5 minute read
DAY & NIGHT
Inset and opposite page: Blue angular wall panels with fluted edges unify the dining room and the kitchen, where a Calacatta Gold marble waterfall-edge island by ADP Surfaces centers the culinary space. A custom, sheathed metal chandelier designed by Reginald Dunlap Interior Design and fabricated by Qui Design introduces some curves.
Shimmering like jewelry, the skyline of downtown Orlando glitters beyond the expanse of glass that lines this 3,600-square-foot penthouse perched on the sixteenth floor of Star Tower, nestled in the heart of the city. “If your back is to the windows, you’re still going to see the reflection of what’s behind you,” interior designer Reginald Dunlap says. “And the reflective quality of the space is very important for the owners’ growing collection of sculpture and flat art.” Dunlap shaped an artful interior that feels like home, complete with custom chandeliers that soar 10 to 12 feet above the open floor plan to create layers of architectural detail, as well as graffiti murals by Robert Burks.
The first time Dunlap entered the spacious foyer of this Star Tower penthouse (one of four) he breezed past the “beige-on-cream” palette with pops of cranberry that felt so reminiscent of the early aughts. “This place specifically was a penthouse but didn’t really feel like the couple who lives inside the space,” Dunlap says. Nevertheless, he persisted with his inventory and made his way to the homeowners’ his and her closets. “I always think the palette of their clothes—how they present themselves to the exterior world, how they dress—is important to how they live.”
What he found were racks of gray-on-gray with hints of blue, not unlike the daytime skyline of the surrounding city. Soon the vision of a double palette was minted as opposite sides of the same coin: heads it’s gray-gray, tails it’s blue and white. The two merge as one with flashes of aluminum, gold and brass, prism points and crystals, clear acrylic molds, and mirrored silver. These pops of gilt are to the penthouse as jewelry is
to the wardrobe.
“I like the clients to feel they are seamlessly moving from their main living area to their private space,” Dunlap says. Like a continuum, the living room and master suite share the same palette shimmering with metallic accents. The dining room and the primary guest suite also echo one another. “The dining room pops in blue,” Dunlap says, “pulling that palette into the VIP guest suite.” The Delft blue and porcelain white accessories complement the wall covering. “If we’re going to go blue, we’re going to go all blue,” Dunlap adds.
Surrounded by Moroso chairs imported from Italy, the Moooi Paper Table is constructed from paper, cardboard, and papier-
Above: In the foyer, a striking palette of cobalt blue and shades of white is anchored by furniture designer Jaime Hayon’s matte-lacquer sideboard for BD Barcelona. Left: Brass-framed Phase Design barrel chairs join a Camerich sofa and a Restoration Hardware ottoman in the living room. Below: Magnus Gjoen’s Porcelain Skull (2017) sets the tone for Marcel Wanders’ tablescape of Delft blue and white porcelain.
Right and above: The VIP guest suite’s bold Pop Art graffiti murals by Robert Burks from The Fantastic Faux provide an artistic focal point. Below: Noir’s multitiered chandelier casts circles of light around the master suite, which also includes a Restoration Hardware four-poster bed and a brass fireplace. Opposite page, bottom: A contemporary art piece by Donna Dowless.
mâché. The brass-toned quartz crystal chandelier and wall sconces warm the formal setting, while angular wall panels with fluted edges unify the dining room and kitchen. Here, the signature Delta symbol appears at the base of the Calacatta Gold marble waterfall-edge island, and reappears in the VIP guest suite as wall graffiti
Dunlap collaborated with Burks on the Pop Art accent walls. “When I want to do something insane, I go to him,” the designer says. “I gave him the colors and the Delta symbols. Because the owners are becoming avid art collectors, I wanted the whole space to feel like an art experience. When you walk into this room, I want you to feel like you are in an art installation.” The Delta symbol also grounds the space in the weave of the custom blue, gray, and white Mohawk carpet. In geometric complement, the linear chandelier directs points of light around the space. The opened drapes reveal a sprawling landscape to the north, including the Lake Eola fountain.
Nuanced details in the adjoining seating area were purposely subdued. However, a Worlds Away Console and a metal-framed
Inset and opposite page, bottom: More scenes from the master bedroom. Opposite page, top: Lily white marble flooring from Britannia is inlaid with a pinstripe of metallic gold to luxuriously ground the master bath. A shared double vanity floats in the dressing area, which is equipped with glass-encased closets.
lounge chair from Four Hands topped with Advanced Trading’s faux-fur throw add a touch of glam.
“I like creativity outside of the box … things that I haven’t seen before,” Dunlap says. For the master suite, he wanted the center of the room to be brighter and more luxurious. Ripping out an underutilized media cabinet provided the latitude he needed. “We did some color blocking here,” he says of the master and a second guest suite styled with black walls, gray ceilings, and bold brass accents. The master suite’s palette of gray hues and gold to white is articulated by a freestanding fireplace that floats between the bedchamber and a study. Book-matched Panda marble slabs top a brass base fronting a secondary focal point: an acrylic chair paired with a backlit acrylic desk that breaks into fireworks by night to color the hearthside setting. The special effect is spectacularly reflected in gray mirrors strategically placed throughout the private space. The master bath also features a private perch complemented by a Modshop acrylic chair and an elongated ottoman.
“The owners had seen my work before and gave me carte blanche to do what I wanted,” Dunlap says. “Carte blanche also creates an insane amount of creativity—no box here.” «
