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STATEWIDE ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR AND DINING GUIDE

INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE

DESIGN NOW!
116 Architects, Designers & Decorators Speak Out

THE INSIDE STORY

150+ Pages Of Florida Residences, Penthouses, Vacation Homes & More

MINDS OVER MATTER

Stylemakers Showcase Art & Furniture With Soul

PRODUCT LINE-UP

New Furnishings & Accessories From Foyer To Backyard

EXCLUSIVE: YABU PUSHELBERG

HOROSCOPE Page 192

Up Close And Personal With Commercial Designs Hottest Duo

AUGUST 2008

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HOME & DESIGN

ANNUAL DESIGNERS DIRECTORY

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Limited square footage ushers in a sleek and fuss-free way of life for a design couple and their family
DESIGN BY BRETT SUGERMAN & GISELLE LOOR TEXT BY LUIS R. RIGUAL PHOTOGRAPHY BY BARRY GROSSMAN

LOFT LIBERATION

Once Brett Sugerman and Giselle Loor started their new life together, both as a married couple and business partners, they shed some old skin along the way. When the time came to buy real estate, the B+G Design principals opted for a residence that would better reflect the sleek sensibilities for which their work is known. They found it in a 1,400-square-foot loft blocks from Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale. I was in Cooper City, he was in Weston, in these huge houses and we were tired of that cookie-cutter lifestyle, says Loor. This was an opportunity for us to live in a space like those we create for our clients. It changed everything. Urban living meant sacrificing space. So with their new lease on life came a whole new way of thinking about space planning and organization. We got rid of all unnecessary extras, adds Loor. It was a little daunting at first, but completely therapeutic. In terms of design decisions, the approach to decoration not only had to be esthetically pleasing, but practical as well, especially with two young boys in the family equation. Minor architectural modifications were made to create privacy, mainly through partitions here and there and warehouse-type sliding doors to seal off the bedrooms. The main living area is one large and continuous footprint with 11-foot ceilings and proportions that benefit from natural light. Sugerman and Loor stayed true to the industrial principles that are the hallmark of loft living (exposed ceilings, raw walls, uninterrupted floor plans and the like) yet managed to add warmth and texture by incorporating just the right amount and mix of period elements and pops of color. The unfinished quality of the space also allowed the designers to play with the juxtaposition of ornamentation. In the foyer, a collection of antique Asian artifacts, including a bronze Buddha head, and a silver leaf mirror proffer a yin and yang of esthetics. The one unifying element in the vast living area, which encompasses both the living and dining room, is a 17-foot credenza that serves as the main and only storage compartment since neither Loor nor Sugerman wanted closets or cabinets here. To delineate the space by function, yet still keep it cohesive, special attention was paid to the furniture arrangements. In the living room, a white sectional sofa by Steve Grafton anchors the space with its intentional over-scaled proportion. Eastern sensibilities once again come into play with additional Hindu objects and a blood-red photographic canvas of geishas in profile that nods to Loors passion for photography.

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Above: In the foyer, a collection of original Asian antiques and more classical elements offer a dichotomy of styles. In the background, Greta Garbo, a silkscreen by Rupert Smith. Opposite: More Eastern touches are found in the living area with a photographic canvas, Geisha In The Mirror by Andreas Reimann from Giovanni Rossi Fine Art in Fort Lauderdale. A sectional sofa by Steve Grafton hugs the living room.

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Above: The dining area doubles as work space for the designers and features outstanding pieces of furniture and art: prints by Le Corbusier, an Eero Saarinen table, Brno chairs and the 9 sculpture by Pop Art master Robert Indiana. More modern touches come in the form of a crystal chandelier encased in a polycarbonate diffuser from Moooi and a banquette constructed with specific size specifications for the perfect pitch. Opposite: The bunk beds in the boys bedroom were customized to allow for maximum play space. Opposite top: Designers Giselle Loor and Brett Sugerman.

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Because we have limited square footage, we had to be economical with our space. But it was worth it because we finally have a home that truly reflects our personal style. Brett Sugerman

The ambitions for the dining room were threefold: it had to fulfill its function, double as a comfortable workspace for the designers and serve as an impromptu gathering area when entertaining. It also happens to be an exhibition space for works by some of the biggest names in furniture design and art of the last century: a 50-year edition table by Eero Saarinen, authentic Brno chairs, two prints by Le Corbusier (identical except one is colored and the other is black and white) and a metal 9 sculpture by Robert Indiana (the Pop Art master who created the iconic Love sculpture). That number has special significance for the family in terms of birthdays, special occasions and commemorative dates. (Its our version of a Buddha, says Sugerman, even though we have plenty of those too.) Much of the art and original artifacts here, and throughout the rest of residence, were inherited by Brett from his late mother, interior designer Penny Sugerman. Just as striking are the more modern additions that were added: a custom banquette for extra seating and a crystal chandelier encased in a polycarbonate diffuser from Moooi. To assure the two boys in the home would have their own space, their bedroom was conceived with a playpen frame of mind. Individual wenge bunk beds in red and blue, each of which has a desk station underneath, leave ample space for playing. At night, projected images of the cosmos on the ceiling give the room the feel of a planetarium. To personalize the room, oversized portraits of Alessandro, six, and Max, five, hang on a wall, a touch Loor felt the room needed to completely make it their own. Because we have limited square footage, we had to be economical with our space, says Sugerman. But it was worth it because we finally have a home that truly reflects our personal style.

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