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Luxury Redefined
Tony Montero Envisions Park Avenue with a French Flair and Southern
Style
Story by Debra Kronowitz | Photos by John Anderson
When
a Miami Shores couple decided to buy a house, they had a specific “want
list.” They wanted a home that when you walked in you could see the
pool. In addition, they wanted four bedrooms, three baths and a two-car
garage. What they stumbled on was a 1946 one level, double lot with four
bedrooms, three baths and a one-car garage, but no pool.
“It had the bones we wanted,” said the owners. “But it was a little old
lady’s house. It needed tons of work; it was nothing without the bones.”
To fulfill the owners’ desire, the 3,000-square-foot house was
redesigned in two phases. Right away the owners hired Coral Gables
architect firm Fernandez & Knight to design a two-car garage, pool,
pergola terrace and garage conversion. The design was built by JR
Crockett of Fort Lauderdale.
Along with the build-out, the owners did some temporary visual fixes,
including refinishing the hardwood floors. Stage two came years later
with help from decorator Tony Montero of Montero Design in Miami and
Dower Renovations of Biscayne Park. The owners had one request: because
the house was built in the 1940s, they wanted to keep the look and feel
of the era in a fresh and timeless manner.
“I needed to create a home that was reflective of my clients’
personalities. They love New York and Paris, and one of them is from the
South. I envisioned a Park Avenue apartment with a French flair and
southern style sensibility,” said Montero. Montero created a spacious,
uncluttered interior with a view to the pool and invisible paneled doors
in the walls leading to the bedrooms and baths. Full attention was paid
to the details in every room, big and small. |
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The
poorly configured house was gutted out, eliminating as many
walls as possible, allowing the opportunity to redefine the
use of space – especially in the kitchen, where essentially
two kitchens flow seamlessly into the next. Here Montero
designed a double kitchen – one kitchen serving as the
cooking area and the other as the beverage area. “The space
– originally a car port – tells you what it wants, but it
needs to be functional. The home was designed reflective of
the clients’ personalities. They love to cook and entertain,
so we split the kitchen into two functional areas to allow
for that,” explained Montero.
Each kitchen has its own sink, refrigerator, dishwasher and
cabinetry. They boast appliances by Drimmers Appliances,
with gas and electric Miele cooking instruments, including a
double oven and microwave; a Sub-Zero refrigerator; a
built-in Miele coffee station; Miele dishwashers; Giallo
Argento granite countertops; backsplashes by Keyes Granite;
faucets and plumbing fixtures by Decorator’s Plumbing; laced
tiger wood lacquered cabinets by Europlak USA; stone
flooring by Marble & Tile Showroom; and countertop
fabrication by Blues Granite.
Off the kitchens the fourth bedroom was transformed into an
exercise room and the old garage from the original home is
now a home office, with a laundry room and bath with marble
shower behind. Both rooms feature the stone flooring found in
the kitchen.
Pale blues, custom-made draperies and lots of exotic wood
paneling are found throughout the house to create a Southern
flare and linen party palette. “It is very classic 1940s, but
fresh,” said Montero.
Because Montero is not a fan of doors in the interior – he
believes doors can cause asymmetry when symmetry is what is
desired – he designed a paneling system with two invisible
doors [one in the living room and one in the media room] that
lead to the master bed/bath and guest bed/bath. “The paneling
gives a sense of height, texture, great illusion and balance
to the room with the use of the invisible door appliqué,”
said Montero.
The living room features custom furniture and drapery by
Innovation Designs; shell lamp by Tozai Home; a Louis XVI
reproduction circa 1950 cocktail table with a custom carrera
marble top; crystal lamps from Williams-Sonoma Home; and a
cowhide rug imported from Argentina.
The media room, next to the living room, features a
lacquered rosewood coffee table by 40Northeast; an antique
accent table with Greek key inlay in scagliola and splayed
sphinx legs in brass by Vermillion Antiques; a custom wall
unit with rosewood panels by Florense; sculptures by
Directions Miami; and crystal lamps with chocolate shades by
Williams-Sonoma Home.
Off the foyer, a solid walnut loft round table by Scan
Design seats eight. The chairs are Jean Michel Frank
reproductions, circa 1932, in pale blue silk shantung. A
striking original art piece by Michael Gerrard, a local
Miami Shores photographer, floats in and an acrylic
installation by Associated Photo & Imaging hangs on the wall.
Above the table, a Greek key white alabaster chandelier by Farrey’s Lighting appears as a work of art.
The master bedroom features mirror sculptures by Now, a
Style Store; custom lamp shades by Tushka Art; a 1940s
headboard in suede by Innovation Designs; bed linens by
Donna Karan; and a gallery art piece by artist Elizabeth
Moritz.
The master bath, small but beautiful and sparkly,
encapsulates 1940s glamour with a mirror tile mosaic by Ann
Sacks. The floor is covered in crystal ice quartz from slab
by Coverings Etc. with listello stainless-steel inlay bands
on the floor, and the walls are clad in premium Calacatta
gold. This detail is also found on the vanity top. The
plumbing fixtures are by Decorator’s Plumbing and feature a
unique sink by Alape. Cabinetry is by Florense in white
lacquered with frosted glass and stainless-steel details. The
countertop fabrication is by Blues Granite.
The guest bath also features fixtures by Decorator’s
Plumbing and cabinets by Florense in palesandro veneer and
black glass. The mirror and custom glass work shower
enclosures are by No Limit Glass and Mirror and the tile is
by Marble & Tile Showroom.
Modern, yet a throwback to its era, this home not only
fulfills its owners’ vision but reflects their taste and
style. “We love the house. It’s rich, unique and not
something you see in other homes. We went from one extreme
to another – 34 layers of linoleum and old appliances when we
walked in, to a throwback to the glamour of the 1940s. It is
exactly what we wanted and more,” said the owners. |
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