Edgy Sophistication in Downtown Miami Penthouse

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As a massive renovation for their 1930s-era Miami Beach estate loomed, Loren Ridinger and her late husband, JR, decided to purchase an 11,000-square-foot penthouse at One Thousand Museum in Downtown Miami to serve as a transitional residence. When it came time to choose a design team that would complete the condo expeditiously, Ridinger reached out to Morada Interiors, a Miami studio headed up by Fernan Hernandez and Holger Odenstein.

“It was like magic,” says Ridinger of the experience. “They finished the whole space in 10 days, and it was stunning.”

Those 10 days were challenging to say the least. “We had to move quite fast,” says Fernandez, an architect and furniture designer who had overseen model units at the building before. “Loren is a big personality with a demanding lifestyle, and she owns other houses, so this one had to be special.”

Ridinger envisioned interiors that were edgy, distinctive, and inimitable. “I wanted something special, like a couture dress that’s unique to me,” she says. “And I didn’t want just a modern apartment. I wanted it to feel like a genuine home.” 

To that end, Hernadez and Odenstein set out to deliver a colorful and sophisticated look attuned to the penthouse’s metropolitan location on Biscayne Boulevard. Luckily, they were able to rely on their well-stocked inventory of furniture and accessories at their showroom, Morada Haute Furniture Boutique, just a few blocks away.

The team’s interior design approach is on the display right off the bat in the residence’s foyer. “You have only one opportunity to make a first impression and we certainly did that in the entry,” says Hernandez. “The Moooi by Arte wallcovering, a colorful canvas of plant and animal imagery, imparts a tropical-elegant feeling that definitely makes a statement.”

It’s here in the foyer where we first encounter the design team’s chosen accent color, a warm orange in the form of Morada’s Throne ottoman.

The dining room is all about drama with an impactful portrait of the late Zaha Hadid (One Thousand Museum’s architect) commissioned from Miami artist Hermes Berrío that immediately catches the eye. Intensifying the room’s opulence are two sculptural Henge chandeliers that glimmer above an Arravanti table. “This area needed a significant accent to complement it and those light fixtures certainly do the job,” says Hernandez. “They’re handmade in crystal and bronze and when paired together they resemble a piece of art.”

To address the expansive open space of the great room, the designers arranged multiple seating clusters that are easy to navigate. “That area is like a big island,” says Hernandez, “so we decided to create curves.” 

Two of these furniture arrangements serve as the main living room with Bubblé sofas and Palm Bay club chairs from Morada anchored by a custom rug made of bamboo and silk. Adjacent to this is an informal grouping of a round table and chairs where Ridinger often likes to work. At the far end of the great room is a double island bar fabricated with smoked glass and metal racks illuminated for wine display. 

The neutral color palette of the primary bedroom denotes tranquility with soft surfaces and a Moooi chandelier that emits a warm, soothing glow. “The light fixture resembles floating leaves, so it brings nature inside in a very abstract way,” says Hernandez. “It’s a fabulous piece.”

In the apartment’s office, the vibe is soothing yet vibrant with a feminine nod to its inhabitant in the form of Girl in an Origami Dress, a multimedia photograph by Efren Isaza meant to convey strength and power. 

“This condo is the center of my universe,” says Ridinger. “It’s where I made the last memories of my husband before he passed, so I treasure it. It truly feels like home.”

Story Credits:

Interior Design by Fernan Hernandez & Holger Odenstein, Morada Interiors, Miami, FL

Text by Christine Davis

Photography by Alexia Fodere, Miami, FL

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