From Hum Drum to Wow

Before

One of my recent renos of a residential building had me updating the upper and lower lobbies and the administration offices of two sister buildings. Originally equipped with little to no seating, tired finishes and dull lighting I decided to keep things neutral and focused on natural elements. The terrazzo floor in the upper lobbies were in perfect condition and were to remain, so I used that as my jumping off point and created warm neutrals in the space.

The lower lobby/ mailroom sometimes doubles as a party area, so flexible seating was added along with custom cabinetry, for easier maintenance. It needed to be a little more utilitarian, since it is used as a pass-through for underground parking, however it has the same elegance as the upper lobby. The feel walking through now is much more inviting. 

Lower lobby / mail room 

More of Miami

Here are just a few of the other sites that were jammed into my Miami schedule.

The newly opened (December 2013) Pérez Art Museum Miami was designed by Herzog & de Meuron, the same Swiss firm that created the "House of Cards" parking garage which is cited for its architectural bravado.
 

Their design for the museum includes a library, an auditorium, classrooms, art and digital media workshop spaces, and a café. The entire structure sits on an elevated platform below a canopy, both of which extend far beyond the museum's walls, creating a shaded veranda and plazas.

Surprisingly, Ai Weiwei: According to What? was in exhibition - it was a treat to see it again - it featured all the pieces that were exhibited in Toronto in 2013, with the exception of Bowls of Pearls, two giant porcelain bowls filled with freshwater pearls - it was well guarded. 



Pedestrian Entrance to PMAM: Reminiscent of Antoni Gaudi's Serpentine Bench Twists



I also toured the grounds of Vizcaya, the estate home of John Deering, of the farm equipment legacy. 
The home was constructed from 1910 to 1916 with additional building until 1922. The Villa Vizcaya is distinguished for its Italian Renaissance inspired Mediterranean Revival architecture, its huge Italian Renaissance revival gardens, and sumptuously designed interior architecture not to mention all of the art pieces housed within - it is the closest thing to Italy, in North America.



A peaceful retreat away from the main house





A breakfront created to welcome visiting boats

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?