Contemporary Splendor Charms in Art-Filled Miami Condo

1 of 15

When a philanthropic New York couple relocated permanently to Florida, they fell in love with the newly developed Surf Club residences in Surfside, Miami. The wife was drawn to the impeccably restored 1930s Surf Club with its Mediterranean Revival vibe as well as the Richard Meier towers, which house the Surf Club’s private residences and Four Seasons Hotel. The final sell was the property’s serene beachfront acreage, just north of Miami Beach’s high-octane atmosphere. The 5,500-square-foot apartment boasts 2,200 square feet of patio space, which overlooks both the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay.

Of course, it went unsaid that her longtime friend and collaborator, David Scott, would design and curate the new space. Over the course of their 25-year friendship, Scott had designed the couple’s former Manhattan apartment, their home in the Hamptons, and a previous Miami apartment. He has curated and assembled their impressive collection of mid-century “color field” paintings by artists like Helen Frankenthaler, Hans Hoffman, Morris Louis, Kenneth Noland, and Ad Reinhardt. Scott also helped her source contemporary photographs, sculptures, baskets, and vases from Japanese masters, and mixed-media pieces like the customized ping-pong table by an artist they met at Art Basel.

“The artwork really determined the palette of the rooms,” the homeowner says. One of the first pieces they acquired under Scott’s guidance was a vibrant magenta and gold Stark Carpet rug she had spied in a design magazine. The rug reminded her of the Ad Reinhardt painting they wanted to hang in the living room. She had purchased the early Reinhardt work because the pinks and greens of the canvas recalled a blooming dogwood tree in her childhood home. So Scott had a custom version of the rug created for the space. The rest of the design project unfolded from there. “The rug became the jump-off point,” Scott says. “I often like to start with rugs, because they are the heart and soul of an interior, particularly if they are not thought of as just matting or texture, but as more of an object.” 

The apartment’s design ethos centered around an uplifting interior with contemporary design that still felt connected to the ocean and the earth. “It was supposed to be something appropriate to a casual waterfront lifestyle,” the homeowner adds. “We wanted natural materials that didn’t feel terribly precious or formal.” 

Because the apartment was purchased pre-construction, Scott was able to influence the floor plan and soften Richard Meier’s modern lines. “I love to bring texture and warmth to interiors because people immediately relax when they feel enveloped by natural materials,” Scott explains. “When you make such an elegant interior, one thing you don’t want people to be is intimidated.”

He inserted reeded oak wood walls in strategic locations and incorporated soft, rich textures in natural materials, cozy seating arrangements, and neutral hues which he balanced with touches of color. Scott ensured that each piece in the apartment was well-crafted and special in its own right, combining unique twentieth-century antiques like a Danish mid-century teak floor lamp or a 1970s resin coffee table with contemporary pieces from up-and-coming lighting artists and designers.

The results don’t lie: the apartment is a marriage of coastal serenity, precise design, sumptuous comfort, and pure joy. Scotts says, “When you get to work with clients that you’ve worked with for decades, you have a shorthand and an innate trust. The collaborative aspect is so wonderful.” 

Story Credits:

Interior Design by David L. Scott, David Scott Interiors, New York, NY 

Architecture by Richard Meie,  Richard Meier & Partners, New York, NY

Builder Troy Dean, Trend Design, Hallandale Beach, FL

Lighting Design by Nathan Orsman, Orsman Design, New York, NY

Photography by Stephen Kent Johnson, Otto, New York, NY

Text by Diana Odasso

Open to see Interior Design Sources: