Curb Appeal

A ZOOM-LED RENOVATION

ENTICES AN AVENTURA COUPLE TO LEAVE THEIR CONDO PERCH FOR A COSMOPOLITAN RESIDENCE AT GROUND LEVEL

JOURNALIST ADRIANA CORTEZ and her husband have worked with architect and interior designer Gustavo Marasca for years on multiple projects throughout Brazil, so when the Aventurabased couple found a single-family home near the condo they’d been living in for 15 years, they knew exactly who to turn to to oversee the house’s necessary renovations and new interior design.

The idea of living nearby while the metamorphosis took place made the buy even more appealing to Cortez, but the same couldn’t be said for Marasca. Just as he started work on the project, the COVID-19 pandemic made travel to South Florida from his home base of Rio Claro impossible. For the next three years, Marasca and his team would oversee all aspects of the commission remotely with the aid of Zoom and every-other-day phone calls with the job’s contractor.

To accommodate Cortez’s wishes for abundant light and wide-open social spaces, a nearly complete demolition was required. “We took everything down,” says Marasca. “Only the outer walls of the house were left standing.”

With the raw blank canvas, Marasca phased into transforming the house by incorporating plenty of natural wood elements for warmth, including wide oak planks for the floors and stained wood cabinets in the kitchen. He also found eye-catching wood furnishings and placed them throughout. The natural ironwood console in the family room is one such standout.

The largely neutral family room opposite the kitchen now features layered rugs and wall art from Artefacto and Kartell, furnishings and accessories from Poliform and RH, and a TV set cleverly camouflaged behind a mirror with a matelassê leather frame. The design team also created what Marasca calls “memorable moments” throughout the first floor by clustering accessories from brands such as Kosta Boda, Lalique, Baccarat, Versace, Rolex, Louis Vuitton, and Hermès.

For the kitchen, Marasca relied on MiaCucina and its modern aesthetic. Here, we see a variety of cool contrasting elements for interest, including white Silestone countertops and finishes that bounce diffused sunlight around.

Color is found sparingly throughout the home, splashed around the first floor in the form of accents and on various linens. The most prominent exception is one giant, glossy image of an ocean wave by photographer Ignacio Gurruchaga that hangs behind the sofa and arguably commands the living room.

The second floor of the house reveals Marasca’s unique take on space distribution. The walls of the primary bedroom were repositioned to create the large closet of Cortez’s dreams (the finished result measures approximately 800 square feet) and the primary bathroom’s floors and walls were wrapped in largeformat porcelain slabs that make the room an ideal backdrop for gold and brass fixtures. The top floor also houses two guest bedroom suites, both with custom walk-in closets by Ornare, and a home office.

The finished result is exactly what Cortez and her husband needed to come down from their condo perch. “Gustavo was able to read my mind and guess all my dreams,” she says. “It’s no wonder he’s my favorite designer.”

SOURCES

LIVING ROOM

Sofa grouping – Poliform, Miami, FL

Cocktail table – Poliform, Miami, FL

Drink table – RH, Aventura, FL

Photographic artwork – Owner’s collection

Area rug – Artefacto, Miami, FL

KITCHEN

Cabinetry and shelving designed by Gustavo Marasca Arquitetura, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil, and fabricated by MiaCucina, Miami, FL Island designed by Gustavo Marasca Arquitetura, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil, and fabricated by MiaCucina, Miami, FL

Stools – Poliform, Miami, FL

FAMILY ROOM

Lounge and ottoman – RH, Aventura, FL

Side chair – Poliform, Miami, FL

Cocktail table – Poliform, Miami, FL

Drink table – RH, Aventura, FL

Floor lamp – RH, Aventura, FL

Mirror – Rugiano, North Miami Beach, FL

Lamp – RH, Aventura, FL

Drapery fabric – Artefacto, Miami, FL

Area rug – Artefacto, Miami, FL

DINING AREA

Table – Rugiano, North Miami Beach, FL

Chairs – Rugiano, North Miami Beach, FL

Cabinet – MiaCucina, Miami, FL

Chandelier – RH, Aventura, FL

PRIMARY BATHROOM

Tub – Farrey’s Lighting & Bath, North Miami, FL

Lighting – Farrey’s Lighting & Bath, North Miami, FL

PRIMARY BEDROOM

Bed and headboard – Rugiano, North Miami Beach, FL

Side table – Artefacto, Miami, FL

Lamp – Artefacto, Miami, FL

Wall covering – Artefacto, Miami, FL

Area rug – Artefacto, Miami, FL left: Thanks to the positioning of the shower and bathtub, the homeowners can enjoy beautiful views of the canal while bathing. Both the curved tub and spiraling light fixture are from Farrey’s Lighting & Bath in North Miami. right: The look of the primary bedroom is sophisticated, yet inviting with a Grace upholstered bed from Rugiano. The side table, lamp, wall covering, and area rug are all from Artefacto.