Biscayne Bungalow

Tucked away in a mango grove that is within walking distance of one of the world’s most famous tropical downtowns, the Biscayne Bungalow was one of Pricelli’s first projects. The most striking feature of the home was the hardwood floors crafted into narrow widths from white oak, birdseye maple, and ash.

The house was completed in 1941 and included solar panels on the rooftop—not seen from the street—that fueled the hot water heater in the attic crawlspace. When this young couple purchased the house in the mid-1980s, the owner had done virtually nothing to the house and had lived in it since 1941. To put the house on the market, the owner had painted around the furniture. The living room housed a pool table and an industrial pool table light.

But, the bungalow had charm and good bones. The young couple went to work removing carpet and preparing the house for interior design, exterior painting, and new landscaping. When the preparation was complete, they contracted with Pricelli. It was a turnkey project for Pricelli including the landscaping design.

The floors were refinished. The primary bedroom bath was redone and the original tile remained. The tile was a deep ocher with dark red bullnose. Pricelli wallpapered the bathroom walls with a matching floral Brunshwig & Fils floral print. In the hall bathroom, the light blue existing tile was left and the walls were painted in light blue and gray to resemble Venetian plaster.

The fireplace in the living room anchored the room. Above it was a mantel-to-ceiling mirror that was original to the house. On either side, there were plaster niches. Tropical plants were installed in the niches and the furniture and fabrics were off-white as was the wool rug. It was white on white making a very bright room with pops of green in pillows and plants.

Mahogany French doors were installed in the dining room window which allowed the homeowners to step down to their backyard terrace.

The house had three bedrooms, one of which became their office and den. Custom mid-century modern sofas were made for the room and covered in a bright navy blue floral cotton fabric. Meanwhile, the Florida porch was outfitted with beautiful rattan furniture that was bright Spring green fabric and corresponding pillows (see picture).

The exterior of the house was painted a light buttery color with an accent of very light turquoise on the fascia. The roof tiles were pressure cleaned and appeared sparkly white in the Florida sunshine.

Lastly, the landscaping design included elephant ears plants, a Robellini palm, and surrounding Montgomery palm trees. Existing crotons were pruned and brought back to their lush luster. Bouganvilla was planted along the backyard fencing to form a beautiful trellis. The Biscayne Bungalow was a home the young couple loved for the short time they lived there.

Credits

Pricelli

Designer, Interior and Exterior