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Everything that could go wrong with Nicole and Charles Paloux’s Miami renovation just about did. The Italian tile that came with a 17-week lead time had to be ordered twice. The concrete countertop cracked in half at the fabricator’s workshop due to the Florida humidity. And when the custom kitchen light was scheduled to be delivered, all that was in the crate was someone else’s black Toyota car door. “I think I aged dramatically during the process,” Nicole says with a laugh.
It at least helped that the couple had been on their fair share of construction sites in the past (Charles works in the real estate and hospitality industry, plus a few years back they renovated a lake house in New Jersey together). Even after months of living without a kitchen and grilling most meals outdoors, they could see the light at the end of the tunnel. “Ultimately, all is well that ends well. What we’re left with is something we really love, and we learned a lot along the way,” Nicole shares.
Part of the reason why the renovation took so many twists and turns was because the pair didn’t want to start completely from scratch. Aside from the primary bedroom, bathroom, and guest room, the 1951 home, which is nestled in the historic and lush Morningside neighborhood, had gone largely unchanged over the decades. They didn’t want to lose its charm. “We own this house now, but nothing is forever,” says Nicole. “I want to be a good steward of this house, and to me that means honoring its roots.”
Their renovations leaned heavily on early mid-century details, going for “a modern take on Slim Aarons in Miami, if you will,” describes Nicole. Telling a story through design is her thing: she used to run a theater company in Pennsylvania before launching her PR firm, Red Balloon. Her number one rule for making decisions—be it selecting the chunky island pulls from Nest Studio Hardware or the reflective cabinetry from Reform—was to ask herself, is this sexy? “I didn’t want anything in the space that felt cute or overly charming,” says Nicole.
In need of another sounding board, she brought on an old acquaintance, designer Katherine Lundberg of Briquette Studio, from Philadelphia. For Lundberg, step one was opening up the kitchen to the living room by replacing a dividing wall with a horseshoe-shaped island—something architect Atelier Mey helped bring to life. “I wanted to be able to stand there and still have a view outside into the green, tropical neighborhood,” says Nicole of going with the unusual silhouette. Meanwhile, Lundberg worked closely with Philly-based creative Ian Chapin on making a custom box light to go overhead. The piece is wrapped in burl veneer that was tediously selected from hundreds of potential sheets with the goal of mimicking the tones and texture of the new cork flooring. “We went on a true wild goose chase to find the perfect match,” recalls Lundberg.
The terrazzo countertops from Concrete Collaborative’s Nightpalm collection, on the other hand, were a no-brainer from the jump: the chunky stones against the mossy green backdrop felt fitting for a mid-century Miami home. They chose a slightly more cost-effective terrazzo from the brand (the same aggregate, just on a smaller scale) for the flooring in the enclosed lanai.
When company comes over, the Togo sofa in the living room is the place to be. The modular, corduroy couch can easily seat 10 people “with everyone getting their own little nook or cranny,” says Nicole. Overnight visitors are in for a sweeter treat: The bedroom stars a vintage Danish teak bed with integrated nightstands that was meticulously restored by Modern Hill and the windows are cloaked in sheer curtains by Meridiani Interior.
In the guest bathroom, a mix of 2×2 inch and 1×1 inch banana yellow tiles from DDS Tile wrap the walls. For Lundberg, committing to the tropical hue didn’t feel as risky as hanging a mirror directly in front of the glass block window—a potentially awkward-looking arrangement that could stifle the natural light. “But it paid off beautifully,” says the designer.
The truth is, there’s plenty of sunshine to go around. “We wake up to light flooding the space and shadows of palm trees bouncing around the walls and floors,” shares Nicole. On weekday mornings, Charles will post up in the lanai, surrounded by greenery inside and out, to meditate while Nicole lights some palo santo or Loewe’s Tomato candle and pulls an animal spirit card to inform the day. Luckily, there’s no option in the deck that predicts a construction setback. Those days are behind them.
