Family Matters

When the homeowners of this 1980s era home overlooking the golf course at Woodfield Country Club in Boca Raton wanted a renovation of their 4,000 square foot residence, they kept their children and grandchildren in mind. The retired couple from Long Island tasked Michelle Brandfon of MRB Designs Inc. with creating an elegant, yet comfortable and inviting home to suit their lifestyle when they are in Florida. The warm contemporary style design delivered on the clients’ needs for a sophisticated, modern and family-friendly update to their four-bedroom second home.

“It needed everything,” says Brandfon. “It was a complete house gut, tearing down walls, moving walls, moving plumbing — a full renovation and design.”

The home’s exterior was updated as well, including putting in new hurricane windows.

Brandfon, the owner, founder and CEO of MRB Designs Inc. in Delray Beach, has specialized in residential reconstructions and customized interior designs for over two decades.

“My sweet spot is knocking it down and putting it all back together,” says the designer. Brandfon got her start in the design business in New York before moving to South Florida. She has designed everything from lofts in New York City to waterfront properties and golf community homes in Florida.

Brandfon, whose passion for design began in childhood, says, “I take so much pride in everything I do. I’m grateful and lucky and proud of the outcomes. My tagline on every Instagram post is ‘I truly love what I do.’”

The designer first gets to know her clients and they get to know her. She takes the time to determine the clients’ needs, objectives and style preferences and works with them to create the home of their dreams.

The Woodfield Country Club project, in the planning stages at the beginning of 2019, took about a year and a half to complete. With this project Brandfon says, “The homeowner was very good at letting me lead her. She really respected my opinion and took my guidance very well.”

Living Color

The homeowner and designer did not want to go with the gray trend. They chose a palette of white, some gray, creams and the homeowner’s favorite color, purple, along with black accents. Purples and blues became the major focal point and are woven throughout the furnishings in the house. Providing a backdrop for the entire home (except in bathrooms and the laundry room) are custom, red oak charcoal engineered wood floors.

“The homeowner was not afraid of color, which I appreciate,” says Brandfon. She adds, “Everybody’s home should be different. That’s important. It’s yours.”

In the custom white kitchen with Shaker style cabinetry, Brandfon let in the light by opening a wall on the second floor, hiding a column in one of the two, 24-inch double pantries. The 100-inch island is topped with Caesarstone quartz in Empira, which has a pure white base with an infusion of black. The room features a 36-inch refrigerator, 24-inch freezer and a 24-inch wine cooler, all by Subzero, a 36-inch Wolf cooktop with custom-designed stainless and white wood hood and double Wolf wall ovens.

A cozy corner banquette adds seating for informal dining in the kitchen area. “I always use banquette seating when I can,” says Brandfon. “It’s a great use of space. I have one in my home too.” The blue faux leather covering is kid-friendly, easy to clean and ties in the blue.

Details, Details

In the family room off the kitchen, Brandfon continued weaving the palette colors in through touches of blues, purples and grays in the art and pillows and in the black oak behind the TV. The light-colored sofa is covered in a high performance, custom Romo fabric.

“They want to live in it, sit and not worry,” says Brandfon.

The designer renovated the room so that there are three back walls instead of six, creating a more harmonious space. One wall contains the bar area, which the homeowner wanted near the kitchen instead of the dining room. Treating all three walls is a light, textured wallpaper. Sheer window treatments let the light in, going from the 21-foot ceiling to the floor.

“The house is all about the layers, the details,” says Brandfon. “Every little detail is picked out, every piece of wallpaper, every nook and cranny thought out.”

She adds, “Putting a house together is like a puzzle. Once the puzzle comes together, it forms a home.”

The designer’s meticulous attention to detail is evident in the dining room and sitting room, both rooms visible upon entering the glass front entry door.

Each wall in the formal dining room is treated differently, either with wallpaper or molding. A black oak wall unit, which Brandfon redesigned from an existing space, adds visual appeal from both the dining room and the entry hall and adds storage space on the dining room side.

The custom Roberta Schilling black oak dining table that seats 10 will be the setting for many memorable meals. The pièce de résistance of the room is the light fixture, “a work of art,” says Brandfon. The floating lilies fixture was designed and crafted to suspend gracefully over the 118-inch table. The upholstery on the dining chairs also brings in a touch of purple and the legs on the chairs, a touch of black.

The room’s interest extends beyond the dining room window with a remote-controlled waterfall feature, an outdoor architectural element that creates drama and is bound to get a conversation flowing. The waterfall wall can also be seen from the master bedroom and the office.

Diagonally across from the dining room is a very pretty sitting room, a quietly elegant space with an open feel, perfect for enjoying a cocktail or sharing a conversation or just relaxing and enjoying the fire from the two soft, purple chairs or the gray sofa with custom pillows. The centerpiece of the room is a 21-foot linear fireplace wall covered in a pale lilac wallpaper.

“Contemporary can be cold. I kept this house very warm,” says Brandfon.

Sweet Dreams

The master bedroom on the main floor is a neutral and peaceful sanctuary, replete with sumptuous textures. “I love serene bedrooms,” said Brandfon. “I don’t put a ton of color in my bedrooms. You want to relax, chill out.”

The headboard extends from floor to ceiling and all the bed linens are custom made. Schumacher wallpaper is used on the walls. Pendant lighting frees up space on the night tables. A sofa, covered in a purpled gray Romo fabric, sits at the foot of the bed. The sheers on the windows also have a touch of a soft purple hue with blackout shades behind promoting a good night’s sleep. In this room, the homeowners’ private oasis, the designer used a custom, light-colored rug.

No need to go to a spa with this home’s matching his and her fully marble bathrooms. Clean, white “shaker with a twist” custom cabinetry, marble accents, soaking tub, spacious shower and a sparkling chandelier provide luxurious personal space.

Also conveniently located on the main floor is the home office, which doubles as a guest room with a sleeper sofa, a walk-in closet and an attached full bath. Built-ins provide ample room for a workstation and display of books and objets d’art.

A glass railing on the stairway to the upstairs bedrooms gives the home a light and airy feel, says Brandfon. The treads on the stairs have the same red oak charcoal as the flooring throughout the house. The second story had a bump out that Brandfon straightened out and opened to give the space a clean and linear look, as well as a view of the golf course.

Brandfon describes the main floor powder bathroom as “subdued and subtle,” a mood she created using black matte cabinetry, waterfall marble on both sides of the countertop and Arte wallpaper with a hexagon design.

Subtle is a word Brandfon uses to describe the entire home design. “It’s so beautiful, so well put together. I loved every room. Everything just flows.”

Visiting the grandparents will always be a treat.