Table of contents for Volume 34-1 in Florida Design – Digital Edition

Oh, the power of light. At Florida Design we understand all too well how integral it is to winning interiors. That’s why we fell in love with Nathan Orsman’s illumination schematics for a Miami Beach condo designed by Joe Nahem. Well-known for his glowing statements, Orsman took Nahem’s design style to another level with his clever use of LEDs, translucent panels, and decorative features. The not-quite-transparent resin archway that leads into the residence (featured on this edition’s cover) is one example as to why the tastemaker’s work is so renowned and why we wanted to showcase it. Our cover story is just one illustration of the incredible diversity of design work taking place across Florida. “Viva Variety!” is not just a catchy cover line, but an accurate statement of the…

SUBSCRIPTIONS To subscribe or purchase available past issues of the magazine, please call 800.308.7346 or order online at floridadesign.com. ADVERTISING INFORMATION Targeted to buyers of high-end furniture and other luxury goods, Florida Design is distributed throughout Florida, the United States, and worldwide. If you are interested in advertising in Florida Design or any of our ancillary publications, contact advertising sales at 561.472.1901. EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS Designers, architects, developers, builders, and homeowners are invited to submit photography of their designs for editorial consideration. For more information, call our editorial department at 561.472.2217. REACH OUT! Do you know artists, architects, or designers we should feature in an upcoming issue of Florida Design? Email us and let us know via fdeditorial@floridadesign.com. FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA Instagram: @floridadesign Facebook: @FLDesignMag…

The name of his showroom implies rebirth and renewal, and that certainly seems to be the state of mind of Cocoon Gallery owner Mitchell Siegel these days. The purveyor of custom organic furnishings and decor, who has been servicing Naples for 24 years, recently opened a second location in Palm Beach at 410 South County Road. Like its Gulf Coast predecessor, the new 1,800-square-foot space will showcase artistic objects made of exotic woods and precious minerals sourced from Southeast Asia, Brazil, and other locations around the world. Additionally, in mid to late March, a 4,000-square-foot warehouse with 30-foot ceilings will open its doors at 1118 25th Street in West Palm Beach. This by-appointment-only venue will showcase Cocoon’s offerings (sculptures, wall art, tables, lamps, vases, and more) on a much grander…

It’s clear interior designer Alessandra Branca has a soft spot for Palm Beach—and vice versa. Now that her boutique on Worth Avenue is a bona fide success, the tastemaker is expanding her footprint in the area with the new Casa Branca Atelier & Showroom at 2410 Florida Avenue in West Palm Beach. The new space features three distinct gallery spaces: a front area for custom upholstery, antiques, vintage pieces, and decorative art and accessories; a middle area for “pieces sourced and collected to populate the Branca perspective” as the designer puts it; and a third area for Branca-designed fabrics, wallpapers, furniture, and objects. “My vision for [this new venue] was to create a space where we have all the aspects that I feel are important to building great interiors and…

THE TASTEMAKER: One of the Gulf Coast’s most esteemed interior designers, Naples-based Kira Krümm is the founder of Koastal Design Group, a studio known all over Florida and the United States for its elegant approach to seaside-inspired design. THE OBJECT: Inspired by the lily flower, the Lírio armchair by Brazilian brand Uultis offers an organic shape that embraces with comfort. Available in various finishes and upholstery, the chair also features a swivel base that makes it a favorite of interior designers with a penchant for versatile pieces. IN HER WORDS: “I have always loved innovative designs inspired by nature, which is why I like the Lírio so much. Its timeless silhouette strikes the perfect balance between form and function.” koastaldesigngroup.com; uultis.com…

While enroute to the car wash on a recent Saturday morning, I tuned into NPR’s Weekend Edition just as host Scott Simon was quizzing Paul Marvin, president of Marvin Windows, about current home building trends. As I listened, Marvin touched on topics that ranged from pandemic material shortages and labor challenges to more recent trends buoying the national economy. While Florida has been fairly resilient in this regard, other areas of the country have seen major real estate market slowdowns. The drop in home sales has not, however, slowed the growth in home design and renovation projects. Market resistance is causing some homeowners to stay put in their current addresses (translation: they are quite comfortable with that 3 percent mortgage, thank you very much) and tap newfound equity as national…

CRADLE OF LOVE Meant to cocoon the body on lazy afternoons, the Kida hanging chair by Stephen Burks for DEDON is a testament to design’s ability to make our lives cozier. The chair’s frame is the first to be wrapped, rather than woven, in Dedon’s proprietary Fiber Touch material, which can take anything the elements throw at it. An extra-large cushion covers the entire seating area to feel, as Burks puts it, “as free as the breeze” when swinging into a Sunday nap. dedon.de…

When Paola Lenti decided to open shop in Miami in 2022, she bypassed the Design District for its more bohemian neighbor to the south, Wynwood. “We often choose unconventional areas for our flagship stores,” said Lenti to FD Miami at the time. “That’s the Paola Lenti style.” Opened together with local partner Casual Furniture Group, the 7,000-square-foot showroom is designed as a concept house with different environs to showcase the brand’s lines and collaborations, including the colorful Metamorfosi collection by the Campana Brothers. paolalenti.it…

As with many great movements, surrealism began after a period of somber uncertainty. In the aftermath of World War I, Europe needed a cultural revolution of a different sort, one that would liberate the imagination with surprise and unexpected juxtapositions, and many artists of the time were poised and ready to put that sentiment on canvas. This year marks the centennial of surrealism and 100 years since French writer and critic André Beton published the Surrealist Manifesto, a collection of writings that outlines the art movement’s tenets and intent. As such, fairs, galleries, and art institutions all over the world have devoted ample programming to the subject, and Florida museums are no exception. While the Dalí Museum (thedali.org) in St. Petersburg, dedicated to one of surrealism’s most famous masters, celebrates…

FAMILY-FRIENDLY AND ART-CENTRIC rarely go together when speaking about interior design, but that was the directive designer Robert Rionda received when a Miami couple approached him about the interiors of their 8,000-square-foot condominium in Key Largo. “They insisted on a refined, elevated home, even though that might seem odd for the casual Keys,” says Rionda. “But they also wanted to have comfort above all else. And plenty of wall space to display their superior art collection.” With six ensuite bedrooms often occupied by visiting family and friends, the residence doesn’t lack for private space, so Rionda designed a floor plan around the large great room and its two terraces to ensure convivial zones of interaction. “The idea was to have enough space for people to do their own thing, but…

ROBYN BRANCH Robyn Branch Design “Design Therapy,” page 156 Helping a couple build their forever home in Amelia Island was a particularly satisfying project for interior designer Robyn Branch. The project was a literal labor of love for everyone involved as it helped the wife heal from a serious biking accident. “As the house came together, she got better too, and that was wonderful to see,” says Branch, who worked closely with architect John Dodd and builder Scott Payne. “In terms of design, we took inspiration from the scenery for color tones and punctuated with black to define the spaces along with other earthy hues.” robynbranchdesign.com ROBERT RIONDA Robert Rionda Interiors “Artful Balance,” page 178 When Miami designer Robert Rionda headed to Key Largo to oversee the interiors of a…

THE BACKSTORY Presented to much success at the most recent edition of Design Miami/, the Kundung Pembe Chair is part of industrial designer Jomo Tariku’s new body of work and his first foray into using bronze. THE FINAL WORD “Even though the Kundung Pembe Chair is very ergonomic and comfortable to sit on, I see it being used as a sculptural centerpiece in a space filled with light like in an atrium, a foyer, in the living room, or at the end of a hallway,” says Tariku. “Without the cushion and some sort of treatment to the bronze to handle the elements, it would look great as the centerpiece of a garden.” jomofurniture.com THE CREATOR Ethiopian American designer Jomo Tariku is one of the most exciting product designers working today,…

Known as a vintage curator and founder of the Instagram shop Loft and Thought, Carmen Nash finds inspiration in the prose of writers like Zora Neale Hurston and Toni Morrison. In her new collection for Troy Lighting, Folk and Flora, the Clearwater-based design tastemaker salutes her favorite folk stories through natural materials like abaca and terra-cotta. Standout lamps in the collection include the Morri (a tribute to Morrison) and the Pezante (designed in honor of the matriarchal figure in Julie Dash’s Daughters of the Dust). “In my world of design, palm fronds become lampshades, and lighting is rendered through the visual retelling of my favorite [novel] passages,” says Nash. “I hope that showing lighting through my lens evokes joy and thought.” troylighting.hvlgroup.com MATERIAL WITNESS Designer Kelly Wearstler’s latest collection of…

“Lighting can create beauty,” says Nathan Orsman, an architectural and landscape lighting designer with offices in Miami, New York, and Southampton whose illumination skills are revered here in the United States and abroad. “Take this Miami Beach apartment, for instance. The moment you step in it, you’re immersed in color and texture that provide an experience unlike any other.” “Lighting can create beauty,” says architectural and landscape designer Nathan Orsman. “In this apartment, [it immerses you] in color and texture that provide an experience unlike any other.” Orsman’s statement is spot-on given visitors enter the residence through a resin archway by artist Hoon Kim illuminated with a long, suspended tube of light. The eye catching feature is just one of the many reasons interior designer Joe Nahem called on Orsman…

WHEN A CALIFORNIA couple decided to move east to Florida, St. Petersburg’s year-round beach weather and consummate charm put the city on their radar. “After one visit, we fell in love with St. Pete, and, more specifically, with the Old Northeast neighborhood for its proximity to downtown, the beautiful homes, and the canopy of mature trees,” recalls one of the homeowners. “Our house in particular spoke to us. We loved the classic colonial design, the grand staircase, the multiple sunrooms, and the original plaster moldings.” Soon after purchasing the property, the couple realized that while they could preserve the majority of the house’s time honored features as they wanted, they would need to make a few changes to make it more conducive to their lifestyle. To handle such a remodel, they…

For more events, visit floridadesign.com APRIL 2024 3-7 PAD Paris, Jardin Des Tuileries, Paris, France, padesignart.com 11-14 EXPO CHGO, International Exposition of Contemporary & Modern Art, Navy Pier Festival Hall, Chicago, IL, expochicago.com 13-17 High Point Spring Market, High Point, NC, highpointmarket.org 16-21 Salone del Mobile Milano, Fiera, Milan, Italy, salonemilano.it/en 22-25 Coverings, The Global Tile & Stone Experience, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, GA, coverings.com 23-May 5 Boston Design Week, Boston, MA, bostondesignweek.com 30-May 2 HD Expo + Conference, Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV, hdexpo.hospitalitydesign.com MAY 2024 1-5 Frieze New York, The Shed, New York, NY, frieze.com 9 FD Seaglass Awards, Amrit Ocean Resort & Residences, Singer Island, FL, floridadesign.com 10-14 TEFAF New York, Park Avenue Armory, New York, NY, tefaf.com 19-21 International Contemporary Furniture Fair, ICFF, Javits Center,…