Florida Design – Digital Edition Volume 29-4

My former neighbors in Miami were renovating their home and doing a full-on design upgrade at the same time. A box truck emblazoned with the name of a company based in High Point, North Carolina pulled up toward the end of the process. “Are you moving your furniture back in?” I asked. “No, my designer and I went shopping in High Point,” she replied. Shopping in High Point? This past October, I had the opportunity to attend this exciting semi-annual furniture market in High Point with our editorial team. I was able to see firsthand the absolutely massive presentation of furniture, lighting, rugs, accessories, fabrics and wall coverings that designers have access to. After three days, and dozens and dozens of showroom visits, my wife asked me nicely to please…

Stunning art and exciting interiors fill this issue of Florida Design as winter beckons our cultural season. It’s not only fabrics and furnishings that make a home really stand out; sometimes it’s unique elements that form the foundation of the space, creating an exquisite backdrop for the interior scheme. On the cover, interior designer Ruta Menaghlazi partnered with architect Jon Kukk and builder Mike Vitte to transform a large-scale property into a 13,000-square-foot contemporary home that pays homage to Bali-style architecture with a touch of West Indian influence. Avid collectors of art and antiquities, the homeowners came to the table with collected photos from their world travels, and contemporary as well as traditional art from around the globe. Colombian-born Juan Montoya was just the international designer to create the perfect…

Miami plays host anually to more than 20 international art fairs, 1,200 galleries and thousands of artists as curators, connoisseurs and enthusiasts mix, mingle and feast one’s eyes on an incredible array of contemporary art during Miami Art Week. While Art Basel Miami Beach and Design Miami/take the lead, satellite fairs including Red Dot, Spectrum, Pulse Miami Beach, Context, Scope and Art Miami hold their own with vibrant and engaging exhibitions. Champagne flows and elbows rub at gala openings, museum exhibits and after parties, where music, art and fashion pair with fabulous food and tropical breezes to set the stage as Miami once again becomes the epicenter of the international art world for one amazing week.…

Artistic energy thrives in Miami at the onset of December as artists, collectors and gallery owners, the chic and the artistically enlightened descend upon the international fair, Art Basel Miami Beach at the nexus of North and South America. Now in its 17th year, this extravaganza enjoys a popularity that extends beyond the mere buying and selling of art with events across Miami. Distinguished as the premier art show of the Americas, Art Basel Miami Beach — which runs concurrently with Design Miami/ — hits the heart of the “Magic City” as a celebratory force compelling the international elite of art, fashion and business to stage elaborate parties and a myriad of events from tours through private collections to impromptu street performances. And then there are the crossover events featuring…

Friedman Benda has made a fan of Sandra Velasco-Diaz, the Miami-based principal of EOLO Architecture + Interiors who was first introduced to the New York gallery through Design Miami/. This year she was “mesmerized” by Najla El Zein’s dominating, enigmatic Fragmented Pillars, fashioned from plaster sand. Born in Beirut, the artist studied product design and interior architecture in Paris, and her work is now part of the permanent collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Dallas Museum of Art. Fragmented Pillars is a perfect distillation of her interest in space and sensuality. Design Miami/has long benefited from its fortunate setting, adjacent to the Miami Beach Convention Center, which hosts Art Basel Mami Beach. But the furniture fair’s 15th edition showed that its success is about far…

Unique treasures, rare and unusual art, antiques and jewelry from around the word speak for themselves as top-tier exhibitors present their finest pieces at The Palm Beach Show hosted at the County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Fla., from Feb. 13-18, 2020. Punctuated by a vivacious enthusiasm, this red-letter rendezvous celebrates with an all-new look as many of the world’s most distinguished dealers gather over Presidents’ Day Weekend. palmbeachshow.com…