Photography by Matt Horton Photography
When an interior designer accepts a commission before a home is constructed, he or she assumes the role of an artist, like beginning a painting on a brand new, never-before-used canvas. It’s the kind of challenge Eloise Kubli, owner of Collective Construction and Design in Plantation, enjoys most. When she was asked to design the interior of a two-story waterfront home that was to be built in the Las Olas Isles, she was excited about the possibilities. “I was able to work with both the architect and the builder to design the home from the ground up,” she says. “It’s my favorite kind of project.”
The 8,000-square-foot structure by builder Danny Minkin and architect Randall Stofft has five bedrooms and seven baths. The owners—a professional couple with two teenage boys still at home, a daughter recently off to college and two dogs—wanted a home that was comfortable yet stylish, good for easy entertaining and of course, pet-friendly. Kubli chose a color palette of whites, grays and ivories mixed with bronzes, antique golds and satin nickel metallics. Flooring in most of the main living areas is a durable porcelain tile that perfectly mimics wood.
Susan Rocco, owner of KitchenWorks, designed the custom cabinetry in the kitchen and baths. She also designed and installed the countertops and installed the appliances.
The Foyer
A 22-foot ceiling and an elegant staircase create instant visual drama in the foyer. Instead of the faux wood porcelain tile in other rooms, flooring is custom, laser-cut Calcutta marble with stainless steel insets. “I wanted to define the large space and create a sense of arrival,” Kubli says.
Beveled mirrors framed in white molding cover one wall and reflect the staircase, which has dark walnut steps, risers painted a sharply contrasting white and a wrought iron railing. A collection of crystal bubbles framed in silver leaf forms the large chandelier.
The Living Room
The entry to a transitional space leading from the foyer to the living room is bordered in walnut, and walls are clad with marble illuminated from the floor. In the living room, maple beams with a dark finish add visual interest to the ceiling. Gray silk side panels frame floor-to-ceiling glass doors, and above them, a gray, linen-wrapped cornice hides motorized shades.
A two-sided linear gas fireplace that opens to both the living room and club room has a gray-veined quartzite surround. Venetian plaster adds texture to the wall above, and suspended from the ceiling is a large chandelier with elongated crystals and a washed gold frame. On the floor, a wool rug in tones of blue, gray and white adds softness and texture.
A sofa and loveseat upholstered in iridescent gray cotton have maple legs with a charcoal finish. Gray Ultrasuede covers two swivel chairs; between them is a circular metal drink table with an anthracite finish. The rectangular cocktail table has a blackened steel base, and the driftwood-finished oak top looks as if it’s floating. Side tables have complementary oak tops and steel bases.
Dining Room
In the dining room, a recessed wall holds a dozen small paintings from the owners’ personal collection. LEDs illuminate them from above, while beneath them is a maple buffet detailed with bronze corners and pulls. Stationary gray silk side panels with European pleats frame the window, and woven gray sheers between them filter sunlight.
Two angular bronze bases support the dining table’s distressed oak top. Chairs have maple frames with a high-gloss, lacquered finish and bronze striated detailing. Buttonless biscuit tufting on the backs of the chairs adds interest to dove gray upholstery, and a stunning, oval-shaped chandelier with a bronze-and-gold frame and antiqued mirrored panels casts a romantic glow.
The Kitchen
A white lacquer wet bar between the kitchen and dining room has a dark Caesarstone top with a one-sided waterfall edge. Floating shelves offer display space.
In the kitchen work area, simple white Shaker-style cabinetry creates a clean, fresh look. On a focal wall, a U-shaped, gray maple surround frames the range and upper cabinets, while mirror bands the bottom of the white hood.
On one side of the surround is the freezer; on the other is the refrigerator. Both are clad with white panels that match the cabinets. A textured white marble-and-glass backsplash is eye-catching. Countertops are dark Caesarstone. “I needed something to contrast with the white cabinetry and the floor,” Kubli says.
The large island has a gray maple base. The double-waterfall-edged dark Caesarstone top matches the perimeter counters and the wet bar, and maple-framed stools have dove-gray upholstery with the same buttonless biscuit tufting and bronze detailing as the dining room chairs. Illuminating the island are three handblown Murano glass pendants suspended above.
The breakfast table features a distressed oak top with a charcoal finish and an open center seam. Chairs have open backs with frames covered in gray vinyl. A wrought-iron-and-channel-glass chandelier hangs above.
The gray maple base of a wine storage cabinet matches the island. Above it, floating shelves suspended from the wall are illumined with recessed LEDs. The entrance to a transition space between the kitchen and living room mimics the one in the foyer: The entrance is framed in walnut, and walls lit from the floor are clad in marble.
Family Room
Wood ceiling beams in the family room create a sense of continuity with the living room. An ice blue wool rug adds color and texture to the floor, and a cornice covered in casual striped linen hides motorized shades. Dark navy chenille with silvery accents covers a comfortable sofa and love seat, and antique brass ferrules protect the charcoal wood legs from wear. Two chairs upholstered in fog-gray linen swivel so a user can face the room or turn to enjoy the view of the Intracoastal Waterway.
Completing the seating group is a gray velvet bench with brass stiletto legs. A two-tiered coffee table has a metal frame and a distressed, charcoal-toned wood top, while a drink table between the swivel chairs has slender, tapered metal legs that support a marble top holding a concrete lamp with a white drum shade.
The Club Room
The sophisticated club room offers yet another place to relax or gather with friends. To create a cozy feel, walls are painted a darker gray than other parts of the house, and instead of faux wood porcelain tile, the floor is covered with soft, gray-and-white patterned, wall-to-wall carpet. A large, steel-blue sectional faces this side of the linear fireplace that is framed in dark, dramatic basalt honed volcanic stone slabs. Directly in front of the fireplace, a bench upholstered in gray leather and topped with a black velvet bolster offers a perfect spot for a closeup view of the flames.
Cocktail and end tables have steel bases and oak tops with wire brush texturing. A lamp on the end table has an open, carved wood base finished in antique gold; at the other end of the room, a tilted floor lamp is likely to catch second looks. Gold latticework accents the dark wood backs of two half-round side chairs, while between them, an asymmetrical bronze table adds an edgy feel.
Mudroom and Cabana Bath
For a family with three kids and two dogs, a mudroom is a practical addition. White cabinetry and a bench topped with a contrasting dark cushion offer storage, and hooks provide a place to hang bags and hats.
Friends and family members coming in from the pool or boat can change in the cabana bath, which has walls covered in gleaming LusterStone and a mirror framed with burnished silver leaf. The white quartz vanity top holds a sink made from natural stone; a wall-mounted faucet adds another sophisticated touch.
The Loft
A loft at the top of the staircase has a balcony overlooking the Intracoastal. Cork wallpaper is painted deep blue with underlying silver accents. On the floor, a woolrug in shades of gray, white and blue is a perfect complement.
Curved crystal spikes outline the wrought iron perimeter of a dramatic, drum-shaped chandelier. The front panels of a maple console table are made from crushed eggshells lacquered to a hard finish, and blue and white pillows brighten the gray Ultrasuede sectional. A maple cocktail table offers a place to set drinks or snacks, while an accent table is topped with petrified wood.
Master Suite
An elegant, beaded crystal chandelier hangs from a white tray ceiling in the master bedroom. Blackout fabric lines dark gray draperies framing windows that overlook the pool. The rug is soft gray, white and yellow.
The bed, nightstands, side chairs and ottoman were among the furnishings the owners brought from their former home. Kubli dressed the bed, however, with embroidered fabric and a gray, white and yellow coverlet that complements the rug.
Pearl LusterStone covers the walls of the master bath, which has a deep soaking tub and gray lacquer cabinets crowned with white marble. A delicate, skirted white vanity chair offers a place to do makeup, and a mosaic adds visual interest in the frameless shower.
Outdoors
On the covered patio, white vinyl sling chairs with gray aluminum frames surround a glass-topped table large enough for alfresco dinner parties. A second seating area features four chairs upholstered in white Sunbrella and a cocktail table topped with white glass. Twin fans hang from a ceiling covered in dark cypress.
The newly built house is now home—a peaceful retreat for family, durable enough to stand up to teenagers and pets, and an ideal place to entertain friends.
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