CHANGE OF HEART
A Complete renovation inside and out gives a designer his dream home

S. Marc Thee and his partner, Eric Baptista, can attest to the fact that people find what they’re looking for as soon as they stop looking. Not in search of a home but rather a project. Thee, principal designer of Marc-Michaels, stumbled upon a structure in Miami Beach that captivated his creative interest enough to become his home.

The unassuming, and admittedly unremarkable, façade needed immediate transformation. In an effort to create a warmer environment, Thee added outdoor drapery, covering hurricane shutters and softening the angles of the house. He also employed canvas sun sails, amorphous slopes that add extended dimension and create a point of interest in the otherwise straightforward architecture. Because the structure sits in the back corner of the lot and lacks a backyard, Thee turned the front yard into an enclosed private living space. This involved the addition of a hedge, which closes off the property. Closer to the front door a complete overhaul in the landscape architecture replaced unkempt palm trees with smaller succulents and trimmed round hedges.  There’s also an enclosed bird aviary, in honor of Baptista, who has loved and collected birds since childhood.

            Initially, because of an exorbitant number of doors, the bedroom felt choppy and not fluid enough. “The goal was to unify the area,” says Thee, “so he replaced doors with sliding fabric walls.” In keeping with the warm tones, golden tinged bedding ties in accents from the sitting room, like the modern hanging chandelier with the silver painted frames above the bead and the glass light fixtures on the bedside, which are made from antique chandelier parts.

Thee redesigned the family room with a modernist atmosphere in mind. A fireplace, originally flanked by white bricks, was covered in mahogany panels and a slab of Nero-Portoro granite, Although most proponents of classis 1950s architecture would bemoan Thee for this decision, the designer insists that the brick “ wasn’t right want I wanted to accomplished. It wasn’t warm enough.” The luscious upholstery on the couch and pillows juxtaposes the cool surfaces on the fireplace, creating a comfortable and cozy living space. Complementing the earthy tones of the furnishings are Balinese and Asian antiques. In the nearby living room, two gigantic warrior birds stand together, combining Baptista’s love for birds, Thee’s earthy design mentality, and the couple’s shared sentiment for antiques.

Because there was no time frame for the project, Thee “just kept acquiring until the house was ready to be presented.” What started as another project is now home. “I hope we don’t get tempted by any other waiting-to-be transformed property any time soon,” he says. “Because we’d really like to stay put.”