A Modern Touch With A View

Years ago, on Ibis Isle, well-known alndscape architect Mario Nievera never imagined he would move back to Palm Beach; years later, he and his husband, Travis Howe, discovered an available townhouse at the historic Reef Condominiums, and they jumped at the opportunity. The famed 1970s apartments are somewhat of an architectural feat, embodying American modernist glamour. Throughout the years, the Reef has housed some of America’s design royalty, including designer Jonathan Adler and husband Simon Doonan. Now, Nievera and Howe enjoy the unmatched views in the intracoastal townhouse thanks to a collaboration with friend and interior designer Ross Meltzer of Lodge Design Group. “There’s actually very few homes in Palm Beach set this close to the water’s edge on the intracoastal,” says Nievera. “It became a priority to make sure the view wasn’t interrupted, and, if possible, we wanted a bigger view!” This was the plan from the onset as Meltzer and Nievera agreed to treat the entire home as a large suite, using a rotation of the same three fabrics throughout to create a consistent flow and an unsullied accompaniment to view. All the upholstery, custom-designed and made by Meltzer himself, feature indoor-outdoor fabrics by Schumacher and play into the home’s neutral color palette. “There is so much sun that reflects off the water that we wanted the fabrics to be as durable as possible,” says Meltzer. The team, initially inspired by a Tribeca loft, soon saw the design direction become much more soft than the original concept. “It became an extremely clean, minimal, contemporary look, but still very warm and homey, which comes from how all the spaces open into each other,” says Meltzer. This is due largely to the cerused wood barn doors on the side walls of the living room, an invention of Nievera’s. Says Metlzer: “When the barn doors are not closed, they can slide in two directions to give both bedrooms complete privacy. They are a cool modern take on an old element.”—a perfect element for this one-of-a-kind Palm Beach home.

The cerused wood barn doors allow for an open concept home while still providing privacy options

In the kitchen, quartz is used to emulate marble slab and achieve an elevated look