The design of this remodel of a small two-level residence in Noe Valley reflects the owner's passion for Japanese architecture. Having decided to completely gut the interior partitions, we devised a better-arranged floor plan with traditional Japanese features, including a sunken floor pit for dining and a vocabulary of natural wood trim and casework. Vertical grain Douglas Fir takes the place of Hinoki wood traditionally used in Japan. Natural wood flooring, soft green granite and green glass backsplashes in the kitchen further develop the desired Zen aesthetic. A wall to wall window above the sunken bath/shower creates a connection to the outdoors. Privacy is provided through the use of switchable glass, which goes from opaque to clear with a flick of a switch. We used in-floor heating to eliminate the noise associated with forced-air systems.

Modern - Contemporary Interior Designs By J Design Group in Miami, Florida. Aventura Magazine selected one of our contemporary interior design projects and they said: Shortly after Jennifer Corredor’s interior design clients bought a four-bedroom, three bath home last year, the couple suffered through a period of buyer’s remorse. While they loved the Bay Harbor Islands location and the 4,000-square-foot, one-story home’s potential for beauty and ample entertaining space, they felt the living and dining areas were too restricted and looked very small. They feared they had bought the wrong house. “My clients thought the brown wall separating these spaces from the kitchen created a somber mood and darkness, and they were unhappy after they had bought the house,” says Corredor of the J. Design Group in Coral Gables. “So we decided to renovate and tear down the wall to make a galley kitchen.” Mathy Garcia Chesnick, a sales director with Cervera Real Estate, and husband Andrew Chesnick, an executive for the new Porsche Design Tower residential project in Sunny Isles, liked the idea of incorporating the kitchen area into the living and dining spaces. Since they have two young children, the couple felt those areas were too narrow for easy, open living. At first, Corredor was afraid a structural beam could get in the way and impede the restoration process. But after doing research, she learned that problem did not exist, and there was nothing to hinder the project from moving forward. So she collapsed the wall to create one large kitchen, living and dining space. Then she changed the flooring, using 36x36-inch light slabs of gold Bianco marble, replacing the wood that had been there before. This process also enlarged the look of the space, giving it lightness, brightness and zoom. “By eliminating the wall and adding the marble we amplified the new and expanded public area,” says Corredor, who is known for optimizing space in creative ways. “And I used sheer white window treatments which further opened things up creating an airy, balmy space. The transformation is astonishing! It looks like a different place.” Part of that transformation included stripping the “awful” brown kitchen cabinets and replacing them with clean-lined, white ones from Italy. She also added a functional island and mint chocolate granite countertops. At one end of the kitchen space, Corredor designed dark wood shelving where Mathy displays her collection of cookbooks. “Mathy cooks a great deal, and they entertain on a regular basis,” says Corredor. “The island we created is where she likes to serve the kids breakfast and have family members gather. And when they have a dinner party, everyone can mill in and out of the kitchen-galley, dining and living areas while able to see everything going on around them. It looks and functions so much better.” Corredor extended the Bianco marble flooring to other open areas of the house, nearly everywhere except for the bedrooms. She also changed the powder room, which is annexed to the kitchen. She applied white linear glass on the walls and added a new white square sink by Hastings. Clean and fresh, the room is reminiscent of a little jewel box. I n the living room, Corredor designed a showpiece wall unit of exotic cherry wood with an aqua center to bring back some warmth that modernizing naturally strips away. The designer also changed the room’s lighting, introducing a new system that eschews a switch. Instead, it works by remote and also dims to create various moods for different social engagements. “The lighting is wonderful and enhances everything else we have done in these open spaces,” says Corredor. T he dining room overlooks the pool and yard, with large, floorto- ceiling window brings the outdoors inside. A chandelier above the dining table is another expression of openness, like the lens of a person’s eyeglasses. “We wanted this unusual piece because its sort of translucence takes you outside without ever moving from the room,” explains Corredor. “The family members love seeing the yard and pool from the living and dining space. It’s also great for entertaining friends and business associates. They can get a real feel for the subtropical elegance of Miami.” N earby, the front door was originally brown so she repainted it a sleek lacquered white. This bright consistency helps maintain a constant eye flow from one section of the open areas to another. Everything is visible in the new extended space and creates a bright and inviting atmosphere. “It was important to modernize and update the house without totally changing the character,” says Corredor. “We organized everything well and it turned out beautifully, just as we envisioned it.” While nothing on the home’s exterior was changed, Corredor worked her magic in the master bedroom by adding panels with a wavelike motif to again bring elements of the outside in. The room is austere and clean lined, elegant, peaceful and not cluttered with unnecessary furnishings. In the master bath, Corredor removed the existing cabinets and made another large cherry wood cabinet, this time with double sinks for husband and wife. She also added frosted green glass to give a spa-like aura to the spacious room. T hroughout the house are splashy canvases from Mathy’s personal art collection. She likes to add color to the decor through the art while the backdrops remain a soothing white. The end result is a divine, refined interior, light, bright and open. “The owners are thrilled, and we were able to complete the renovation in a few months,” says Corredor. “Everything turned out how it should be.” J Design Group Call us. 305-444-4611 Miami modern, Contemporary Interior Designers, Modern Interior Designers, Coco Plum Interior Designers, Sunny Isles Interior Designers, Pinecrest Interior Designers, J Design Group interiors, South Florida designers, Best Miami Designers, Miami interiors, Miami décor, Miami Beach Designers, Best Miami Interior Designers, Miami Beach Interiors, Luxurious Design in Miami, Top designers, Deco Miami, Luxury interiors, Miami Beach Luxury Interiors, Miami Interior Design, Miami Interior Design Firms, Beach front, Top Interior Designers, top décor, Top Miami Decorators, Miami luxury condos, modern interiors, Modern, Pent house design, white interiors, Top Miami Interior Decorators, Top Miami Interior Designers, Modern Designers in Miami, J Design Group Call us. 305-444-4611 www.JDesignGroup.com

Paul West

Large Kitchen, island, fireplace and butlers pantry.

Eliot Cohen

Stainless steel cabinets and appliances create a sleek modern look in this small kitchen. Open shelving for easy access to dishes. Mosaic glass back splash acts as focal point.

This high rise, loft style kitchen incorporates modern design elements using stylish materials and hidden appliances. The horizontal, lift up wall cabinets and floating shelves allows sufficient and functional storage in this minimalist design layout. The soft grey color palette in the cabinetry blends in with the industrial elements of the dwelling structure yet allows the purple accent wall and surrounding art to stand out as focal points in this kitchen. One of the most important requests this client had was that the kitchen needed to take advantage of the dramatic skyline views. The appliances needed to be hidden from view as best possible. A soft, neutral color palette so that she could incorporate her favorite colors, purple and black, in accessories and art. Everything needed a place to be stored so there would be no clutter on the countertops. Due to the structural requirements in the building, a large concrete support column was the biggest design challenge. The location of this column made it difficult to ensure that the client had adequate walkway clearance between the living area and kitchen without sacrificing storage. In the original layout, the shape and location of the island and its attachment to the concrete column blocked the fantastic view of the city skyline. In order to improve this walkway clearance, the island was pushed out further into the kitchen so that it became in-line with the column. A shallow depth, tall cabinet then replaced a standard 24” deep cabinet to widen the walk-space. In conjunction with moving the island, the shape of it was altered so that the cook-top could be relocated to allow the client to cook, congregate and take in the fabulous view of the city. Designed by Tiffany Edwards and Micqui McGowen. Interior Design by Natalie Schorr. Photographed by Miro Dvorscak.

photo by: Сергей Красюк vista dell'isola cucina in marmo di Carrara. Sgabelli About a Stool, neri di Hay. Cucina realizzata da Cesar Cucine. Rubinetteria in acciaio satinato di Cea Design. Vetro retro-verniciato grigio sulla fronte sala d pranzo.

This very minimal kitchen with Lacquered Sycamore panels, Calacatta Marble countertops and back painted glass backsplashes is clean without being cold. The glass and steel counter stools are from Sloan Miyasato. Photo by: Patrik Argast

Velina Davidson

Three rooms were combined to create this space. The new "L" shaped space includes a dining area, kitchen and family room and is the heart of the house. Extensive custom cabinets transition from the kitchen to the family room. Photos: Bob Greenspan

The kitchen and dining area in the open plan have modern touches and ample room for cooking and guests. Natural stone and marble countertops mix with painted cabinets, stainless appliances and modern classic furniture pieces. Photo by Whit Preston.

A unique blend of visual, textural and practical design has come together to create this bright and enjoyable Clonfarf kitchen. Working with the owners interior designer, Anita Mitchell, we decided to take inspiration from the spectacular view and make it a key feature of the design using a variety of finishes and textures to add visual interest to the space and work with the natural light. Photos by Eliot Cohen

As the clouds change color and are in constant motion along the coastline, the house and its materials were thought of as a canvas to be manipulated by the sky. The house is neutral while the exterior environment animates the interior spaces.