There’s something undeniably  powerful about an unobstructed ocean view. It can humble the most luxurious appointments and cast secondary stature on the most commanding architecture. Charged with creating the ideal seaside space for this oceanfront estate in Highland Beach, Fla., the design team of Jeff Strasser and Barbara A. Gordon let the maritime view be their muse. Their design scheme magically reflects the glamour and serenity befitting a seaside estate.

The theater can accommodate eight to 10 people, but when the mahogany-clad motorized doors behind the couch revert into the columns, which bridge the bar and club room, the seating capacity rises to 15. A glimpse of the space beyond reveals interior designer Barbara Gordon’s custom-designed, mahogany-and-marble fireplace mantel topped with antique soapstone statues. (Click images to enlarge)

“Good design is a series of calculated choices,” says Gordon, senior architectural designer with Marc-Michaels Interior Design Inc. in Boca Raton. “For this scenic location, we tried to maintain a delicate balance between romantic venue and minimalist retreat.” Their efforts remained focused on framing the view throughout the course of the project.

Gordon and Strasser, as well as custom installer Michael Squitiro of Media Systems of West Palm Beach, understood the needs and desires of the owner, an astute real estate developer, since the trio collaborated together on a previous project with him. As a team, they created a design theme that complements the home’s exterior in an updated Spanish California Mission style, which recalls the majestic oceanfront estates popular on the West Coast.“Our main objectives were to capitalize on the view and capture the mood of a 1920s or 1930s Southern California mansion,” says Strasser, who is Marc-Michaels’ residential design director. “Everything is very light, airy and serene, but with a sense of antiquity and sophistication.”

Leather-clad game chairs with nail-head detailing encircle the convertible game table. To facilitate viewing from the table and bar counter, custom installer Michael Squitiro incorporated a 42-inch Sony plasma TV on a tilting mount above the bar shelving. (Click image to enlarge)

The three-story, 10,000-square-foot residence, designed by architect Tom Benedict of Deerfield Beach’s Benedict Group, is oriented to revolve around the expansive views of the Atlantic  Ocean from every angle. The main living areas of the home on the ground level and in the master suite on the second floor face the aquamarine sea.
 
Another noteworthy feature of the project, next to the beauty of the beach, is the expansive entertainment lounge area on the lower level, which encompasses nearly half of the 2,600-square-foot space. “Aside from a specific request for a non-traditional theater space, we had full creative license,” Strasser says. The designers’ mission was to convey an elegant, upscale ambiance through luxurious finishes and fine craftsmanship, but the space also had to be easy to live in. “The trick was to design the home so you could come in from the beach and sit comfortably anywhere in the house.”

To that end, the main living areas of the home revolve around an organic palette of pale-toned marble, wood and stone that suits the open floor plan. “The main bones of the house are soft and neutral [and] contrast with darker furnishings,” Strasser explains. Light wood finishes connote an informal, beachy feel that provide a nice juxtaposition with Gordon’s straightforward, classically rendered architectural elements. Lustrous golds, tans and browns are infused with iridescent sea-green accents and rich, textural details.In the lower-level entertainment lounge, a dark and moody color scheme arises to differentiate the space from the rest of the house. “We decided to use the absence of natural light to our advantage by creating a secluded, upscale private club theme,” says Gordon.

“This living room afforded us the luxury of providing cathedral space and cocooning space—all within one, unified setting,” says senior architectural designer Barbara Gordon. Culminating at the far end with a cozy library, the living room boasts a minimalist bent that  juxtaposes nicely with the ornate, Spanish-influenced case pieces. “The furniture is meant to be a textural backdrop for the tables and accessories,” says residential design director Jeff Strasser. “There is some Spanish influence in the furnishings, but it’s done in a very understated grandeur—with nothing heavy or dark Mediterranean.” (Click images to enlarge)

The room started out as a linear, windowless space, Gordon continues. To open up the area and increase its functionality, the designers delineated the room both physically and visually.  And the end result? With its traditional mahogany-wrapped paneling and richly textured, deep-toned furnishings, the room has the welcoming effect of a soft cashmere blanket. The paneling conceals the media components in the theater area, while motorized doors pocket into the walls to close off the bar and club room from the theater area. The solution allows the space to work as a large entertainment area or as a series of intimate vignettes that can accommodate numerous activities taking place simultaneously.
 
“Technically, this space is an oversized entertainment area that happens to have a home theater,” says Squitiro, who designed the theater’s audiovisual system as well as the whole-house audiovisual and automation system. “From the outset, the owner requested a flexible space where the media components could be hidden from view when not in use.”In the theater, a 110-inch Stewart ElectriMask screen is framed within a wall of mahogany paneling; the electronically controlled doors flanking the screen can close to conceal it when not in use. Tucked into a small equipment room to the right of the screen, which is accessed through a hidden door seamlessly disguised within the paneling, is a Middle Atlantic rack mounting system. A SIM2 HT200 DLP projector is magically hidden within a detailed mahogany soffit header above the motorized doors separating the theater and the club room. Directly below the screen, behind black acoustical fabric framed in panel molding, hide the front speakers of a seven-channel Sonance Cinema One speaker system. Everything is operated with an AMX Viewpoint Express LCD touchscreen that also controls the lighting system and motorized doors.

The office’s custom mahogany-paneled walls and cabinetry offer a modern edge. Two 32-inch Sony Wega CRT televisions, stacked one on top of the other for simultaneous viewing, vanish behind pocketed doors when not in use. (Click image to enlarge)

Strasser’s selection of traditional seating is more reflective of a sumptuous family room than a home theater. Two full-sized sofas, upholstered in a black-and-gold-patterned chenille, are positioned in an L-formation opposite the screen.  A pair of cozy club chairs and a single ottoman in a contrasting bright green mohair affords additional seating.  Accent pillows in exotic tapestry weaves and leather add a touch of texture. Underneath it all, wall-to-wall carpeting in a vibrant claret-and-peridot floral motif matched with a black background provides an unexpected contrast to the reddish mahogany woodwork.
 
In the home’s grand living room, a monochromatic palette of soft creams and beiges offsets the beauty of the outdoors. A wall of tall windows, augmented by a pair of French doors leading to a terrace, affords an eastern exposure and floods the space with natural light. Golden flooring of Italian honed Giallo Provenza marble defines the room’s tawny palette. Simply painted walls in an ethereal vapor blue are intentionally unadorned to divert attention to the sparkling Atlantic Ocean, allowing the furnishings and architectural elements to stand as artwork.Composed of three sectored groupings, the living area maintains a unified theme in its simplicity and quiet order.  The detailed, coffered ceiling outlines the placement of the main conversation grouping, where Strasser placed a sofa bathed in a textured, sand-toned cotton with two Mission-style chairs and a deep-cushioned armchair. “The sectored groupings and tactile materials, like the basket weave draperies and sisal accent rug, serve to add a touch of relaxation to the space and offset its grand proportions,” Strasser explains.

A writing desk, positioned near the window for seaside daydreaming, provides a quiet spot for morning coffee in the master bedroom. In the master bath, bands of iridescent sea-green mosaic glass set the stage for the extravagance. The heavily molded oval ceiling is replicated with a motif of glass mosaic tiles that outline a checkerboard inset of Thassos and Giallo Reale marble. The glass-enclosed tub area to the right boasts, from floor to ceiling, the same glass tiles lining the tub and shower enclosures. (Click images to enlarge)

To the right, Gordon created a formal entry to the library with Tuscan-style solid stone columns outlined with floor-to-ceiling cutouts shelved in Mexican fossil stone. “This space is quite linear, so we wanted to create an element of romance and mystery that lure guests into the jewel-like space,”Gordon says.

Lending a serene tone are honey-colored walls clad in limed oak paneling. Two cocoa leather armchairs and a high-back wood-and-rattan chair upholstered with tapestry print lend a hint of contrast against the light wood finishes. The room’s centerpiece—a carved fossil stone fireplace with acanthus leaf detailing—echoes the arched motif of the built-in cabinetry. The hardwood floors boast a deep walnut finish. A 42-inch Sony plasma TV above the fireplace is “guillotined” within a sliding panel that converts into a framed landscape painting when the television is not in use.Defining the office is a masculine theme articulated in dark mahogany paneling. A wall of built-in cabinetry defines his office; French doors with transom windows overlook the grounds. Within the cabinetry are two 32-inch Sony WEGA CRT TVs, one on top of the other, for simultaneous viewing or for keeping tabs on the stock market while monitoring the property’s surveillance cameras.

In the master bedroom, the design purposely emulates that of a five-star resort’s oceanfront suite—with the luxuriously appointed king-size bed positioned to take advantage of the view. The well-proportioned room includes a full-sized sitting area near the fireplace and offers the best vantage point in the house. The neutral palette defined in ochre, celadon and sand is derived from the deep gold, vine-patterned draperies that frame a series of French doors leading to a beach-view terrace.

Fossil stone columns add drama to the grand entry of the library. Their simple Tuscan style offers a relaxed note that tones the space’s formality. “This room features the same palette as the living room, but with more intensity to dramatize the setting,” says residential design director Strasser. (Click image to enlarge)

“We tried to create the ultimate ‘feel good’ environment—a true sanctuary from the outside world,” Strasser summarizes. “It has the best of everything without appearing opulent or overdone, plus a nod of nostalgia and a sense of the future.” For real estate inquiries, please call Teppo Uuranniemi at 561.330.0850.