These design stars make Miami's interiors top notch.
Design Duo: Alison Antrobus & Ruby Ramirez
With an impressive project list that includes Icon Brickell and Prime 112 in Miami, Alison Antrobus and Ruby Ramirez have consistently been tapped as a creative force for major product manufacturers and design projects since they began partnering in 2011. The two met while working at the helm of the Miami office of the internationally acclaimed property and design development firm Yoo, which works with design stars Philippe Starck, Jade Jagger, Kelly Hoppen, and Marcel Wanders on multifaceted urban development projects such as the new 65-acre Metropica in Sunrise, Florida, as well as others in Mumbai, Singapore, Moscow, and Buenos Aires.
Though their training and experience are rooted in interior design—both are architects with award-winning residential, restaurant and hotel, retail, and private jet projects under their belts—each is applying her design skills to new realms. Antrobus is making a mark in the fashion world with her revolutionary patented handbag, called the Antrobus Bag, and Ramirez is fusing her love of artisanal craft and international travel in a jewelry collection she plans to launch later this year.
“Design is about creating a narrative and a sense of theater,” says Ramirez. “Theater for me is the emotion that carries you, that lingering impression and at times a sense of wonderment.” Evidence of this idea will soon be seen in the common spaces of the Muse condominium, which they are currently working on in collaboration with building architect Carlos Ott, and the Palazzo del Sol on Fisher Island. Antrobus + Ramirez, 7636 NE Fourth Ct., Ste. 112, Miami, 786-420-2996
French Import: Charlotte Dunagan
Since moving from France to Miami almost 20 years ago, designer Charlotte Dunagan has been making her sophisticated mark on large-scale, high-end residences and boutique commercial projects throughout South Florida.
Dunagan began to cultivate an eye for collectible art and furnishings under the tutelage of her parents—her mother was an interior designer, her father an antiques dealer—when she was growing up in Paris and traveling with them throughout Europe. She later began her formal arts education at the MGM School of Design in Nice, France, and completed it at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, where she graduated with honors before launching her own interior design business in Coral Gables.
Since then, Dunagan has relied on her wide range of international resources to find undiscovered materials and one-of-a-kind pieces to create inherently unique interiors that reflect her clients’ personality and individual style. “When I first meet [my clients], I pick up on all the small details that make them who they are—their clothing, their accessories, even the car they drive provides me with the style direction that is appropriate for their home. I’m a strong believer in building structures that are timeless and creating a very sophisticated background that we will love forever.” Charlotte Dunagan Design Group, 2100 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Ste. 920, Coral Gables, 305-438-0130
Design Junkie: Nisi Berryman
After opening her home furnishings store, Niba Home, in the Miami Design District a decade ago, self-professed “design junkie” Nisi Berryman has been consistently catching the attention of industry luminaries like Kelly Wearstler, Nate Berkus, Juan Montoya, and Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz, as well as celebrity clients like Shakira and Kate Spade. This month, she’s sure to further broaden her reach when she aligns with Maison & Objet Americas to showcase the work of some of her favorite furniture designers—as well as pieces from her own newly launched Nisi B line of furnishings and accents.
Known for her curatorial approach, Berryman (a former design editor for Metropolitan Home magazine) uses the skills she gleaned while working for renowned furniture designer Dakota Jackson in New York, Tui Pranich and Holly Hunt in Miami, and Dacra Development, the original developer of the Miami Design District, to seek out and market her store’s standout furnishings and statement accessories for high-end interiors. “For me, good design is as much about function as it is about flourish,” says Berryman. “I love that tension.”
A magnet for design-lovers who value the unexpected, she partners with prominent Miami manufacturers and notable and emerging names like Greg Lotus, Luis Pons, Seguso, and Jim Magni to create a collection of furnishings that offer a softer, modern alternative to the predominantly Euro contemporary look that prevails in the market. Niba Home, 39 NE 39th St., Miami, 305-573-1939
Interior Excellence: Hernan Arriaga
Dividing his time between Miami, New York, the Caribbean, and Milan, interior designer Hernan Arriaga crafts distinct interiors for some of the most exacting names in the social scene, such as Kelly Rowland, J. Christopher Burch, and Lea and Roy Black. “Inspiration can come from anywhere!” exclaims Arriaga, who is currently at work with his partner, Fabio Lopes, on residential projects in various parts of the US and the Middle East, including the former Al Capone mansion in Miami Beach and Alexander Soros’s townhouse in New York. “It is around us, everywhere we go, every minute, every day. You can find it in a flower garden or in a whimsical sky. We just have to stop and understand beauty and the immensity of the simplest things.”
With that point of view, it’s no wonder he’s valued for the highly personalized homes he designs around the world, including a mostly black pied-à-terre in New York, a mostly white Delano-inspired house in Long Island, and a color-drenched condo in the tropics—all brimming with exquisite furnishings, fine art, and, often, elegant antiques. “There is nothing more exciting than incorporating an old, beautiful piece into a modern room,” he says. “Antiques bring in history that tells a story and becomes part of your family—they also allow you to mix genres and periods to create a magical space with an incredible touch of glamour.” 3401 N. Miami Ave., Ste. 223, Miami, 305-854-9730