Bespoke furnishings, tactile materials and modern art fill an oceanfront apartment in Palm Beach with a sophisticated and collected aesthetic.
The living room features armchairs from Studio Twenty Seven, a drinks table by Studio Van den Akker, and a coffee table by J.M. Syzmanski on a rug by Fayette Studio. Photographed by Marco Ricca
THE PROJECT
Walking into this sundrenched residence on South Ocean Boulevard in Palm Beach, it’s hard to know where to look first. Every room faces the ocean, and the expansive view of blue skies and sparkling waters through the living room’s floor-to-ceiling glass doors certainly hits you right away. But everywhere you turn, there’s another bespoke piece that lives up to Mother Nature’s artistry.
Dirk van der Kooij’s center table sets an artful tone off the entrance of this Palm Beach apartment. Photographed by Marco Ricca
The center table by Dirk van der Kooij, for example, stands as an experimental melange of pigments and recycled materials. “It’s the perfect amount of color yet feels restrained,” says New York-based designer Vanessa Rome of Vanessa Rome Interiors (vanessaromeinteriors.com), who was enlisted by longtime clients to transform a dated condo with low ceilings and unremarkable architectural details into a contemporary retreat. Kooij’s table is one of Rome’s favorite custom pieces she used in the project, along with the floating media cabinet under the television in the living room by Casey Johnson and the metal coffee table by J.M. Syzmanski. “As this was my second vacation home that I designed for these clients, I had total creative freedom,” says Rome. “They have four children and several grandchildren, so the directive was about comfort and ease. They also love collectible design, so we aimed to achieve a perfect blend of comfort coupled with high-end furniture pieces that were eclectic as well as unique.”
Boffi cabinetry houses appliances from Sub-Zero, Wolf, Miele and ASKO in the kitchen, which offers a pot filler and sink faucet by Franke. Artistic Frame chairs pull up to a table by Mark Jupiter in the breakfast area beneath a Fabio light fixture. Photographed by Marco Ricca
Modern art joins the collective with pieces by Alex Katz, who recently had a Guggenheim retrospective exhibition, and Landon Metz. “I usually work with an art consultant when sourcing art for my clients, but these clients enjoy sourcing their own art,” Rome says. “I guide them through the process and always give my blessing before they pull the trigger.”
THE PALETTTTE
Together with Chris Bertolami of Cambridge Construction (cambridgebuild.com), Rome breathed new life into the residence, gutting it to the studs and turning it into a bonafide beach house complete with a pool cabana and a bright, airy aesthetic that offers sculptural forms and a welcoming feel. “We took inspiration from the setting, so we knew we wanted a serene, muted palette so as not to take away from the natural views of ocean, sky and sand,” Rome says. And so, creamy shades wash over the apartment in textures like bouclé, linen and mohair that add depth and dimension to the home. Working with Kevin Asbacher of Asbacher Architecture (asbacherarchitecture.com) on the plans for the reimagined residence, Rome and her team selected all interior architectural finishes: a soft white Venetian plaster on the walls and ceiling in the living room, plaster on the walls of the dining room with a lacquered ceiling to help balance its low height, and a textured wallpaper in the primary hallway that resembles hand-troweled plaster. “Another example of our mixing materials is the gorgeous marble in the kitchen, powder and primary bath,” Rome says.
A light fixture from John Salibello joins a table by Tori Golub and a Landon Metz artwork in the dining room Photographed by Marco Ricca
THE OUTCOME
Ultimately, this Palm Beach pied-a-terre rivals the 12,000-square-foot home in Southampton that Rome designed for the owners in 2015, which they still love all these years later. “The home embodies my love of earthy, organic elements mixed with texture and one-of-a-kind pieces,” says Rome. “This apartment was a sort of ‘get your feet wet’ to see how they enjoyed living in Palm Beach. So far so good!”
Frette bedding dresses a bed from Casa Dio wrapped in Castel fabric. The Djinn chaise by Olivier Mourgue and a drinks table from Aguirre Design have a front-row seat to the view. The art is by Lisa Bartleson and was acquired through Chase Edwards Contemporary. Photographed by Marco Ricca
DESIGN DETAILS
TYPE
Condo
LOCATION
Palm Beach
DESIGN
Vanessa Rome Interiors
vanessaromeinteriors.com
ARCHITECTURE
Asbacher Architecture
asbacherarchitecture.com
BUILD
Cambridge Construction
cambridgebuild.com
RESOURCES
1STDIBS
Dining chairs
1stdibs.com
A David Nosanchuk mirror and light dots the foyer above a console from The Invisible Collection. Photographed by Marco Ricca
HUBLOT
Sconces in dining room
hublot.com
MAY FURNITURE
Bedside tables
mayfurniture.com
NY CUSTOM FURNISHINGS
Living room sofa and banquette in breakfast area
nycustomfurnishings.com
OPUSTONE
Stone wall and countertops in kitchen, and flooring throughout
opustone.com
RUG ART
Rug in primary bedroom
rugart.nyc
SEAN KELLY
Dining room art by Landon Metz
skny.com
UNA MALAN
Sconces by Kalin Asenov in primary bedroom unamalan.com
A floating stone vanity from Ceramic Matrix makes a statement in the powder room along with Assemblage wallpaper and a pendant by Articolo Studios Photographed by Marco Ricca
