Going for Bold in West Palm Beach Home

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A passion for conceptualizing elegant high-end homes has made Hilary Musser a master of all things interior design. This tastemaker’s trajectory in the design world spans nearly three decades—from traveling the globe for bespoke treasures with Philadelphia design legend Bennett Weinstock to opening 21 Federal Antiques on Nantucket Island to eventually establishing an office of Hilary Musser Interior Design in West Palm Beach. Musser’s concept-to-completion repertoire includes multiple houses, including two of her own, the latest of which is in the heart of West Palm Beach’s historic district, right next door to her previous one.

“The view from this property is one of the most spectacular in the city,” says the designer. “The home is the first to sit directly on the water 10 feet above an adjacent dog park, with unobstructed views facing east, north, and south, and the Mar-a-Lago Club across the way.”

Encompassing 11,039 square feet, the lavish estate’s generous 330-foot depth creates a sense of privacy with a winding entrance that makes guests feel like they are driving into an exclusive resort. Towering coconut palms and dense mast trees block all views of the home, giving the illusion of a property far away from city life, yet Worth Avenue and the Palm Beach Convention Center are just a short drive away.

Collaborating with architect David Lawrence, Musser initially sought to construct a modern structure similar to her previous residence, but she was unable to persuade the city’s historic board to approve the design. “At the time I built my first home, there was a lot of resistance to modern architecture, but I was able to convince them that the essence of a historic district should include architectural styles from all periods,” she says. “Unfortunately, I was not able to do that a second time. The board did not want two modern structures side by side.”

Hence, Musser’s home touts a traditional Palm Beach look on the front but goes ultra-modern when viewed from the back. Inside, all the rooms pay homage to sleek Italian design and feature unapologetically edgy modern works of art.

“I worked [with the Italian brand] Zanotta to customize nearly every piece of furniture in the house,” adds Musser. “I had a sofa in mind that they no longer make, but we designed a magnificent custom interpretation that did not block the view to the water as you enter the home.” She combined that with iconic reproduction Zanotta pieces from legendary Italian designer Carlo Mollino. Playful furniture silhouettes, including two Mezzadro stools, border Alexander Taylor’s bent plywood Butterfly cocktail table, and hand-picked Italian accessories from Fornasetti amplify the look.

An intentionally subdued palette blends muted tones with cowhide, tweeds, and Italian walnut, composing an understated backdrop for large artworks from Cuban artist Jorge Luis Santos. Smitten by his brilliant paintings ever since spotting them at Evey Fine Art in Palm Beach, Musser worked with the gallery to curate spot-on pieces for her many walls. And while those art selections certainly catch the eye, the home’s most attention-grabbing  feature is the living room’s ceiling design by Foglie d’Oro, a parquet treatment of Italian walnut further accentuated by Sonneman’s dazzling Papillons LED chandelier.

The primary bedroom is what Musser calls “the epitome of custom,” with another Foglie d’Oro wall and ceiling feature (all of it meticulously installed piece by piece). Zanotta’s mammoth custom bed spans 164 inches wide with a lavish blue velvet headboard. A fourth Jorge Luis Santos artwork adorns the main bedroom wall, with the rest of the room (virtually all glass) facing the Intracoastal.

“What I love about this location is that we have deep water, a gorgeous sunrise, and afternoon shade at the pool, all with a magical view of the island,” says Musser. “In Palm Beach proper, we would have had shallower water and hot afternoon light in the backyard—those are just two of the little secrets about this enchanting place.”

Story Credits:

Interior Design by Hilary Musser, Hilary Musser Interior Design, West Palm Beach, FL

Architecture by David Lawrence, David Lawrence Architects, West Palm Beach, FL

Text by Jenee Destin

Photography by Craig Denis, Miami, FL

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