On our cover, a Miami native hired architect Robert Wade and landscape architect Raymond Jungles to design his winter retreat in Key Largo. The owner wanted to honor the architecture he had grown up with in Coconut Grove, holding a particular fondness to the old stone houses of the 1910s and 1920s. Sheathed in oolitic limestone that was quarried from different sites throughout the coral ridge running from Vizcaya to Homestead, the stone-clad house echoes the charm of those original tropical houses. Inside exotics woods and natural materials bow to the main attraction, a breathtaking view over an infinity edge pool panning to the Atlantic beyond. Stone sourced from the Atlas mountains; cypress reclaimed from rivers in northern Florida; Dade County pine from an old elementary school in Homestead due for demolition and Cuban mahogany from an old football stadium in Ohio were used in various manifestations throughout the house. The story of the construction of this house is fascinating.

In Baldwin Park, Orlando, builder/developer Charles Clayton assembled a team to design a showcase house incorporating true green design concepts. Architect Geoffrey Mouen, interior designers Kim Deddens and David Brown and landscape architect Corey Mills collaborated on a house that includes both modern green architectural elements as well as time-tested tropical design concepts. This house represents a new, fresh look for Florida. In Coral Gables, architect Ramon Pacheco and interior designer Marisel Diaz designed a classic, Mediterranean home for clients of European and Peruvian heritage. In addition to reflecting the clients traditional design sensibilities, the house was skillfully designed to display an enormous collection of art and antiques.

Renowned architect Donald Singer designed a masterpiece on the intracoastal in keeping with his legacy of bold, modern architecture. And for the interiors, Miami interior designer Dennis Jenkins took his cue from the architecture, deftly melding the modern with the traditional to maintain the warm, livable spaces his young clients requested, all the while honoring it's architectural envelope. In Vero Beach, architect Harry Howle, interior designer Sandra Burris and builder Toby Hill tackled a major renovation of a house on John's Island Sound. Here too, comfort and family living were paramount to the homeowners. In Jacksonville, a young, growing family sought to design a house that borrowed from the traditions of Cape Cod and Old Florida. They chose architect Richard Skinner and interior designer Larry Wilson to design their riverfront house. Despite old Florida details, both inside and out, clean lines and crisp furnishings give the house a contemporary aesthetic while it remains simple and cozy.

In Miami, interior designer Fanny Haim gave her clients both form and function in a contemporary apartment on Sunny Isles Beach. Haim created a “cocoon of luxury” while also designing spaces with dual functionality, like a home theater that converts to a guest bedroom via a Murphy bed. It exemplifies good, clever interior design.

And finally, we note the passing of interior designer Cecile Peeples, who died in April after a long battle with leukemia. We have published several projects of Cecile's over the last decade and are proud to have featured her classically beautiful interiors.

We continue to publish the very best that Florida has to offer. Enjoy!

Olivia Hammar, Publisher