The Luxurious Interior Design of a Two-Story Miami Beach Open Loft 

A new luxury building in the heart of South Beach presented Diego Rincon, of Diego Alejandro Design, with a fairly unlikely interior design challenge for Miami Beach — a two story, open loft layout. In describing what he chose and did, he offers practical lessons in space and flow for homes high and low, and big and small.

Meridian 5 Loft
Designer: Diego Alejandro Interior Design
Stats: 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Project Duration: 11 months

“My client Jose Bandujo is an entrepreneur—the founder and CEO of an advertising agency in Manhattan,” explains Diego Rincon, principal of Diego Alejandro Interior Design. “We met while I was working in New York, and he said he was looking for someone to help him design his new pied– à–terre that he had recently purchased in Miami Beach.” In order to make the space seem larger and to amplify the loft’s light—which is only indirect, despite the double–height windows—Rincon selected a rectangular white imported tile with a matte finish in the largest format available (24 inches by 48 inches) for the entire apartment. “This way, I was able to reflect the most natural light possible into the space,” he explains. “Then I began to play around with the layout, incorporating large pieces of furniture—like the B&B Italia sectional sofa, the Carrara marble dining table, the cabinets and large pieces of art—not only to get the most efficiency in terms of the use of the space, but to make the loft feel clean and unified.”

Diego Rincon advises that you shouldn’t be afraid of using bold colors—no matter what size the space. “Colors are meant to enrich your life and make you happy,” he says, “and it’s always nice to have color in a small spot that stands out more than the rest. We call them focal points. It could be a wall or it could be a chair—bold touches in small apartments are great because they let you play and explore with different elements without making a huge commitment. You’re supposed to have fun while you’re doing it!” The double–height ceiling allowed Diego Rincon to display the hanging LED light fixture in the dining room area. “It’s by the Dutch company Moooi, and it’s called Heracleum,” Diego Rincon says. 

Source: Modern Luxury, April 2014