It’s taken just shy of 80 years for this modern beach house to come to life, but it was worth the wait. Modernist architect Charlotte Perriand originally designed this chic waterfront cottage back in 1934, and using her sketches, French fashion house Louis Vuitton constructed and furnished this place to coincide with this year’s Design Miami fair. The U shaped plan puts a covered terrace at its heart, with glazed volumes encircling this luxe, lounging hotspot. Check it out!
La Maison au Bord de l’Eau, which translated to “the house beside the water,” was designed as part of a competition to create a cheap vacation houses, held by French architecture magazine L’Architecture d’Aujourd’hui. Perriand’s design took second place, and was modified for the well-heeled. But the original never took shape – until now. It’s ironic that the design finally came to fruition at the hands of one of the most luxurious and expensive brands.
The house boasts just the right blend of casual, comfortable and cool – a perfect place to kick back and indulge in the sun, sand and surf at The Raleigh Hotel on South Beach. The wood clad house sit above the sand on wood blocks, with a rear ramp ushering you in.
Two volumes are connected by a rear corridor, creating a U shaped plan centered around a central living area that is sheltered, yet open to the beach breeze and views. Overhead, a luminous ceiling lights up the warm, wooden interiors.
Separating public and private areas, one wing houses is kitchen, living and dining areas, while the other boasts the bedrooms and bath.
Sliding glass walls open interiors onto this central alfresco living area.
This dining area seems to float in this vast open space, defined by its furnishings – a simple table and tree-stump stools that complement the casual look and feel of this beach house.
It’s all in the details…
The cooking, dining and living volume is an intimate space perfect for keeping close company with family and friends.
The dining nook boasts a large, long table with bench seating on one side and stools on the other, able to accommodate a large, boisterous group, dining and sipping drinks into the wee hours. A pair of pivoting, wall-mounted lights illuminate the whole space.
The kitchen is the picture of simplicity – a place for everything and everything in its place. The wood walls, floors, cabinets and breakfast bar are punctuated by a black countertop. Black-framed windows feature snapshots of the lush outdoors.
At the other end of the home, the bed and bath volume offers privacy from the social spaces. Beds designed by Perriand remind us of elegant rollaways – very much in line with the overall aesthetic of the house, which is simple with touches of elegance.
The bathroom boasts a contemporary twist, with a continuous wood floor and metallic walls that extend from the shower and through the rest of the space.
Design Miami
via Dezeen
