In a year of social distancing, many show houses have shifted from an in-person format to a virtual one, and Casacor Miami is no exception. What has not changed, however, is the fantasy-like element for which Casacor is known.
Available for viewing online through December 22, this year’s showcase tasked five studios—B+G Design Inc., Miguel Lewis Interiors, Collarte Interiors, Jesus Pacheco Architects and Tierni Interiors—with portraying their take on the new home in a post-pandemic world through realistic renderings. Adding to the challenge: The residences must be composed of four storage containers, customized and arranged architecturally to each’s liking. Here, we take a peek inside one.
For their concept, husband-and-wife duo Brett and Giselle Sugerman of B+G Design sought to create a nature-focused space they call the “Healing Oasis.” Relying on tenets of biophilic design, they assembled the containers in a U shape to form a center courtyard and sited the house on a small body of water. The roof was raised to allow for clerestory windows, the roofline extended to protect exterior spaces from the elements, and glass walls open fully to the surroundings. “It’s a small house, so we wanted it to have feeling of peace and tranquility, which is something we’re all craving right now with the chaos happening in the world,” Giselle says.
The Sugermans clad the front exterior deck and ceiling in teak, which transitions into the interior. “I never like when there’s a break from materials,” Giselle explains. “All these uninterrupted lines make the space look bigger.” That mindset repeats in the kitchen, where the countertops and drawer fronts share a Cosentino porcelain. Centering the space is a monolithic stone island, a feature intended to mimic something you’d see in a Zen garden.
The furnishings are clean-lined and minimalistic, and a palette of black, white and gray maintains the focus on the greenery outside. The duo relied on form for their selections, balancing the structure’s angles with items such as a circular dining table, a curved bed and a round living area rug, sofa and coffee table. Noticeably, the pieces are situated to create an uncluttered layout, which Giselle credits for enhancing the soothing atmosphere.
So just who lives here? “Somebody who doesn’t have kids yet—a newlywed couple who are world travelers, are very conscious of the environment, love the South Florida lifestyle and understand how a small space can live big,” Giselle muses. They also use the home for various purposes, including work—hence the desk in the bedroom, she points out.
In the real world, too, the multifunctional requirements of a house likely aren’t going to change in 2021, Giselle predicts. Neither is clients’ concerns about the environmental health of their homes. “Now I ask clients more questions like: Do you have allergies? After all, at the end of the day, that’s what we’re here to do—create an environment that not only looks aesthetically pleasing but also is good for them, literally.”