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A CONTEMPORARY KEY BISCAYNE BEACH RETREAT, DESIGNED WITHUNIQUE CUSTOMIZED PIECES CRAFTED FROM NATURAL MATERIALS,CONVEYS THE FEEL OF A MUCH LARGER SPACE

INTERIOR DESIGN BY DAVID MIRANDA AND DIANA URIBE, DIDA HOME, CORAL GABLES, FLTEXT BY DEBORAH S. HARTZ-SEELEYPHOTOGRAPHY BY TROY CAMPBELL, MIAMI, FL

LIVING LARGE

hen a young Chilean couple with a large blended family acquired a vacation townhome

in Key Biscayne, Fla., they knew it came with some limitations. They liked the sleekness and

airy feeling of the home’s modern lines but, because it had only 3,300 square feet, the space

had to be used wisely to give it a larger feel. To design the home, the couple commissioned

David Miranda and Diana Uribe, a design team who originally met in college in Ecuador

and later moved to Miami where they became business partners.

ABOVE: In the entry, natural light reflects in an oversized mirror to create the appearance of a larger space.

An acacia root console table, a walnut wood paneled wall and a metal-framed rattan chair in a corner, adds

a touch of nature. “It doesn’t get much more organic than a tree root,” interior designer David Miranda says.

ABOVE: Dividing the living and dining spaces, Dida Home’s custom-designed shelving lends artistic appeal

to the home. In the dining area, Kaleidoscope, a butterfly photograph by Briana Sophia, suspends from

the back wall to lend hues of sky blue, vermillion and bits of lime green to the sleek white room.

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FLORIDA DESIGN’S MIAMI H&D 10-192

Up for the task, the duo’s initial contact with the couple

began with e-mails and phone conversations while they were

still in South America. “We had never met, but the owners had

viewed our work and liked it,” Uribe says. Together, the

designers discussed the family’s needs and asked them to

send photographs of interiors and places that they liked.

Once the work had begun, Miranda and Uribe set out to

create a unique piece of furniture for the family. Known as their

signature, the designers create one special piece for each client

to be crafted by local artisans. In this home, it’s the angular

solid walnut book shelving that divides the living and dining

areas. “If you take a look around this house you will see many

angles,” Miranda says. “When we design, we always take into

consideration the materials the client likes as well as the

architecture and the flow of the floor plan.”

In the dining area, the design team displays their skill in

manipulating smaller spaces with Dida Home’s custom-designed

table fashioned with a walnut and rubbed steel base bordered by

walnut chairs cushioned in blue velvet — a perfect fit for the

diminutive area.

To announce the main living spaces, the designers add

interest to an entry wall with the natural look of an acacia root

console table that contrasts with the angular, crisp lines of a

sleek mirror.

ABOVE: In the breakfast area, a Mid-Century Saarinen “Tulip” table

topped with carrara satin marble is accompanied by Eames “Eiffel”

side chairs. A one-of-a-kind sari silk area rug from India adds color.

NATURAL MATERIALS LEND INTEREST IN THE LIVING AREA IN THE FORM OF A300-POUND PETRIFIED WOOD ACCENTTABLE; COCKTAIL TABLES WRAPPED INVOLAKAS MARBLE AND MIRROR, ANDFRAMED SHELL PHOTOGRAPHY.

Neatly angled in a corner, the breakfast area is set for casual dining. An Eero Saarinen marble-topped table

and a pair of Eames chairs are functional pieces that tuck perfectly into the smaller space atop a patterned,

silk area rug that provides a pop of color.

A neutral palette continues in the living area with a hint of nature’s sky in petroleum blue-velvet accent

pillows on a sofa clad in off-white Belgian linen. “If you have a big piece of furniture you don’t want to

choose a bold color because you may tire of it,” Uribe says.

Outside on the inviting patio, sofas covered in slate-hued Sunbrella fabric and accented with pillows

from JANUS et Cie form a social grouping. Nearby, the family enjoys their meals alfresco in the dining alcove

set with a custom-designed teak table lined with Ipe-wood stools that slip underneath.

“In the end, we succeeded in making this contemporary vacation home beachy yet elegant with

plenty of room for a family with lots of kids,” Uribe says.

ABOVE: In the outdoor dining area, Dida Home’s custom-designed teak table is based in concrete and flanked by a pair

of Louis and Victoria Ghost Chairs designed by Philippe Starck from Kartell and, underneath, Ipe-wood stools are

sized perfectly for children.

“OUT HERE ON THE PATIO, COLOR COMESFROM THE STREET, THE SKY, THE WHITE OF THE POOL AND THE GREEN OF THEGARDEN — NOT FROM OUR DESIGN ELEMENTS,” MIRANDA SAYS.

LIVING LARGE c o n t i n u e d f r o m 9 4

SOURCES DINING AREADining table and dining chairs - Customdesigned by Dida Home, Coral Gables, FLCenterpiece sculpture and flooring - Owners’ CollectionArtwork - Natural Curiosities Art House, Los Angeles, CAPendant lighting - Niche Modern, New York, NYENTRYWood console table and flooring - Owners’ CollectionMirror and paneling - Custom designed byDida Home, Coral Gables, FLCacti on console - Plant the Future, Miami, FLSwivel chair - Palacek, Richmond, CABREAKFAST NOOKBreakfast table and dining chairs - Knoll,Design Within Reach, Miami, FLFur covers and white accent pillow fabric - Custom designed by Dida Home, Coral Gables, FLSculpture on table - Two’s Company, Elmsford, NYTray - Violetas, Coral Gables, FLArtwork - Owners’ CollectionStool with holes - Poliform, Milan, ItalyArea rug - F.J. Kashanian Rug Gallery,Secaucus, NJ LIVING AREA Sofa, cocktail tables, white and blue accent pillow fabric, shelving and console - Custom designed by Dida Home, Coral Gables, FLArmchair - Thayer Coggin, Inc., High Point, NCOccasional table, fur accent pillow fabric, petrified wood sculpture and area rug - Owners’ CollectionCactus, bowl and planter - Plant the Future,Miami, FLArtwork - Art Addiction Co., New York, NYFlower wall decorations - Two’s Company,Elmsford, NYRecessed lighting - Farrey’s, North Miami, FLOUTDOOR SITTING AREASofa - Harbour Outdoor, Sydney, Australia Fabric - Sunbrella, Glen Raven, NCAccent pillow fabrics and area rug - JANUS et Cie, Miami, FLArmchairs - Westminster Teak, DCOTA, Dania Beach, FL Cocktail table and sculpture - Customdesigned by Dida Home, Coral Gables, FLAccessories on cocktail table - Owners’ CollectionSconce lighting - Delta Lighting Center, Vero Beach, FLFlooring - Porcelanosa, Miami, FL OUTDOOR DINING AREA Dining table and hanging glass planters - Custom designed by Dida Home,Coral Gables, FLDining chairs - Kartell, Miami, FLDining stools - Owners’ CollectionDecanters and planter on table - Roost Home Decor, Sausalito, CA THROUGHOUTLandscape architecture - South BayDevelopers, Miami, FL, and Dida Home, Coral Gables, FL

FLORIDA DESIGN’S MIAMI H&D 10-196

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Cover photo by Scott Frances, New York, NY