What has been a family home for generations now serves as an elegant midcentury-inspired atelier for a designer who loves a good story.
A vintage Edward Wormley sofa recovered in Pierre Frey Mombasa fabric groups together in the parlor with a vintage shearling wingback chair from FlipAtik, a Molinillo 022 coffee table by Colección Estudio in Mexico, a coffee table by Raymonde Leduc, a rug from Rush House, Vilhelm Lauritzen light fixtures from Louis Poulsen and Anni Albers fabric for the window treatments. Photographed by Nicole Franzen
THE PROJECT
Jennifer Bunsa has an affinity for design that tells a story. So when an opportunity arose to turn a house that had been in her family for generations into the headquarters of her atelier, she took the term home office to the next level. “It feels very special to be connected to a place with so much family history,” says the designer, founder of Bunsa Studio (bunsa. studio). “My great-grandfather bought this house in the early 1940s, and my dad ended up spending the first few years of his life here. My father’s uncle inherited the house from his father and lived in it for many years. I remember visiting my great-uncle in this house.”
The cozy-chic conference room centers on a PK54 table and a botanical wallpaper by Josef Frank. Hans Wegner chairs and vintage Italian seats sourced in Rome, a rug from Nordic Knots and Maharam velvet drapery round out the storied space. An antique Paavo Tynell ceiling lamp lends a rare element. Photographed by Nicole Franzen
Nestled in The Roads neighborhood of Miami, the 1,500-square-foot cottage is central to her existing clients and offers a physical expression of her penchant for collected and collectible design, exuding character and history. “We wanted to create an instant sense of our studio’s aesthetic so it’s clear when a client walks into the space and makes it easier for them to envision, like a spatial business card,” Bunsa says. “The house already had a lot of character—exposed wood vaulted ceiling, fireplace, and built-in bookshelves, so we just added to it. We upgraded things like light fixtures and added paint and wallpaper. The furnishings are all very special, one-of-a-kind vintage pieces as well.”
THE PATTERN
Upon arrival, guests are greeted by a gorgeous front entry parlor, complete with soft seating and a lounge area, and a non-traditional conference room centered on a PK54 dining table by Poul Kjaerholm. Working to add some of her favorite designers into each space, Bunsa sheathed the conference room in Austrian artist Josef Frank’s botanical wallpaper, adding a sense of comfort that softens the midcentury-modern furnishings. “We loved the idea of bringing the outside into this very interior room in the center of the house, so the vines were a perfect choice,” she said. “We also love Anni Albers, whose design can be seen on the fabric of the Roman shades in the parlor room—in blue and green, which are colors we love to use together.”
Merging different aesthetics, Bunsa kept the private office walls clean and neutral, letting the artwork speak for itself. The toned-down, neutral walls continue through the parlor, decorated with a ceramic wall sculpture and vintage Italian cactus sconces above the fireplace.
The Peter Lovig Nielsen flip-top desk in the office was one of Jennifer Bunsa’s first vintage purchases. It joins vintage Razor chairs by Henning Kjaernulf, a repainted mint chest, art by James Little and an Armadillo rug Photographed by Nicole Franzen
THE FINDS
Bunsa and her team—Carolina Rivera, Eda Tinoco and, of course, Pickle the Dog—worked to create a space that incorporated curated details, furnishings and art, all collected over time. “This is my favorite way of furnishing a space, so the pieces all have meaning and depth and come from different places and time frames. They establish a new dialogue together,” Bunsa says. “The desks are custom-designed and made of baltic birch plywood and blue laminate. The vintage Mogens Koch shelves above the desks in the parlor room were sourced overseas and are a favorite. We love displaying books and ceramics because they add character and warmth to the space. The vintage Edward Wormley sofa in the same room was recovered in a favorite Pierre Frey fabric and is a very special piece.”
Similar to the furnishings, most of the art throughout the studio was sourced from Bunsa’s existing collection. “I like to move things around from my home to the studio, much to my husband’s dismay, until everything clicks into place. Sometimes you have to see things in situ together for them to make sense,” Bunsa says. Some art, such as the James Little work in the office, was specifically crafted for her. “I met James in 2008 or so when I was sourcing art for a corporate project in Oklahoma City. I found him online, and my husband and I met him at his studio in Williamsburg,” she says. “We fell in love with him straight away. I admire his work ethic so much and his dedication to his craft. The piece I have was made especially for me and is a mini version of his larger pieces. I think it resonates so nicely.”
A fireplace signals another view of the parlor, where Bunsa sourced ceramic cactus sconces from Rewire. Photographed by Nicole Franzen
THE OUTCOME
Bringing her design philosophy into the space, the studio integrates special stories steeping in history and memories that she wants all her clients to feel. “All of our clients say how comfortable the studio is, and they love coming for meetings there,” Bunsa says. “Our staff loves it as well because all of the comforts of home are there—a full kitchen, a full bathroom with a shower, a nice big yard outside and lots of natural light. This studio feels very collected and personal, which is how I like my interiors for clients to feel as well. Everything in the space should have some reason for being, some special meaning or story to tell.”
DESIGN DETAILS
TYPE
House
LOCATION
Miami
DESIGN
Bunsa Studio
bunsa.studio
RESOURCES
ARMADILLO
Rug in office
armadillo-co.com/us
BZIPPY
Planter in parlor room
bzippyandcompany.com
CHRISTOPHER FARR CLOTH
Anni Albers draperies in parlor room
christopherfarrcloth.com
FLIPATIK
Shearling wingback chair in parlor room, chairs in office
flipatik.com
FURNITURE FROM SCANDINAVIA BY ANNETTE RACHLIN
PK54 table and Hans Wegner chairs in the conference room
furniturefromscandinavia.com
GUSTAVO OLIVIERI
Round French tiled coffee table in parlor room
gustavoolivieriantiques.com
NINA JOHNSON
Quilt art by Marlene Bennett Jones in the office
ninajohnson.com
NORDIC KNOTS
Rug in the conference room
nordicknots.com/us
SVENSKT TENN
Josef Frank wallpaper in the conference room, window treatments in the office
svenskttenn.com/us/en
WELL FINISHED
Vintage Paavo Tynell light fixture in the conference room
wellfinnished.com
