Interiors BY THE PUBLISHERS
OF MIAMI MAGAZINE
South Florida
THE RISING
AT HOME IN THE FLORIDA SKYLINE
INTERIORS BY STEVEN G. STOPS THE SHOW BRITTO CHARETTE’S DELECTABLE TASTE PALM BEACH ECLECTICISM BY WILLIAM BERNARD THE ROMAN SPRING OF VALERIO MORABITO PLUS BROWN DAVIS, MAISON ET OBJET & IVANKA TRUMP
M O D E R N L U X U R Y. C O M
NOW IN SOuth FlOrIda | New & Notable south florida
top 5
soak it Up! Peruse these bathroom showrooms to find splashes of function, beauty and cuttingedge style right now. Time to turn on the waterworks. – Susan Friedman
1.
Boffi studio Miami
UPoN reFleCtIoN From top: Kyle Bunting collaborated with Britto Charette on these hair on hide-framed mirrors; Kyle Bunting.
Bathtub devotees should flock to this innovative Italian studio for a whopping mono-brand must. Editor’s pick: the Terra, a bathtub with a lateral faucet that emulates a waterfall. boffi.com
2.
farrey’s lighting and Bath
The shower systems at the North Miami and Coconut Grove showrooms are minimalist-perfect. Editor’s pick: the Aqua-Sense shower by Graff, for its rainfall showerhead and wall-mounted cascade. farreys.com daNia BEaCh
HaiR aPPaReNt the use of hair on hide goes back centuries. But texas-based Kyle bunting (kylebunting.com) elevates it to a modern art form with audacious execution, elaborate designs and a fearless rejection of the rules of conventional decor. Bunting has put hair on walls, floors and atop accessories of many kinds. His recent project with David Charette and Jay Britto of Britto Charette in Fort Lauderdale resulted in fusing hide with unexpected materials, such as glass and wood. Bunting’s contemporary, brightly hued pillows turned heads recently at Elle Decor ‘s 2014 Modern Life Concept House during Art Basel; his work is available at David sutherland in DCotA. Interiors sat down with Bunting to find out more about the king of hides. –BH How did working with britto Charette inform your creations? David and Jay
are really talented designers. Not only is their interior work fantastic, but also they’re very in-tune to fashion and object creation. They instantly gravitated to incorporating materials like wood, glass and acrylic with hide. The resulting mirrors and stools are interesting objects that integrate hide in a most compelling way.
is there anything that cannot be covered with hair and hide? what has been your most mindboggling project? Hide is a leather. Like
most leathers, they don’t tend to like water. We discourage exterior applications in all but the strictest settings. As far as projects
are concerned, large-scale carpets and wall installations present unique challenges due to their complexity of construction. There is nothing mundane about 1,000-squarefoot area rugs in hide. The result is breathtaking. what’s the key to successful design? Don’t miss the inspiration around you, when your heels are dug into a particular point of view. I’ve been blessed to collaborate with some of the world’s most talented designers. Had I entered those relationships looking to push my point of view, I would have missed many opportunities. Follow your eye, but remain open. what is your creative mantra? Be the trophy in the room. 40 InterIors sprIng 2014
3.
Miller’s fine decorative hardware
The Waterworks Studio portfolio is new to Miller’s (West Palm Beach; Jupiter). Editor’s pick: the Ludlow collection’s thermostatic control valve, a cool feat of engineering and good looks. millershardware.com
4.
richlin interiors
Look for chic Italian style and European craftsmanship at this Miromar Design Center showroom in Estero. Editor’s pick: the Art Diamond Swarovski vanity from Topex. richlininteriors.com
5.
sherle Wagner international
This DCOTA showroom’s bathroom portfolio showcases structural lines and geometric modernity. Editor’s pick: the Nouveau collection’s art decoinfluenced single-handle lever faucet in glamorous gold plate. swarchitectural.com
wet woNder The Aqua-Sense rainfall shower by Graff is available at Farrey’s Lighting and Bath.
Hollywood
Delicious Domesticity in an airy oceanfront condo, the good taste of Britto charette feeds the senses. By Richard Pérez-Feria Photography by Alexia Fodere Interiors by Britto Charette
The challenge facing the red-hot interior design firm Britto Charette had a familiar empty-nest ring to anyone remotely aware of luxury interior design in South Florida: A couple with grown children was looking to downsize—in a beachfront high-rise with every conceivable amenity—without losing the sense of space and comfort they were accustomed to. So Harry Polsky and his wife, artist Ellen Riazanow Polsky, purchased an enviable two-bedroom, two-bathroom residence at Trump Hollywood. To complicate matters, the owners said they wanted to recreate the feeling they had when they lived in a New York City loft, decades earlier, and they required lots of storage space and hardwood floors. “We chose Britto Charette because my wife and I are both big ‘energy’ people and right off the bat, we were all on the same wavelength regarding our vision and specific needs,” Harry Polsky says. “We wanted a contemporary apartment with wood floors, and they delivered exactly that. The guys at Britto Charette really listened to what we had to say, and we couldn’t
chocolate & cream the living room features a Swan Italia sofa from arravanti in rich brown and a chaise by Scan Design. the white sliding doors were custom-made by Britto charette.
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hIGh art the lacquered wood kitchen cabinets are in the foreground, with the couple’s artistic preferences represented in the hallway and in the living room. the oil painting is by ray olivero.
be happier. We’re simply in love with our beautiful new home.” Fort Lauderdale-based Jay Britto and David Charette have been on a winning streak, scoring impressive commissions all over South Florida and even setting their sights north by exploring work in Manhattan. The creative partners were determined to exceed the owners’ vaulted expectations, and, by all accounts, they did exactly that. “Working with a clean canvas, we installed the rich DuChateau espresso wood floors first, and from there, we just did everything,” Britto says. “The way David and I work is that we bring color in with our choice of textiles and numerous accent pieces.” But unfinished spaces come with numerous obstacles. “The real challenge for us was making the apartment seem not only much larger, but also invoking the New York City loft quality the owners said they wanted,” Charette says. “I think we nailed it.” The resulting home is a delicious interpretation of contemporary living. Gradations of chocolate brown play off white walls and furnishings and nod to a few welcome splashes of color; it’s the luxe shelter equivalent of residing inside a hot fudge sundae—a most happy place, to be sure. The owners and designers are definitely on the same page when it comes to what constitutes the most dramatic and important moment in the apartment: the hidden wall, or double doors, that separate the living room from the master bedroom. “Those doors are custom—and incredibly heavy— and not only do they disappear into the side walls, creating an uninterrupted, open vista between
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”tHe reAl cHAllenge For us WAs mAKing tHe ApArtment seem not only mucH lArger, But Also inVoKing tHe neW yorK city loFt QuAlity tHe oWners WAnteD,” sAys DAViD cHArette. rooms, but they also unexpectedly function as significant storage,” Britto notes. The owners agree about the value of those vanilla doors, with their arty-patchwork design. “Those hidden bedroom doors are the single best thing about the apartment,” Riazanow Polsky says. Once one pulls open those doors to enter the master bedroom, the unrivaled showstopper is the concrete mocha-colored bed wall, a grid of circles crafted from Optic 3 Ogassian tiles from Earth Elements. A Herman Miller office chair is set off by a large contemporary installation by local artist, Ray Olivero. The living room also features modern furnishings with strong silhouettes, from the Swan Italia sofa from Arravanti and the chaise by Scan Design to an Artefacto Miami area rug. Britto Charette saw opportunities to open up the space, and they grabbed them. “You know, we really wanted to open up the foyer with glass to create a clean sightline to the views,” Britto says. “We did it, and it really made a huge difference.” The dining room also represented a major transformation, since it was originally slated to be a third bedroom before the designers opened it up by knocking down walls. A Moon table by Jesse from Arravanti, vintage Palazzetti chairs and, most prominently, a stunning custom sideboard with built-in shelving designed by Britto Charette, complete the dining space.
cIrcUlar loGIc the king-size tang bed is by arravanti (with hudson bedding). the concrete mocha-colored bed wall was created from optic 3 ogassian tiles from earth elements. a ray olivero oil painting hangs over an artefacto double dresser and a Sayl chair (by Yves Béhar for herman miller).
dESIGN dETAIlS TYPE High-rise condominium LOCATION Hollywood INTERIOR DESIGN Britto Charette (brittocharette.com) RESOURCES Addison House Living room pillows (addisonhouse.com) Arravanti Tang king-size bed, Moon dining table by Jesse, living room sofa and pod swivel chair, foyer ceiling light fixture (arravanti.com) Artefacto Bedroom Savvy double dresser (artefacto.com) Artemide Tizio Classic table lamp in bedroom (artemide.us) Britto Charette Bedroom ceiling design and nightstands, living room wall design, dining room server (brittocharette.com)
tactIle tIleS the powder room delivers texture with undulating coffee-colored wall tiles. opposite page: the dining room features a moon table by Jesse from arravanti, Palazzetti chairs and a sleek custom-made sideboard by Britto charette. like the bedroom, the accent wall is surfaced with optic 3 ogassian tiles from earth elements.
DuChateau Floors Wood flooring throughout (duchateaufloors.com) Flos Bedroom desk lamps by Kelvin (flos.com)
Given the challenges with which the designers were presented, the owners are overjoyed with their aesthetically intelligent home. Riazanow Polsky, whose own artwork can be found throughout, describes the men of Britto Charette as “extraordinarily talented,” while her husband says the designers are ”exceedingly open” to suggestions and ideas. Though warming up a cool design may not be the single most innovative shelter direction one has ever encountered, the execution—as is always the case— is everything. And what the talented duo was able to accomplish and complete in five short months—a home that’s boldly tactile, undeniably rich and, dare we say it, joyous—is nothing short of remarkable. The reason why Britto Charette is on a winning streak? Their good taste is good enough to eat.
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Herman Miller Sayl chair in bedroom (hermanmiller.com) Ogassian Concrete tile walls in bedroom and dining room (ogassian.com) Ray Olivero Oil paintings throughout (rayolivero.com)