Docking in Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale is home to South Florida's "powerhouse port", Port Everglades, and is one of the most diverse seaports in the United States.

Quick trivia! Do you know which day of the week  Florida sees it's highest water consumption?

...every Sunday, as cruise ships prepare for the week and fill their ships.

Port Everglades is one of the top three cruise ports in the world and being just 45 minutes from Miami, I jumped at the opportunity to have an exclusive tour of one of the newest ships, Royal Princess.

It has been a while since I last set foot on a cruise ship, so I was eager to soak in the details of luxury that every cruise ship exudes with their decor. The Royal Princess is aptly named as it was recently christened by Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge in June 2013.

She made her U.S. debut at Port Everglades on October 27 and will take more than 3,560 guests on 7-day cruises to the Caribbean.

The Royal Princess was a feast for the eyes... from the floors to the ceilings and everything in between! Each piece of furniture on the ocean liner reflects the majestic design of the space - the clean lines and unique shapes add distinction and refinement. The high, elaborate ceilings and the many crystal light fixtures give a spacious and airy feel. They also compliment the intricately patterned carpet and marble floors; each area of the ship has its own distinctive arrangement of color and form. With so many beautiful elements on board, luxury was definitely felt throughout the ship.










The Enclave Spa - An extravagant space for almost every type of treatment

Miami's heat : Art Deco revisited

With the dreaded chill of Toronto's winter, I decided to forego the annual New York jaunt and instead booked a ticket to sunny Florida for my inspiration trip this year. Not wanting to simply sit on the beach, I had a rigorous schedule to see what Miami's design scene had to offer - I've never explored Miami in this light.

I started with the revived Miami Beach and toured the various Art Deco hotels of South Beach in the evening - admiring the buildings with their stunning neon lights and brilliant color combinations. The strip was alive with musicians and laughing crowds.

I went back during the day to soak in a few more interiors and was fortunate enough to get a tour of the National Hotel (1677 Collins Avenue), currently under construction. They recently restored the two-story lobby, where reproductions of the original furniture and light sconces can be found. The guest rooms have also  been meticulously designed to have the original feel of the era. The 205 ft long pool, (not from the Deco period) in the back is impressively 'Miami'!

The journey of walking through the lobby of the Delano was also quite spectacular; designed by famed architect Robert Swartburg in 1947 and renovated by Philippe Starck in 1994, the Delano is the tallest building on Miami Beach. Its charm is found equally in its grand structure and its intricate details: between each column in the lobby is a secluded seating area each to its own, dimly lit comfy casual hideaways.


Miami is also embodied in these large scale (approximately 6' high) art pieces by local artist Havi Schanz, exhibited in the Carlyle Hotel.

There's so much to share about Miami, I'll have more posts in the coming weeks.

Midtown bathroom

Here's a quick and easy reno.

A young family wanted to renovate their basement washroom. Although the washroom was in a convenient location - next to where the children hung out - they were afraid to use it!...well, to their credit, it was also being used as semi-storage.

The clients wanted to be able to use the shower regularly, have the children not be afraid to enter the bathroom, and have construction done in weeks. 

I have to say, that the clients were amazing!!...after a quick consultation on a Saturday morning (before they had to be off with the kids for their activities), and within a week of my proposal everything was set and ready for their contractor.

What a transformation!










before





Social Room Reno

For 10 years, the residents of this 3-building complex in a desired area in Toronto have wanted their social room to be renovated - the dance floor had seen better days and the single sofa in the room was begging to be retired.

We were asked to be very conscious of the budget, so renovations were kept to be mainly cosmetic.

Wall covering installed - Love the circles!

The project design was signed off in February 2012, and by October, every wall, floor and the ceiling had been overhauled with commercial grade wall coverings, vinyl wood planks for the floor throughout, dimmable CFL pot lights and new cabinetry. In the bathroom, the expanse of wall tiles were kept and the new finishes worked with the colours and geometrics of the chicklet 70's tiles. The redesigned kitchen now has the all-important buffet island that's needed for party usage in this century, without the expanse of empty cabinets.
This summer's budgets allowed for the much needed furnishings - so now the room is a party space you can really party in!


Before



Before



It's amazing what a transformation new cabinetry can make to the space











Ashes to Fitness

This renovation was a quick and easy project...for me that is. For the residents of this beautiful lakefront property in Burlington, what was once their sauna had accidentally charred almost two years ago. We stripped everything back to the bare walls and after permits and studies, I was finally able to transform the room into the fitness centre they never had...but desperately wanted.

The owners of the building asked to keep it simple, but I just couldn't bring myself to slap on paint and drop in flooring - so I added some trim detail to the walls to give the room some interest. A little detail goes a long way don't you think?

 

Tempted to Touch

My most recent design endeavor was to remodel a lobby area for a mid-town Toronto residential building that would reflect the hip demographic of its residents. I have re-done a few lobbies over the years, but wanted to make this one special. Since the building recently underwent renovations to it's exterior with a modern approach, I wanted to create a space that would mirror the contemporary touches, yet staying with classic finishes. The result included an astonishing detailed art-wall crafted by my finest carpenter and artisan. The natural walnut wall not only adds warmth to the space - its installed in an enveloping parabola - but also gives the space an edge to the formerly insipid lobby. The geometric forms really pop against the circular patterns, which immediately draws the eye, and invites you to stay a while. And if you get a chance to touch the piece of art, you'll relish how smooth each square is - like a fine French polish.

 

Before: The paneling had been white washed which damaged the integrity of the finish

 

 

Lounging updated

In many of my commercial projects I'm updating a space that maybe hasn't been touched for a decade or two - the spaces are thus under-utilized and an eyesore. The transformation of these two lounges, in twin buildings in mid-town Toronto, caused great excitement, in a good way...Now the spaces are being used by many who never knew it existed in their building(s) before.



Before l.to r.: Lounge 1 - seating for 5 maximum, Lounge 1 - the library was an essential to work into the new design, Lounge 2 - left over furniture

My aim was to make the spaces warm and cozy, using quality finishes the residents expect. I gave each lounge the same elements in finishes and furniture pieces, but in different scales since the size of the rooms were not the same. The wall units were custom built by my master carpenter using walnut - the continuous grains on the cabinet doors is the detail you appreciate of his work. The sofas have a luxurious feel of velvet, yet are of commercial grade and can stand up to wear - they're over 9' long, taking full advantage of the space, and making sure there's room for everyone. With large scale carpet tiles the floor never needs to look tired from stains - just pick it up and exchange it for a new one!



Lounge 1: The library of books are now hidden inside the cabinet

Lounge 1: Seating for at least eight

Lounge 1: Love the juxtaposition of the driftwood lamp against the refined fabrics



Lounge 2: Smaller in scale, but just as inviting to lounge in