Interior designer in Key Biscayne
Looking for an interior designer on Key Biscayne?
On Key Biscayne, the island decides before the owner does. Salt air, wind and water shape the choice of every material and opening, and the Village runs its own building department, so we start from what the island and the building allow, then design the interior within it.
Key Biscayne: the buildings and what they demand
What you find here
Key Biscayne is a barrier island reached by the Rickenbacker Causeway. Its first large wave of family houses dates from the 1950s, and condominium buildings followed; both kinds of property are common, and they call for different work.
The island's exposure is part of the design brief. The Village has planned for tidal flooding and approved a bond in 2020 to adapt to it, and a renovation here is judged as much on how it stands up to water and salt as on how it looks.
- Family houses from the 1950s onward
- Condominium buildings, many of them facing the water
- Exposure to salt air, wind and tidal flooding
- A village building department, separate from the City of Miami
What the Village asks
Permits come from the Village of Key Biscayne, not from the county or the City of Miami. For houses in a FEMA flood zone, work that reaches half the value of the building triggers the requirement to bring the whole structure up to current flood rules, which is the figure to know before setting a budget.
Condominium buildings of three habitable stories or more must have a milestone inspection by the end of the year they reach 30, then every ten years, and where salt water is close the local official may require it at 25. On the island, that question is worth asking before buying a unit, not only before renovating it.
- Village of Key Biscayne building permits
- FEMA 50 percent rule in flood zones
- Condominium milestone inspections, possibly from the 25th year near salt water
- Windows, doors and roofing with a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance
Our interior design services in Key Biscayne
The work we are asked for here
Requests on the island come in two kinds: condominiums to transform, and family houses to bring up to date.
- Full renovation of a condominium unit
- Kitchens and baths in a unit facing the water
- Updating a 1950s family house
- Replacing openings with approved impact products
- Interiors for a home used part of the year
What we do
We design interiors chosen for the island: materials, hardware and finishes that hold up to salt and humidity, and a scope that fits the flood and building rules.
- Survey, including exposure, the flood zone and the building's rules
- Space planning, kitchens, baths, lighting and joinery
- Materials and hardware selected for salt air
- Coordination with licensed local engineers where needed
- Tendering and follow-up of the Florida-licensed contractor
The work in Key Biscayne, and our references
How the work runs
Everything reaches the island by the same causeway, deliveries and crews included. We plan deliveries in batches and have samples approved early, so the site is never waiting on a single missing piece.
Much of the work on the island happens while owners are away. We fix the design and the samples with you before you leave; a member of our team on site in Miami follows the work, with written reports and photographs after each contractor visit.
Our work in the area
The studio has not yet completed a project on Key Biscayne. The Appartement Ternes in Paris, an interior designed within an existing building, is the closest reference for condominium work.
Our services, the six-stage process and how our fees are calculated are set out here: Interior design for Mediterranean-style homes in Miami: our process and fees. For the style that shapes many of these houses, see Renovating a Mediterranean Revival home in Coral Gables.
Sources
Questions about a project in Key Biscayne
Who issues permits on Key Biscayne?
The Village of Key Biscayne has its own building department, separate from the City of Miami and from the county. Applications and plans are submitted to it.
Which materials hold up best to salt air?
Stone, glazed ceramics and well-chosen woods age well; many bare metals and some hardware finishes do not. We specify finishes and fittings for a coastal exposure from the first samples, rather than replacing them after the first seasons.
When is a milestone inspection due for my building?
Florida sets it at the end of the year a condominium building of three habitable stories or more reaches 30, then every ten years, and the local official may require it at 25 where salt water is close. The association knows the date; it is worth asking before you buy or renovate.
Can the work happen while we are away for the season?
That is often the best time for it. The design and the samples are settled with you before you leave, the site runs while the home is empty, and you follow it through written reports and photographs.
How long does the design stage take?
The four design stages represent 24 to 49 days of work in total, usually spread over two to four months with reviews and tendering. Construction then depends on the scope and on the building's working rules.
Send us the address, the building's name if it is a condominium, and what you want to change. We will tell you in writing what the island and the building allow, and in what order to proceed.
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