A View From The Top

A minimalist interior delivers maximum style, luxury and comfort in this Lauderdale-by-the-Sea penthouse apartment by Toby Zack Designs. 

The simple elegance of the design allows the home’s oceanfront vistas to take center stage. The thoughtful selection and arrangement of pieces optimizes the enjoyment of breathtaking views. 

“The penthouse’s primary living space, with its floor-to-ceiling windows and direct ocean views, gives one the feeling of being on a cruise ship,” says Toby Zack Designer Carolina Velazquez. “It’s absolutely gorgeous,” she adds.

The homeowners, a retired healthcare executive and his wife, used Toby Zack Designs on a previous project and had an established level of trust in the designer’s ideas. When it was time for a refresh, they knew whom to call.

“We knew her style. She knew exactly what we wanted,” the homeowners say. 

 “They loved the first presentation,” says Zack of the homeowners. “Whatever we did, they went with it,” she adds. 

Clean lines and a monochromatic palette are hallmarks of the designer’s style, mixing contemporary and classic modernism to create a serene atmosphere. The Plantation-based boutique firm consists of Toby Zack, who is the founding principal, Velazquez, Jose Arango as project manager and Denise Pernarellas as office project manager. 

Zack, whose award-winning work has been featured in Architectural Digest and Florida Design magazine, has been creating distinctive interiors in the South Florida metro area for more than 30 years. 

The 2,900-square-foot apartment with 9-foot ceilings was completely gutted in March 2019 in preparation for renovation. Furniture installation began as the pandemic lockdowns took place in March 2020, which made for some challenging situations with deliveries, and the project was completed in May 2020.

To create a seamless, high-end look, the designers chose an on-trend, 5-by-5 foot white porcelain tile for the floor throughout the apartment, including the outdoor balcony spaces. 

“The bigger the tile, the more luxurious the installation will be,” Velazquez says. “The floor is so seamless it looks like poured concrete,” she adds.

For many Toby Zack Design clients, art is a big part of their lives. The Lauderdale-by-the-Sea homeowners collect African art. With the minimalist design, “the art kind of pops,” says Velazquez. “It doesn’t compete with anything else. It worked well with the design,” she adds.

 Frameless Italian doors also enhance the museum-like effect of the space. The designer used a palette of gray, white and other neutrals with pops of color and textural interest from the art and objets d’art.

The streamlined, but airy, entry is softened with textured Phillip Jeffries wood veneer wall covering in antique brown along with a gallery-like curation of artworks. Overhead, a custom recessed 2½-inch-wide LED channel track by Pure Lighting illuminates and accentuates the linearity of the space. 

“Lighting is one of the most important elements,” says Zack.

The monochromatic scheme in the living room area features two linen-covered sofas, leather chairs and two marble-topped cocktail tables with chrome bases, adding richness to the space. An area rug ties it all together. 

“It’s very simple, and it’s harder to do simple,” says Velazquez of the living room.

The dining room table is a Toby Zack design of taupe-colored wood veneer with a darker wood base. The white, leather dining chairs are “super comfortable,” Velazquez says. An eye-catching, angular light fixture echoes the geometric lines of the tabletop and base.

When the homeowner sits down at his grand piano, the den/office becomes a de facto music room. The Phillip Jeffries wood veneer wall covering, this time in charcoal, contrasts with the high gloss of the piano and complements the wood veneer desk and cabinetry. Comfortable, neutral-toned seating complete the décor and provides an ideal spot for relaxing, conversing or enjoying a piano performance.

In the kitchen, the homeowner wanted a banquette where she could sit down with her morning coffee and engage in some quiet reading. The designers accomplished this with a slim table and cozy banquette seating with easy-to-clean, indoor-outdoor fabric from David Sutherland. 

“I am pleased that the kitchen is more functional now,” the homeowner says.

The kitchen also features white lacquer electric touch cabinetry by European Spaces. 

“Just touch it and everything opens,” says Velazquez. 

The designers added an island with a quartz top in a Concrete hue and Waterfall edge. It also included a cooktop and a lighted Sirius ceiling vent. 

For the master bedroom, a cherished desk the family wanted to keep adds a personal touch and blends in perfectly with the calming, neutral furnishings. An upholstered platform bed from the Spanish company CasaDesús graces the room and two white chairs arranged in front allow for watching television or engaging in a “tête-à-tête.” A taupey gray Stark carpet adds texture and softness. 

The master bath repeats the European Spaces white lacquer cabinetry and features a gray and white mosaic tile. Chunky wood elements in the form of African stools are perfect for holding towels or scented candles.

“It’s very clean and soothing,” says Velazquez of the bathroom.

Many design projects in apartment complexes require work-arounds. In this apartment, existing plumbing infrastructure presented a challenge. To install the freestanding tub in its location, the builder had to put in a step, which the homeowners objected to at first but were ultimately happy with in the end.

“It worked out because it gives it a grand look,” notes Velazquez.

The master closet continues the wood veneer cabinetry in brown and gray tones with LED strip lighting and the same porcelain on the floors used throughout.

Despite the uncertainties the pandemic posed with deliveries, the project wrapped up successfully. 

“We got through it. Everybody pulled together,” the homeowner says. “A good contractor and subcontractors made it happen,” he adds.

Although there was no “voila” moment as the homeowners own another apartment in the building where they lived during the project, they loved to witness the daily transformation of their home and were elated with the final outcome.

 “To see the smile on their faces, that’s the best part of this whole business,” says Zack.