DIANA TODOROVA (© Diana Todorova Photography 2022)
700 9th ave S_ Front Daylight Horizontal 1
The Bauhaus-style architecture and floating walkway into the home make it stand out from its neighbors. Straight lines and large-scale, striated porcelain tile throughout create cohesion. (Diana Todorova Photography)
Straight lines and flat surfaces are surprisingly unforgiving, so it’s often the simplest-looking houses that require the most skill and finesse. That was certainly true of this modern beauty Plum Interiors designer Eileen Marcuvitz and her husband, Andrew, commissioned from Village Architects of Key Biscayne, Inc. and Big Island Builders.
The 4,100-square-foot, four-bed, four-and-a-half-bath home commands attention from the get-go. The concrete residence has a three-step walkway, wrapped in porcelain tile, that seems to float over a lit and filtered zero-edge pond. Above, a slatted overhang extends from the roof. The complex design reads as modern and minimalist. “We had looked at homes around Naples, and everything was so repetitive,” Eileen says. The couple aimed to mix things up. They originally had no intention of building a new home at this stage of their lives and careers, with Andrew being semi-retired and having spent years building another home in Rhode Island. But they were swayed when they spotted a similar design by Village Architects in South Beach. When it was completed, their Bauhaus-style residence earned the builder three 2022 Sand Dollar Awards, including best kitchen and pool.
You enter the home directly into the living room through a large glass and bronze pivot door. Inside, a back-lit drop ceiling and massive walls of windows and sliding doors provide generous views of the outdoor living area and the pool. “We wanted to be sure we got plenty of light into this area,” Big Island Builder’s Jay Bowerman says. The room is balanced with Christian Liaigre sofas over a Tibetan silk carpet from Holly Hunt. Robert Natkin’s oil painting anchors the room.
Throughout the home, the rectified porcelain, large-scale tile stands out with its striated pattern. The 24- by 48-inch tile finds its way into the outdoor living areas, pool deck and up the side of the building, giving texture to the home’s silhouette.
The uniformity and architectural minimalism continue in the kitchen, which commands the open floorplan, with its dark Poliform solid wood cabinetry. The grain patterns were hand-aligned, and the millwork goes right to the 12-foot ceilings, drawing the eye up and hiding virtually all appliances. The waterfall edge island is covered in a Cristallo quartzite, as are all kitchen surfaces, including in the hidden pantry and adjoining laundry room. A low linear window behind the double-faucet sink adds light to the area, while white Poliform upper cabinetry provides more linear visual impact and a great deal of storage.
If there’s a guiding force for this residence, it’s symmetry. In the dining area, the large, custom, alabaster and brass lighting fixture by Gabriel Scott required exact mounting points along its entire length. It hangs from an inverted drop ceiling over a Holly Hunt dining table and chairs. The ceiling design allows for curtain rails to be hidden, while the flush baseboard with reglet trim keeps everything clean. Eileen and Andrew’s appreciation for high design shows in the family room, which is smartly outfitted with a Poliform Mad Joker armchair in Hermès leather and Poliform fabric over a Christian Astuguevieille rug.
Throughout, wallpapers add texture and playfulness, as seen in the powder room, with its peach-colored graphic finish and the second-floor entertainment room’s grasscloth gray-blue coverings. Elsewhere upstairs, bedrooms exude laid-back sophistication. The primary suite has a wall of glass overlooking the pool, drop-down soffits that hide integrated curtains, and oversized his-and-hers walk-in closets. The primary bathroom brings back the rectified porcelain tile, plus wall-mounted faucets and a tub filler. A third-floor, roof-level sun deck looks out to nearby Cambier Park and can be accessed via the home’s elevator.
At Eileen and Andrew’s request, retaining walls were built around the entire property to level the site. The pool perfectly spills over on two sides. To complete the look, the porcelain tile found throughout the home dives below the waterline for a seamless flow and a home that impresses from all angles.
Architect: Village Architects of Key Biscayne Builder: Big Island Builders Interior Design: Plum Interiors Photography: Diana Todorova Photography
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