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STATEWIDE ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR AND DINING GUIDE

INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE
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116 Architects, Designers
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Stylemakers Showcase Art
& Furniture With Soul
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New Furnishings & Accessories
From Foyer To Backyard

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Up Close And Personal With
Commercial Design’s Hottest Duo
HOROSCOPE
Page 192

HOME & DESIGN

AUGUST 2008

floridainternationalmag.co m ANNUAL DESIGNERS DIRECTORY

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LOFT LIBERATION
Limited square footage ushers in a sleek
and fuss-free way of life for a design couple and their family
DESIGN BY BRETT SUGERMAN & GISELLE LOOR PHOTOGRAPHY BY BARRY GROSSMAN
TEXT BY LUIS R. RIGUAL

Once Brett Sugerman and Giselle Loor started their new life together, both
as a married couple and business partners, they shed some old skin along
the way. When the time came to buy real estate, the B+G Design principals
opted for a residence that would better reflect the sleek sensibilities for which
their work is known. They found it in a 1,400-square-foot loft blocks from
Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale.
“I was in Cooper City, he was in Weston, in these huge houses and
we were tired of that cookie-cutter lifestyle,” says Loor. “This was an
opportunity for us to live in a space like those we create for our clients.
It changed everything.”
Urban living meant sacrificing space. So with their new lease on life
came a whole new way of thinking about space planning and organization.
“We got rid of all unnecessary extras,” adds Loor. “It was a little daunting at
first, but completely therapeutic.”
In terms of design decisions, the approach to decoration not only had
to be esthetically pleasing, but practical as well, especially with two young
boys in the family equation. Minor architectural modifications were made to
create privacy, mainly through partitions here and there and warehouse-type
sliding doors to seal off the bedrooms.
The main living area is one large and continuous footprint with 11-foot
ceilings and proportions that benefit from natural light. Sugerman and Loor
stayed true to the industrial principles that are the hallmark of loft living
(exposed ceilings, raw walls, uninterrupted floor plans and the like) yet
managed to add warmth and texture by incorporating just the right
amount and mix of period elements and pops of color. The unfinished
quality of the space also allowed the designers to play with the
juxtaposition of ornamentation. In the foyer, a collection of antique Asian
artifacts, including a bronze Buddha head, and a silver leaf mirror proffer a
yin and yang of esthetics.
The one unifying element in the vast living area, which
encompasses both the living and dining room, is a 17-foot credenza that
serves as the main — and only — storage compartment since neither
Loor nor Sugerman wanted closets or cabinets here. To delineate the
space by function, yet still keep it cohesive, special attention was paid
to the furniture arrangements. In the living room, a white sectional sofa
by Steve Grafton anchors the space with its intentional over-scaled
proportion. Eastern sensibilities once again come into play with
additional Hindu objects and a blood-red photographic canvas of
geishas in profile that nods to Loor’s passion for photography. !

90 FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2008

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Above: In the foyer, a collection of original Asian antiques and more

classical elements offer a dichotomy of styles. In the background, Greta
Garbo, a silkscreen by Rupert Smith. Opposite: More Eastern touches are
found in the living area with a photographic canvas, Geisha In The Mirror
by Andreas Reimann from Giovanni Rossi Fine Art in Fort Lauderdale. A
sectional sofa by Steve Grafton hugs the living room.
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Above: The dining area doubles as work space for the designers and features outstanding pieces of furniture and art: prints by Le Corbusier, an Eero Saarinen table,
Brno chairs and the 9 sculpture by Pop Art master Robert Indiana. More modern touches come in the form of a crystal chandelier encased in a polycarbonate diffuser
from Moooi and a banquette constructed with specific size specifications for the perfect pitch. Opposite: The bunk beds in the boys’ bedroom were customized to
allow for maximum play space. Opposite top: Designers Giselle Loor and Brett Sugerman.

92 FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2008

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“Because we have limited square footage,

we had to be economical with our space. But it was worth it
because we finally have a home that truly reflects
our personal style.” — Brett Sugerman

The ambitions for the dining room were

threefold: it had to fulfill its function, double
as a comfortable workspace for the
designers and serve as an impromptu
gathering area when entertaining. It also
happens to be an exhibition space for works
by some of the biggest names in furniture
design and art of the last century: a 50-year
edition table by Eero Saarinen, authentic
Brno chairs, two prints by Le Corbusier
(identical except one is colored and the
other is black and white) and a metal 9
sculpture by Robert Indiana (the Pop Art
master who created the iconic Love
sculpture). That number has special
significance for the family in terms of
birthdays, special occasions and
commemorative dates. (“It’s our version of a
Buddha,” says Sugerman, “even though we
have plenty of those too.”) Much of the art
and original artifacts here, and throughout
the rest of residence, were inherited by
Brett from his late mother, interior designer
Penny Sugerman. Just as striking are the
more modern additions that were added:
a custom banquette for extra seating and
a crystal chandelier encased in a
polycarbonate diffuser from Moooi.
To assure the two boys in the home
would have their own space, their bedroom
was conceived with a playpen frame of
mind. Individual wenge bunk beds in red
and blue, each of which has a desk station
underneath, leave ample space for playing.
At night, projected images of the cosmos on
the ceiling give the room the feel of a
planetarium. To personalize the room,
oversized portraits of Alessandro, six, and
Max, five, hang on a wall, a touch Loor felt
the room needed to completely make it
their own.
“Because we have limited square
footage, we had to be economical with our
space,” says Sugerman. “But it was worth it
because we finally have a home that truly
reflects our personal style.” !

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2008 93