BEACHFRONT VISTAS
Florida Designs
Eloise Kubli, ASID, a multiple-award winning interior designer has a resume as beautiful as her designs. For over 40 years, Kubli has crossed the globe and back transforming spaces into refined, luxurious works of art.
AS LONG AS SHE COULD REMEMBER, homeowner Mayra Diego adored the beach. “I’ve always thought that once you cross the bridge (to Fort Lauderdale Beach) it’s a whole new world,” she says. This lifelong love prompted Diego and her partner, Rick Wilber, to look for a weekend vacation home close to their main Plantation, FL., residence in Hawk’s Landing … but across that magical bridge. However, peace and quiet were a must.
“We didn’t want a tourist area,” Diego says. ‘We wanted to have access to the main strip, but enjoy a relaxing, yet elegant place to entertain our large group of extended family and friends, and enjoy the beauty of the ocean to the fullest.”
The couple quickly found a building that fulfilled their ideal, but waited about two years for a unit to become available there. “Finally, not one but two units opened up,” Diego says. “It was a great stroke of luck — units are so rarely for sale in this building, so we decided to buy both and combine them.”
Diego and Wilber knew combining the two units and making one flowing, functional space wouldn’t be easy. Fortunately, they have an architect in the family. “We asked our son-in-law, Clay Krebs, an architect for the firm of Architect, T.A. Krebs LLC, for help,” Diego says. “It was the perfect project for me because I knew exactly how they wanted to use the space,” Krebs says. Walls came down to create one new 4,000-square-foot space. “I used custom-designed tray and coffered ceilings with distinctive lighting to delineate space and make each area unique,” Kreb says. “Capturing the views by turning 90-degree vistas into a 180-degree seascape was a priority in the design.” Because the building is 30 years old, Krebs decided to update the electrical system to something “just short of a full smart home,” the architect says.
Once the space planning was set, the couple commissioned interior designer Eloise Kubli to fulfil their vision. “From the very first moment I met her, I loved working with her,” the owner says. “She understood exactly what I wanted.”
With a panorama of ocean views to provide the backdrop, Kubli kept the design minimal and subtle with contemporary furnishings, clean architectural lines and exotic yet understated finishes. “We chose to incorporate a neutral palette throughout, with lots of textures and variations of natural colors — bone, sand, taupe, and a touch of mineral and cobalt blue that highlight the ocean views and sky,” the designer says. “The light is ever-changing on the ocean and in the sky. And against the home’s very neutral palette, marine colors just pop.”
Natural materials continue the theme as limestone flooring flows throughout to bring in a beachy feel. “We also used a special wood for the wall units and cabinetry: rotary maple, which means there are no seams,” Kubli says. Natural fabrics, such as silk, cotton, chenille and linens were chosen for their elegant, textural qualities.
“They’re timeless, durable and natural soft to the touch and pleasing to the eye,” the designer says. “To me, all of these fabrics have a very subtle weave to them, which ties in to the ocean waves.”
And just outside on the balcony, the homeowners couldn’t be more thrilled as they relax and listen to the sounds of the ocean. “Every time we spend a weekend here, Rick and I look at each other and say, ‘how beautiful!” Diego says. “We never take any of this for granted.”
In the dining area, a hand-blown Murano glass chandelier separates white light into a spectrum of color above a glass-topped table with a Macassar ebony base and satin nickel “XY” arms from Carriage House, and leather-clad “Grefito” dining chairs by Adriana Hoyos.
The slender legs of Christopher Guy’s console complement the original paintings, Desire One and Desire Two, that dress the hallway wall above it. Glass spheres draw in the ocean hues.
In the living area, a Thayer Coggin sofa from Judith Norman shapes a social grouping around a cocktail table by Mirak. At left, a white-linen-topped accent table by Michael Berman from J. Batchelor balances Swaim’s maple table at the sofa’s opposite end.
A bronze sculpture, goddess of the sea, takes center stage n the living area, where ebb tide, a custom painting on metal by ange, and an eye-popping hand-blown glass cobalt bowl add a splash of color to the seaside setting.
With a 24-foot-long island topped in quartzite illuminated by LED lighting, this kitchen is jumping. Open-backed counter stools from Leathercraft allow light to filter through at night to add even more sizzle, while unique Murano glass pendants from Luce Max glow without detracting from the views.
“The light is ever-changing on the ocean and in the sky. And against the home’s neutral palette, marine colors just pop,” interior designer Eloise Kubli says.
The custom wall unit built by Higher Image for the office has a secret. “On the surface, it looks like merely an entertainment center, but a queen-sized bed comes out from the bottom when you push a button, making this a guest room as well,” Kubli says.
Clad in a mineral-blue, wave-weave Belgian linen, the “Hugo” chairs and ottoman by Terri Hunzicker from David Sutherland stand out against the pristine views of the sitting area. Here, a cobalt Thorn vase appears to float in midair above yet another linen-topped occasional table by Michael Berman.
Designer:
Eloise Kubli, ASID NCIDQ
Collective Construction & Design, Plantation, FL
Architecture:
Clay Krebs, Project Architect, Architect, T.A. Krebs LLC. Englewood. FL
Builder:
Max Griffin, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Copywriter:
Sara Linda
Photography
Kim Sargent, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
