Artful Illusions
Florida Design | July 2021
This Miami Beach condo invites the sunlight’s changing reflections to shine through the homeowner’s unique glass art collection and highlight the smooth texture and three-dimensional shape of the oak panels with an embossed texture. Slatted maple is installed on the ceiling and continues down the walls.
HIGH END INTERIORS MIXED WITH CLEVER DESIGN HACKS ILLUMINATE AN IMPRESSIVE ART COLLECTION IN THIS MIAMI BEACH CONDO
RENOWNED INTERIOR AND FURNITURE DESIGNER Michael Wolk has never forgotten the words of one of his idols, famed graphic designer Milton Glaser: The act of creation is like a waking dream. “You can’t call it in, but you know when you’re in it,” Wolk says. “We go along making decisions with whatever conscious intelligence we can. Then, there are these moments when it transcends the ordinary and becomes extraordinary. That’s what you call inspiration.”
When a couple enlisted Michael Wolk Design to renovate their apartment in the Murano Grande condominium complex in Miami Beach, Wolk found inspiration ample. Challenges, too, were ample. The firm was tasked with addressing structural concerns that blocked natural light and water views, while also showcasing the couple’s major collection of glass art.
“At every opportunity, we had to create a specific showcase for the owners’ art pieces—not as an afterthought, but from very early on in the process,” he says. A prime example may be found immediately upon exiting the elevator, where the couple’s collection is on display on the right-hand side of the foyer. Wolk crafted James Bond-style geometric alcoves that highlight the organic shapes of five glass works.
“For security reasons, we developed a very intricate locking system where you have to pull one piece out to get to the next, like a puzzle.”
Reflective surfaces, including a white stretch vinyl finish on the ceiling, terrazzo tiles, and mirrored tabletop by Minotti, coupled with clean lines from Minotti Phillips chairs underscore the ocean views from the kitchen.
Moving into the living area, natural sunlight shines through a seafoam green Peter Bremer glass sculpture and a frosted amber-hued bowl by Dale Chihuly. As the light shifts throughout the day, so too does the illuminated art. “The vision of bringing the light through the apartment was one of the guiding principles of our design,”Wolk explains.
To achieve maximum light and views, Wolk reconfigured the space to achieve a flow from Biscayne Bay and Fisher Island on one side to South Beach on the other. Then, he addressed unmovable 8-foot ceilings with a stroke of brilliance—by covering them in a white stretch vinyl in a high-gloss, mirrored finish to provide a sense of double height, making it difficult to determine where the ceiling ends and where the windows begin. “It really changed the feel of the whole apartment,” he says. “An added bonus was that it reflects the waterways. The south view looks over the port, so the cruise ships are going in and out. Seeing them upside down on the ceiling is a beautiful illusion.”
Similarly, the floor, terrazzo scattered with large semi-precious stones and outlined by metal inlay, gleams with the sun’s radiance by day and the skyline’s dazzle by night. And Wolk took the magic of lighting a step further by crafting dramatic accents in the apartment, such as lighting the perimeters of the oak panels with embossed texture in the living room to create a floating, ephemeral feel. The result is a space that mimics the aqueous elements that encapsulate it—dreamy, poetic, and ever changing.
The custom sectional sofa by Carriage House Modern provides a canvas for the living room’s oceanic aesthetic to pop in the living area. A seafoam green glass sculpture by Peter Bremer stands sentry, while a frosted amber Dale Chihuly glass bowl graces a coffee table, also by Carriage House Modern, with a contrasting pistachio-colored cast glass top and metal frame. A teal leather Ox chair from the Danish Design Store pulls out the speckles in the carpet from Rug Art that imitate the water’s currents.
A Mint Chocolate quartzite-covered island, a backlit Reiko Bando mirror, shapely Siren barstools by Holly Hunt, and a floor-to-ceiling Glo pendant lamp by Leucos—intended to resemble the movement of a water droplet (and an art piece in its own right)—make the bar area a sleek setting for entertaining.
Monochromatic beige tones deliver an ethereal effect in the bedroom, from the airy, sheer blinds to the buttery, leather-paneled headboard designed by Wolk. A Roma Emmemobili chair made of veneered curved plywood serves as a grounding accent.
With three-dimensional profiles and geometric lines, the custom cabinetry in the office mimics the floor-to-ceiling views of the Miami Beach skyline. Wolk designed nooks in the built-ins featuring recessed lighting to highlight pieces from the homeowner’s art collection and selected an Italian Polflex desk and Symbol chair from Carriage House Modern to pair with chairs designed by Wolk.
SOURCES
DINING AREA
Table and chairs – Abitare Minotti, Miami, FL
Pendants – Lindsey Adelman, New York, NY
BAR
Island and cabinetry designed by Michael Wolk Design, Miami, FL
Fabricated by Bon Vivant, Miami, FL
Stools – Holly Hunt, Miami, FL
Ceiling and wall designed by Michael Wolk Design, Miami, FL
Fabricated by HTC Enterprises, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
LIVING ROOM
Sofa – Carriage House, Miami, FL
Fabric – Manuel Canovas, manuelcanovas.com
Accent chair – Ox Chair by Danish Design Store, danishdesignstore.com
Cocktail table – Carriage House, Miami, FL
Occasional table – David Sutherland, Dania Beach, FL
Sofa table – Holly Hunt, Miami, FL
Lamps – Obelisco, Donghia, New York, NY
Glass bowl on cocktail table – Dale Chihuly
Sculpture near sofa – Peter Bremers
Area rug – Rug International, New York, NY
MASTER BEDROOM
Bed and headboard designed by Michael Wolk Design, Miami, FL
Fabricated by Bon Vivant, Miami, FL
Bench – Michael Wolk Design, Miami, FL
Club chair – Mdcf, Miami, FL
Sculptural chair – Roma Emmemobil, Owner’s Collection
Accent table – Abitare Minotti, Miami, FL
Sconces – Liagre, Miami, FL
MASTER BATH
Cabinetry designed by Michael Wolk Design, Miami, FL
Fabricated by Bon Vivant, Miami, FL
Tub and wall designed by Michael Wolk Design, Miami FL
OFFICE
Desk and chair – Carriage House, Miami, FL
Club chairs – Michael Wolk Design, Miami, FL
Cabinetry designed by Michael Wolk Design, Miami, FL
Fabricated by Bon Vivant, Miami, FL
THROUGHOUT
General contractor – Wahab Construction, Miami, FL
Custom walls designed by Michael Wolk Design, Miami, FL
Fabricated by Bon Vivant, Miami, FL
By Liz Petoniak at floridadesign.com | Photography By Troy Campbell