WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE

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Lush green turf softens the pebble and
concrete flooring of the wide, undulating
terrace, where a wicker daybed from
Barlow Tyrie covered in Sunbrella fabric
offers quiet repose as Atlantic breezes
play through the bordering planters.
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WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE
Waves, Sun And Endless Vistas Weave Into Fabulous
Design When This Two-Story Penthouse Getaway Takes
A Graceful Ocean Swell As Its Theme
INTERIOR DESIGN Danielle DePerro, D. DePerro Design, Inc.,
West Palm Beach, FL
INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE Thomas Benedict, The Benedict
Group, Inc., Deerfield Beach, FL
BUILDER Joe Dimauro, JSD Builders, Inc., Boca Raton, FL
TEXT Marina Brown
PHOTOGRAPHY Robert Brantley, Delray Beach, FL
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IF NATURE ABHORS THE STRAIGHT
line, then so must interior designer Danielle DePerro.
Although she knows when to employ vertical lines for
height and drama, this 10,500-square-foot penthouse
condominium in Fort Lauderdale’s Ritz-Carlton literally flows on the inspiration of a wave. The curvilinear
sweeps of the 25-story building’s exterior design set
the theme — with DePerro embracing these aquatic
lines as her own.
But there was work to be done before the designer,
interior architect Thomas Benedict and builder Joe
Dimauro could take the plunge. “When the owners
showed me the residence they were thinking of
purchasing, I looked around and told them, ‘to attain
what you want, this will all have to go and we’ll need
to start from scratch,’” DePerro says. Having worked
with the owners on a previous home, the designer’s
frankness didn’t dissuade them. But there was one caveat:
this four-bedroom weekend home had to be ready in
seven months. “We worked mostly from Danielle’s
designs,” Benedict says. Removing all interior walls,
ABOVE: In the living room, hidden, automated sun screens hide behind the floor-to-ceiling
window’s soffited steps, while glass mosaic tiles line the stairway risers. A chenille sofa
from Kravet, Swaim lounge chairs from Judith Norman and an onyx and wenge-wood
cocktail table from Stone International are all grounded by a Surya area rug.
LEFT: In the dining room, interior designer Danielle DePerro eliminated heavy moldings,
woodwork and casings; concentrating instead on vertical window lines and an eyeappealing ceiling structure. Bentley Churchill chairs in a S. Harris silk diamond pattern
from Jeffrey Michaels surround the DePerro-designed table. An AXO Murano glass light
fixture from Capitol Lighting casts a warm glow over the setting.
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FLORIDA DESIGN VOL. 20 NO. 3
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ceilings and floors, “we took the
two-story space and the 11,000
square feet of 360-degree wraparound balcony expanse down to
the raw concrete,” he says. “All
that remained was a thematically
congruent floating staircase.”
DePerro says that the owners,
whose primary residence is five
miles away, saw their penthouse
retreat as both a private and
public domain: open and spacious
for comfortable entertaining, and
more private areas for family time
with their children. Keeping the
palette neutrally warm against
the cool blue shades of sky and
sea, the living room is awash in
drama with the existing staircase
trim painted to resemble the
Brazilian walnut flooring. DePerro
then added a serpentine soffit to
match the cascade of the curvedglass balustrades. Like bubbles in
the ocean, or from a glass of cold
champagne, Eurofase’s crystal
chandelier sparkles upward, while
crimson-leather lounge chairs
and a glowing onyx and wengewood cocktail table pump color
into a conversational grouping
anchored by a gold chenille sofa.
RIGHT: Confronted with two structural pillars
in the middle of the living room, DePerro
covered them in wenge wood and circled
them with fine wines suspended on beveled
starfire glass shelves, creating a cooled
treasure house for connoisseurs with
custom woodwork by NYE Portfolio.
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“I often get inspiration from architectural strength,” DePerro says. “And it
was The Ritz-Carlton’s oceanic lines — and the owners’ trust — that
gave me a latitude to find the perfect balance of structure and design.”
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ABOVE: For a warm, comforting feel, the family room features
a sunny palette of yellow and green. A sprawling leather sofa
by Gamma International pairs with Thayer Coggin lounge
chairs covered in a fun Lee Jofa silk that repeats in the
accent pillow’s trim. A zebrawood bench forms geometric
detail along with round occasional tables from Vanguard.
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FLORIDA DESIGN VOL. 20 NO. 3
To the left of the living room, silk diamonds appear on the dining room chairs that
surround a DePerro-designed table. Though the home has little more than 8-to-9-foot
ceilings, here the designer didn’t shy away from drawing the attention upward to a
sparkling light fixture in a recessed ceiling with hidden LED lights.
But it is the sprawling wine room that welcomes visitors from the entry. In soft camel
leather, the four-piece, double-crescent sectional sofa provides views of the intimate
piano alcove and a wine collection with over 350 perfectly chilled bottles. Working
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Textures
abound in theDetails
master bedroom
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around massive structural columns, DePerro clad them in
silver-traced wenge wood and created four entertainment
areas — the wine room, a pair of honey onyx bar tables and
chairs, a setting of four lounge chairs and a tasting table, and a
space for the self-playing baby grand. Inverted wine goblet
pendants allow connoisseurs to check for color and legs.
Following the residence’s u-shaped configuration, the
more intimate family room faces a tranquil eastern horizon.
In joyous yellow, leaf and cherry, the family can watch TV,
play billiards or sip something from the zebrawood-clad
white wine cooler set in the custom-designed bar. The 14-foot,
camel-leather sofa, and leather and stainless steel barstools
provide plenty of seating. Here, the designer played with
horizontal lines and stripes, from a wool Nourison area rug
to the DePerro-designed cocktail table’s stainless steel
struts. As a respite, contemporary curves are served up in the
lounge chairs covered in a playful fabric from Lee Jofa.
ABOVE: For sheer luxury, try walking on glass, such as in the master bath, where
Venetian glass planks by Hirsch Glass Corporation cover the floor. Sparkling
mosaic tiles look like art as they blanket walls and columns, and flank a Keuco
double-sided mirror. A honey onyx countertop from Casale Marble Imports finishes wenge-wood cabinetry to complete the elegant look of the space.
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ATOP THE 25TH FLOOR, A 35-FOOT-LONG WADING POOL
OFFERS AN INVITATION TO COOL OFF ON LOUNGE CHAIRS
FROM PHILLIPS COLLECTION, WHILE THE WATERFALL
SHELF PROVIDES SOOTHING SOUNDS.
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With perfect symmetry, the ceilings of the master bedroom are just as interesting as its
furnishings. Employing coffers, floating ceiling panels, trays and tightly suspended fixtures, the
room gives a feeling of height. Dark flooring against a lighter ceiling provides the same sleight
of hand. DePerro’s greatest challenge took place in the adjacent master bath, where a restricted
space gave way to innovative fun. Now, the owners share a vanity island with matching square
sinks divided by a double-sided mirror. The shower sits between glass-fronted commode spaces,
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FLORIDA DESIGN VOL. 20 NO. 3
whose clear panels, when the light is turned on, immediately become opaque. When not in use,
the wraparound vista is an unimpeded 180 degrees of the Intracoastal Waterway.
And what did the owners think of their seven-month miracle? DePerro laughs. “In the last
stages of completion, we always ask the owners to resist coming until the day of the presentation,”
she says. “I think, in this case, the look on their faces and their words were saying the very same
thing: stunning and overwhelming.” Just the right reaction to a residence that makes a big wave.
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SOURCES
Terrace
Wicker daybed and ottoman - Barlow Tyrie,
High Point, NC
Wicker chaises - Brown Jordan, DCOTA,
Dania Beach, FL
Dining Room
Dining table and console fabricated by NYE
Portfolio Co., Boca Raton, FL
Chairs - Bentley Churchill, Taylorsville, NC
Light fixture - AXO Light, Capitol Lighting,
Boca Raton, FL
Artwork - The Art Resource, Inc.,
Hallandale Beach, FL
Living Room
Stairway tiles - Tamiami Tile, Delray Beach, FL
Stairway faux finish - Pierre International
Painting, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Sofa - Kravet, DCOTA, Dania Beach, FL
Lounge chairs - Swaim, Judith Norman
Collection, DCOTA, Dania Beach, FL
Cocktail table - Stone International, High Point,
NC
Light fixture - Eurofase, Capitol Lighting,
Boca Raton, FL
Area rug - Surya, Inc., Calhoun, GA
Wine Room Area
Wine room, wall paneling, tasting table and
ladder fabricated by NYE Portfolio Co.,
Boca Raton, FL
Sofa - American Leather, Design Depot,
Miami, FL
Accent pillow fabric - Kravet, DCOTA,
Dania Beach, FL
Lap and bar tables - Elite Manufacturing
Corp., Design Depot, Miami, FL
Occasional table - Bailey Street, Southern
Accessories Today, AmericasMart, Atlanta, GA
Barstools - Bonaldo, Design Depot, Miami, FL
Piano - Yamaha, Piano Music Center,
Pembroke Park, FL
Pendants over bar tables - Italamp,
Capitol Lighting, Boca Raton, FL
Family Room
Sofa - Gamma International, Design Depot,
Miami, FL
Lounge chairs and ottomans - Thayer Coggin,
Inc., High Point, NC
Bench, magazine rack and wall sculpture on
bar - Global Views, Southern Accessories
Today, AmericasMart, Atlanta, GA
Sofa accent pillow and bench fabrics - Pindler &
Pindler, Inc., DCOTA, Dania Beach, FL
Ottoman fabric - Kravet, DCOTA, Dania Beach, FL
Cocktail table fabricated by NYE Portfolio Co.,
Boca Raton, FL
Bar fabricated by Designs By Innovative, Inc.,
Boca Raton, FL
Countertop fabricated by Eurostyle Glass
Colours, Inc., Boca Raton, FL
Mirror work fabricated by Bruno’s Mirrors and
Glass, Inc., Plantation, FL
Round occasional tables - Vanguard Furniture,
Hickory, NC
Square occasional table - Arteriors Home,
High Point, NC
Light fixtures - Talana, Design Depot,
Miami, FL
Barstools - Airnova, Decor and Design Studio,
Dania Beach, FL
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FLORIDA DESIGN VOL. 20 NO. 3
. . . continued from page 160
Area rug - Nourison, Carpet Designs Unlimited,
Delray Beach, FL
Master Bedroom
Entrance doors - Springbok Millwork Distributors,
Everglades Design Center, Boca Raton, FL
Benches - Century Furniture, DCOTA,
Dania Beach, FL
Headboard fabric - Pindler & Pindler, Inc.,
DCOTA, Dania Beach, FL
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FLORIDA DESIGN VOL. 20 NO. 3
Bed covering and bench fabric - Kravet, DCOTA,
Dania Beach, FL
Lounge chair and cocktail table fabrics - Robert
Allen, Robert Allen | Beacon Hill, DCOTA,
Dania Beach, FL
Lounge chairs and cocktail table fabricated by
Rags, Commerce, CA
Bedside tables and chest fabricated by NYE
Portfolio Co., Boca Raton, FL
Sconce - Light Bulbs Unlimited, Boca Raton, FL
Light fixtures - Sonneman, Farrey’s Wholesale
Hardware Co., Inc., North Miami, FL
Pendants - Global Views, Southern Accessories
Today, AmericasMart, Atlanta, GA
Cabinetry fabricated by Designs By Innovative, Inc.,
Boca Raton, FL
Countertop - Casale Marble Imports, Inc.,
Delray Beach, FL
Area rug - Surya, Inc., Calhoun, GA
Master Bath
Cabinetry fabricated by Designs By
Innovative, Inc., Boca Raton, FL
Wall and column tiling fabricated
by CJ Marble & Tile, Inc.,
Boynton Beach, FL
Wall and column tiles, and Venetian
glass flooring - Hirsch Glass Corp.,
Tamiami Tile, Delray Beach, FL
Countertop - Casale Marble
Imports, Inc., Delray Beach, FL
Sink faucets - Paul Decorative
Products, Everglades Design
Center, Boca Raton, FL
Tub - Hydro Systems, Everglades
Design Center, Boca Raton, FL
Mirror - Keuco, Everglades Design
Center, Boca Raton, FL
Light fixtures over mirror - Q
Lighting, Fans & Design,
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Drapery fabric - Création
Baumann, Jeffrey Michaels & Co.,
DCOTA, Dania Beach, FL
Pool Area
Pool and waterfall fabricated by
New Image Pools and Spas, Inc.,
Margate, FL
Lounge chairs - Phillips Collection,
High Point, NC
Throughout
Exterior architecture - Arquitectonica
International Corp., Miami, FL
Doors - Everglades Design Center,
Boca Raton, FL
Recessed ceilings fabricated by
Ocean Coast Drywall,
Deerfield Beach, FL
Recessed lighting and electrical
work - Larry Visi Electric, Inc.,
Deerfield Beach, FL
Faux finish - Don’s Custom
Service, The Villages, FL
Custom bedding and window
treatments - Drapery Castle,
Boynton Beach, FL
Painting - Mike Maki, Inc.,
Royal Palm Beach, FL
Tile installation - CJ Marble & Tile,
Inc., Boynton Beach, FL
Florals - Petal Pushers LLC,
Boca Raton, FL
Outdoor floor planters - Hooks and
Lattice, Carlsbad, CA
Turf - South Florida Putting Greens
& Outdoor Concepts LLC,
Pompano Beach, FL
Terrace flooring - Tamiami Tile,
Delray Beach, FL
Brazilian walnut flooring - Designer
Floors, Delray Beach, FL