricardo, of Treo Construction (she’s an architect; he’s a builder) who teamed up for a new home overlooking Sky Lake in Florida. The interior design team? Alanna Kleiner and Adriana Grauer, dual principals in a firm they call AGSIA. The clients are a couple who share the Halfens’ Venezuelan background and are their close friends to boot.

Together they envisioned, designed, and built a home on a lot overlooking a rare freshwater lake, ten minutes from Miami Beach. “There are practically no lakes here, and when there is one, alligators are in it,” Ricardo says. “This one doesn’t connect to the ocean system or salt water: there’s no marine life, so people can swim there.”

For this outdoorsy couple and their children, living outside was the raison d’etre for their new home. So their architect aimed to bring in views of the lake, integrate inside with outside, and blur their lines, but make it all functional too. That was no mean feat, given that the lot’s shaped like a trapezoid, and the prime view is off to the left.

Stephanie designed one wing of the 4,100-square-foot home with privacy for its bedrooms in mind. Another wing is semiprivate, for the kitchen and family room. The center space is the heart of the home, designed for living and dining. “They’re continually walking around in it, for the views and the landscape,” Stephanie says. “It’s a house that’s very cozy, and at the same time open to the outside.”

She achieved that with a center space that rises higher than the two wings, opening up to sky and water. She dropped down the rooflines for the kitchen and bedroom wings, for a more opaque effect. “The center is more impressive, but it’s cozier on the sides where the more intimate areas are,” she says.

Her design intent was to reinterpret the midcentury modern style, with flat, double-height rooflines that are slightly sloped but barely noticeable. What is noticeable is a malleable center space for entertaining and big gatherings. “They can open up the inside to the outside and meld them together,” Ricardo says. “And there’s the patio, pool, dock and lake. It all flows together well.”

The drop down from house to lake is a steep 10 feet, so the architect and builder graded it and created descending sections on separate levels. The main approach to the home is on the street level; overlooking the lake at the rear is a lawn, then a pool and deck, and finally the lake.

The descent from house to lake is designed as an enjoyable passage, with five platforms along the way. “They make the transition smooth,” Stephanie says. “Then, when you’re in the lake, there’s a very nice feeling of going up and down the whole circulation.”

Inside, Kleiner and Grauer used restraint as they worked with the architecture, the fixtures, and the furnishings, taking care to focus on the view of the lake and bring its darker tones inside. “There are natural colors like terra cotta and greens, layered with a lot of textures,” Kleiner says. “The leather in the furniture is in natural colors, heavily textured, warm, and comfortable for the Miami weather.”

Interior spaces inside are narrow and tall, she says. To deal with high ceilings in the great room, the interior designers used accents with vertical lighting to bring them down to human scale. The kitchen and dining area are separated by a floor-to-ceiling partition, though there is a good flow between the two.

Along with using slabs of stone and limestone-like tile, the interior designers wrapped much of the kitchen in a manufactured wood that ties it all together. An engineered wood product, it’s three-quarters of an inch of white oak, layered like plywood and then installed as tongue and groove. “It’s five millimeters on the back,” Ricardo says.

The new home is sited in a neighborhood that’s steadily upgrading its stock of about 40 homes built back in the 1970s. It’s the third that Kleiner and Grauer have updated on the lake. “They’re getting renovated, from traditional developers’ houses to personalized, upgraded homes,” Kleiner says. “Most are getting redone.”

Here, the two interior designers worked hand in hand with the architect, builder, and clients for a flawless design and presentation. “It’s hard to separate the architecture from the interior,” she says. “It’s very blended.”

That’s because good things so often come in pairs.

sdhstudio.com

Address: 41 Arvida Parkway, Coral Gables, FL 33156
Price: $57,000,000
Area: 18,963 square feet
Acres: 1.2
Bedrooms: 8
Bathrooms: 9 full, 1 partial

Realtor contact: Audrey Ross, audrey.ross@compass.com, 305-206-4003

Perched on a V-shaped lot jutting into Biscayne Bay, this exclusive retreat wraps residents in stunning views and unmatched luxury, indoors and out. The home, designed by Ramon Pacheco, creates a sense of approachable, yet undeniable elegance, including a sweeping grand staircase, a fabulous Mick De Giulio kitchen, and spacious inviting bedroom suites. Floor-to-ceiling windows blur the line between the interior and the outdoors.

Outdoors, a stunning bayside, one-of-a-kind pool designed by Estudio Arque, landscaped gardens, and multiple outdoor entertainment areas yield a relaxing escape. Yachting enthusiasts will appreciate the private, 140-foot boat dock that can accommodate a 170-foot mega-yacht.

Located just moments south of Miami, the property balances privacy and security with easy access to world-class dining and nightlife, a thriving arts scene, and international air travel.

All photos by Become Legendary, Mike Ruiz

When an empty-nester couple from Minnesota with a home in Miramar Lakes, Florida, decided to purchase a 5,300-square-foot model home in the neighborhood, they called Naples-based design firm Design West to customize and furnish every space, inside and out. Designers Morgan Bratcher and Eliety Perez led the charge. “We added bespoke architectural details to give the property a resort-like feel,” Perez says.

The new home is decidedly contemporary, substantially more so than their prior one. That said, there is still coastal flavor. While natural fibers, pale woods, shots of blue are key ingredients, the designers combined them with sleek lines and sophisticated materials, such as brass. “It’s coastal with a contemporary lens,” Bratcher explains.

The exterior architecture is sure and strong from the start. The parking court’s stone pavers move from light to dark. Skinny, rhythmic lines of turf soften the approach, as do the palm trees that flank the squared-off entry arch, which is distinguished by large, greige porcelain tiles. “Greenery brought the exterior to life,” Perez observes.

A 10-foot-high pivot door opens into a soaring foyer. Oak boards with a coastal gray stain and brass inlays run from the floor up the wall to the ceiling and down the other side. The handsome treatment not only frames the arrival space, it draws the eye to the dramatic 18-foot-high ceiling.

The great room opens wide, showcasing the pool and lake beyond the retracting glass wall to the lanai, which offers seamless indoor-outdoor living. A linear gas fireplace set into a chimney faced in the same oversize tile as the designers used for the foyer floor soars up the full 18-feet. Chic modular sofas, some with open backs so as not to obscure the view, invite lounging.

To make the double height space feel more intimate, the team suspended four 12-foot-long wavy beams with integrated lights from the ceiling. “We offset them to wave into each other about halfway, and they’re dropped at two different heights,” Bratcher says. “They quietly lead your eye to the water.”

The dining area is tucked into a light-filled nook with a water view. Like the rest of the home, the space straddles a contemporary and coastal aesthetic: Upholstered three-legged chairs surround a glass-topped Kenneth Cobonpue table with an organic tree trunk-like base. A chandelier sporting beaded leather fringe hangs from the ceiling, which boasts laser-cut metal detailing within a deep blue border. “The ceiling’s pearlescent finish resembles the water,” Perez says.

A custom wine cellar with wavy shelves and brass pegs against a lighted navy and gold grasscloth backdrop sits off the dining area, as does a door to the lanai’s outdoor kitchen, making entertaining easy. For those looking to escape the action, there’s an adjacent den, made cozy with a sectional sofa and blue antelope-patterned rug.

The kitchen stretches along the wall opposite the living area. Pale white oak cabinetry with subtle striations has a relaxed coastal feel, while a Cambria backsplash with navy veining provides punch. Over the island, burnished brass pendant lights by Kelly Wearstler hang from an elongated navy ceiling panel with oak trim, which defines the space and brings down the scale.

On the other side of the house, the home office is located on the flip side of the fireplace wall. An illuminated cloud-like form is carved into the ceiling, creating a dreamy effect overhead. A softly rounded wooden desk with luscious graining is positioned in the center of the space. It’s an ideal work from home setup, although the outdoors beckons: sliders open to the seating area on the lanai.

Behind the office, the primary suite extends across that entire side of the home. The bedroom has a wall of windows with a door to the lanai as well as two fearless focal points. A headboard in horizontally-channeled, snakeskin-inspired champagne leather upholstery travels almost to the ceiling, flanked by navy panels against which the nightstands and low-hanging pendant lights pop.

On the facing wall, a bump-out wrapped with wallpaper that resembles blue agate complete with silvery flecks is a striking tableau for the television. Fashioned like a fireplace, a white oak shelf stained the same gray as the floor intersects the bump-out to ground it.

The primary bath is as pristine and luxe as a spa at a far-flung five-star oasis, with large-format, onyx-inspired porcelain tiles covering the floor and walls of the curb-less walk-in shower. The soaking tub has pride of place in front of a sky-high picture window in a nook lined with a subtly striated wood veneer. Just stepping into the space is enough to make one exhale.

There are three private guest suites too. Done in combinations of blues, whites, and sand, ochre, or mustard, the décor strikes the same sophisticated balance of coastal and contemporary as the rest of the home. Bratcher sums it up: “The home does coastal in a whole new way,” she says.