THE ILONA HAS a
special spot in the
Miami Beach design
explosion of
the past decade. In
fact, it may have
been its catalyst.
Designed by architect
Chad Oppenheim --– it was his first
project on Miami Beach --– the condominium
was completed in 2003. Built with
- then rare and unique - double height living
rooms, the Ilona brought new drama,
and a new style of living, to a boutique sized
project. Its success acted as a green
light for other residential projects, and really
announced the moment when Miami
Beach first ‘let its hair down’ in terms of
bold new designs that celebrate our region’s
magical climate.
Recently, Miami-based design firm Dkor
was retained to finish a residence in the
building. Luckily it was one with a gorgeous,
deep terrace-style balcony facing
tropical foliage so dense it makes you forget
you’re at the very heart of the South
of Fifth neighborhood. Dkor used this
building’s apparent love affair with
Florida sun and foliage as a starting point
in creating a truly relaxed, fuss-free living
space. The design team at Dkor understood
at first glance that apartment did
not want perfect, karate-chopped throw
pillows of pink silk, nor did it need lavish,
“look at me” artworks lining the walls. This
was not going to be a space only visited
once a week by a dutiful housekeeper, it
was meant to be a space to live in.
To that end, they chose natural elements
to ground the space and its polished concrete
floors, like natural coir rugs and a
leather butterfly chair in a
creamy living room that
cleverly avoids the white
box syndrome with a 20-
foot high wall paneled in
satin-finished mahogany.
The dining area in this
1500 square foot residence
is kept informal, with a simple Saarinen style
dining table in white surrounded by
Mya dining chairs upholstered in white
leather, finished with wrap-around backrests
in a walnut veneer. A two-story structural
column that separates the dining
space from the living room has been cleverly
wrapped in a heavy duty marine
rope, adding texture and softness. Millwork
throughout the home is kept minimal,
but given a good heft. Baseboards
are a full eight inches here, as the typical
five inch baseboard would look lost in
such a volumetric space.
Up one flight, Dkor has given a soft, visual
continuity to the bedroom level. The
master suite overlooks the living room,
but has been given a slide-away screen
for privacy. In the apartment's biggest
nod to sybaritic luxury, the king-sized
platform bed has an exaggerated head-
board, upholstered
in white leather,
and seems to float
on a cream-colored
area rug.
Nearby, a simple
lounge chair from
Crate & Barrel Furniture
is accompanied by a reproduction
Eileen Gray side table, making a great
spot for an evening read.
Although this level has its own balcony
directly off the bedroom, the massive,
deep terrace on the main level is the one
used most often. Protected from the elements
by a deep overhang, this space
really becomes an outside room for its
owners, as Dkor has furnished the space
with a double sun chaise connected by a
central table from Addison House.
Finished with slate gray, porcelain tile in
a wood plank style, hanging garden
boxes and facing the lush foliage architect
Oppenheim planned for the Ilona,
this space is a little slice of heaven in the
middle of bustling South Beach.