New Heights
By Jennifer Boles | Photography by Kris Tamburello
Sand and surf inspire the look and feel of a contemporary family home with sky-high views.
The first time Tamara Feldman met her clients, their goldendoodle, Penny, did something out of the ordinary: She cuddled up next to the designer and stayed with her for the entire discussion. “Usually, Penny barks a lot and doesn’t like people coming into the house,” Feldman says with a laugh. “The owners got a good vibe because she connected with me.”
That canine intuition was among the first signs the designer was the right person to renovate their home, a high-rise Miami condo wrapped in ocean views due to an abundance of floor-to-ceiling windows. The residents, a couple with two daughters, desired relaxed, family-friendly spaces that lean coastal, modern and refined while spotlighting their art collection. “It needed to be a mix of everything—sophisticated, beachy, contemporary,” Feldman says. As a mother, painter and designer known for warm, clean-lined interiors, she understood exactly what her clients envisioned.
For Feldman, fulfilling this tall order began by introducing natural finishes that merge the indoors with the outdoors. “When somebody tells me they want a beachy and chic environment,” she says, “travertine and wood tones immediately come to mind.” Working with general contractor Avi Bensadon, a longtime collaborator, the designer wrapped the elevator foyer in slabs of travertine and dark wood paneling for a bold statement. “We wanted to create a moodier space so when you enter the home, you get a sense of relaxation,” she explains. From there, the interior progressively lightens by the time one reaches the living area, lavished with white oak flooring, a travertine wall unit and ceiling beams grouped in twos and threes. “Those beams are a way to add interest, warmth and indirect lighting without lowering the ceiling or keeping it flat,” Feldman explains. The seascape, too, builds to a starring role thanks to a highlight of the renovation: newly installed sliding doors that can stack together, maximizing the setting. “There is no aluminum to obstruct the view,” Bensadon points out. “It becomes a 14-foot-wide opening.”
Continuing the coastal strategy through the furnishings, Feldman adhered to low, contemporary pieces in a pared-down palette. “We kept to neutral tones inside so the views can speak for themselves,” she says, pointing to the living area’s structured light gray sofa, lounge chairs with wood details and coffee tables with delicate sky hues. Similarly, in the adjacent dining area, the designer paired a transparent glass table with curvy open-framed chairs—pieces that practically disappear, giving way to the panorama beyond them. “I wanted to make sure we didn’t use any heavy furniture that would block the scenery,” she explains. “Function was important, but the aesthetics of the view and the extension of the beach were important as well.” The nearby kitchen also has a quiet yet commanding presence with white oak cabinetry, a grooved island and wine bar boasting a mirrored backsplash, bringing the ocean to the interior in a dynamic reflection.
Wall treatments, too, attract humble attention: The powder room is swathed in a textured, geometric Carrara marble, while the daughters’ bedrooms flaunt wallcoverings that are patterned but not distracting. There, Feldman gave each a custom headboard that toes the line between whimsy and sophistication—like one whose curved design mimics the soft shades of a gray rainbow. “We wanted to make sure they weren’t rooms the girls would outgrow,” she says.
The subtlety of these forms and hues creates an inviting backdrop for the owners’ collection of contemporary works. “All of the color in the home came from their art,” Feldman notes. These include pieces she sourced, such as a bright yet minimalist painting in the kitchen, organic Japanese sculptures adorning the living area and a canvas with a jolt of neon in the foyer.
For all its stylish flair, though, the condo is first and foremost a family home, and the designer ensured each space fuses aesthetics with functionality. The entry hall doubles as a mudroom, housing a seating nook that acts as a discreet repository for shoes and school backpacks. Elsewhere, generously sized sofas offer room for everyone to gather, and indoor-outdoor upholstery provides durability. “The unit feels light and airy, but we were able to create all the right elements for a welcoming household,” Feldman says. “It is a footprint of my design, but at the end of the day, it’s truly an extension of my clients.” Even those with four legs.
