Global Touches Rule in Elegant Pinecrest Home

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“Keep it timeless. Have fun with color. Nothing too precious. Comfortable… tailored… a little chic.” Alex Alonso remembers these words all too well. They came from a husband and wife with two kids who had just purchased a 9,100-square-foot residence in Pinecrest and had turned to the Miami-based interior designer to make it a home.

It was a tall order, especially considering the Spanish-style house boasts more than seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms, plus guest quarters. The project also demanded various adjustments, including the alteration of a wall and the removal of columns and corbels, so that the structure would no longer resemble a certain chain eatery known for its ornate excess. “It was built in the early 2000s,” says Alonso, “and it was living in the Grand Lux restaurant version of itself.” Like the homeowners, however, the designer saw the residence’s potential and enthusiastically dove in.

That’s par for the course for Alonso, who opened his firm, mr. alex TATE Design, in 2017 with the intention of tackling projects like this one. He named the studio in deference to Tate Modern, the esteemed London gallery that provides him with endless inspiration. He also wanted to stand out in an environment that’s largely fixated on what he calls the three Ms: minimalist, monochromatic, and modern. “I’ve always been very eclectic in terms of interior design, and I gravitate toward things that are curious in nature,” he says. “I love the idea of curating pieces that might be a little bit unexpected, but they don’t all have to be loud and proud, right? It’s just a matter of how you assemble it all together.”

To that end, in his pitch to the homeowners, Alonso suggested the interiors should be a mix of Miami, some Santa Barbara, and a bit of London with lots of curated accessories (from all over the world) for added interest. The clients happily agreed.

The tinge of Southern California style welcomes guests even before they enter the home, with beautiful planters at the threshold. Once inside, above the foyer, the vibe is solidified with the type of metal railings that are common in Spanish-style homes. London gets its due in the living room, which offers a cheeky juxtaposition of colors as a result of its chocolate oak flooring and light-blue love seat by British designer Timothy Oulton. The rest of the furnishings here are a blend of traditional, modern, and quirky. Miami’s influence comes at us in the family room, where touches include a gray sectional by Roche Bobois, Arteriors’ funky Tilda chandelier, and pops of blue and mustard.

Alonso’s style mélange continues in the kitchen with its French Country aesthetic, and via the conversation-starting accessories the designer sourced for the home: red glass bunny watches in the family room, emerald-green glass vases by the bed in the primary bedroom, and marigold pillows on occasional chairs here and there. After learning the wife was partial to white-and-blue combinations, Alonso snuck scads of pottery and ceramics in that particular color duo nearly everywhere in the home—from the foyer to the living room to all the backyard social spaces.

In the end, the home deftly manages to toe the line between fresh and intriguing, then elegant and livable. Or, as Alonso puts it: “It hits all the right notes.”

Story Credits:

Interior Design by Alex Alonso, mr. alex TATE Design, Miami, FL

Text by Riki Altman-Yee

Photography by Juan Pablo Castro, Miami Beach, FL

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