An extended family bought this home in the Florida Keys so it could spend time together. About 20 of them planned on gathering here when they hired DKOR Interiors to complete a full renovation. “The concept was a tropical treehouse with lots of textures, contrast and repetition of elements,” lead designer Ivonne Ronderos says. The designers used durable finishes and performance fabrics that will stand up to the large crowd and its sandy feet.
DKOR Interiors Inc.- Interior Designers Miami, FL
Photos by Alexia Fodere
House at a Glance
Who lives here: This is the vacation home of an extended family of 20
Location: The Florida Keys
Size: 2,858 square feet (266 square meters); four bedrooms, 4½ bathrooms
Designer: DKOR Interiors
Builder: Pinewood Construction
“Our clients approached us without a concept or vision, but that’s what we’re here for,” Ronderos says. “We ask them to share the things they like to do, how they want the home to function and how they want it to feel. Then it’s our job to envision it for them and develop space-planning options they may not have thought of.”
In this case, the owners were very focused on family life and comfort, and they wanted a home that would make them feel like they were on vacation. The renovation took the home down to the studs, and as the designers worked remotely from Miami, they put a lot of trust into local construction firm Pinewood Construction.
The house overlooks the Gulf of Mexico. The coastal inspiration comes in subtly through textures and colors without an overtly beachy theme. The design team used a color palette inspired by the dunes, the trees and the sea in warm tans, off-white, sea greens and a range of blues from light to deep. Textures include woven, stone, wood, metallics and reflective polished surfaces.
DKOR Interiors Inc.- Interior Designers Miami, FL
The home has a required flow-through space on the first level in case of storms, so the main level is one story above ground. The entry to the home sets a warm, contemporary tone. The strong mix of textures includes ceramic Italian floor tile that looks like wood, glass, a rattan texture on the console and a braided wool rug.
The designers also wanted to provide a sense of entry that was lacking in the existing home. “The partition wall divides the space and draws the eye into the foyer vignette,” Ronderos says. “It lets in the light and also provides a moment of discovery.” The partition wall also adds a pattern rendered in wood and textured glass. To soften some of the patterns that use straight lines, the designers added circular shapes throughout the house.
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DKOR Interiors Inc.- Interior Designers Miami, FL
The entry leads directly into one large common area with room for the whole family. The designers used a double living room concept in this space. This vignette in a conversation and TV-watching area is another tone-setter. “We used photos of the Keys to set the vacation mood,” Ronderos says.
Like the partition wall in the entry, the console here provides a pattern rendered in wood. The designers also used organic materials and sculptural shapes throughout the house to give the home an eclectic vibe.
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Before Photo
Before: The common area is one long room. “Because of the flow-through first level and height restrictions, the ceilings are rather low on the second and third levels where the living spaces are located,” Ronderos says. In this home, the ceilings are between 8 and 8½ feet high.
DKOR Interiors Inc.- Interior Designers Miami, FL
After: New faux beams help camouflage the low ceilings. “It seems counterintuitive to add something to a low ceiling, but actually a plain ceiling does not give the feeling of the tallest height,” Ronderos says. “The beams give the illusion of the continuity of a high ceiling.” These are box beams, mitered to look like true beams. Spaced 8 feet apart, they provide a rhythm across the ceiling.
The designers divided the large room into two seating areas. The far end has a sectional sofa and a large bar, and the area in the foreground has comfy caned chairs and the TV. The TV can pivot to be viewed from the sofa. Ronderos used two rugs to delineate the two areas, while the beams and ceiling lights tie them together. Also, they covered the walls in a textured wallcovering that lends warmth and depth.
The kitchen is on the other side of the stairs. The designers gave the staircase a fresh look with a light wood railing and white stringers.
DKOR Interiors Inc.- Interior Designers Miami, FL
The bar has a slim waterfall countertop, and the wood-look ceramic tile covers the base. The refrigerators and ice maker have panel fronts that blend in with the cabinetry. Dark woven counter stools add texture and contrast.
DKOR Interiors Inc.- Interior Designers Miami, FL
The wood coffee table has a hefty presence in the large room. And the rug adds more organic shapes and darker tones that pick up on the gray sofa. “Comfort was key, and this house needed to be really durable and practical,” Ronderos says. “All the fabrics are indoor-outdoor performance fabrics. And we used fake plants because the owners aren’t there all the time to tend to real plants.”
DKOR Interiors Inc.- Interior Designers Miami, FL
In this bathroom, the custom caned vanity that DKOR designed and Pinewood Construction crafted is an example of the meticulous work the contractors did. “Pinewood completed all the carpentry, and they were amazing. It would have been impossible to pull off a job like this one from afar without contractors like them,” Ronderos says.
The shower enclosure is clear glass and the designers kept the hardware to a minimum to avoid distractions. The shower tiles, which continue on the wall behind the vanity, are Italian with a textured pattern. One detail Ronderos notes as significant is that wherever the tiles meet in a corner, their edges are mitered. This means they were cut at a 45-degree angle so they meet cleanly. “This is a clear indication of great craftsmanship,” she says.
They covered the other bathroom walls floor to ceiling with stacked rectangular tiles. “We played around with the installation by placing them vertically,” Ronderos says.
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Before Photo
Before: The homeowners had two requests for the kitchen: that it seat a crowd and that it incorporate their commercial beverage fridge. With a crowd of 20 staying here at once, there are lots of drinks to chill.
DKOR Interiors Inc.- Interior Designers Miami, FL
After: The kitchen is a balance between deep blue-grays and natural tones. White and light gray countertops soften the sharp contrast. The designers composed the backsplash in watery blue glass tiles laid in a herringbone pattern.
A large high-top table off the island seats eight, and there’s a dining table out of the photo’s frame to the right. Another feature the homeowners wanted was an induction range in the island.
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DKOR Interiors Inc.- Interior Designers Miami, FL
The home has two primary suites, and this one is over the garage. The designers repeated the caned motif on the matching nightstands. A big circle form comes in through the large wood co*cktail table in the bedroom’s comfortable seating area.
DKOR Interiors Inc.- Interior Designers Miami, FL
The room has a lovely curved bay window that allows the owners to view the sea from their bed and seating area. A built-in window bench adds another seating option. Because this suite is a bit separate from the rest of the house, it also has a small kitchenette, seen at right.
DKOR Interiors Inc.- Interior Designers Miami, FL
A sculptural freestanding bathtub has water and palm tree views on two sides.
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DKOR Interiors Inc.- Interior Designers Miami, FL
The designers repeated the caned motif on the vanity in here, as well as the vertically stacked rectangular tiles. “These are hand-baked and you can see the artistry within each tile. It also gives them beautiful variations in tone,” Ronderos says. White Schluter strips conceal the edges of the tiles along the top of the backsplash.
DKOR Interiors Inc.- Interior Designers Miami, FL
In another bedroom, the designers repeated a straight-lined pattern in a cleverly soft way. The oversize fabric headboard is channel-tufted in a chevron pattern.
Other bedrooms include bunk rooms for the kids.
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