IN THEIR MAKEOVER OF A BRICKELL CONDO, DESIGNER SABRINA MACLEAN AND BUILDER ANTONIO TORRES LEANED INTO THEIR COMPLEMENTARY STRENGTHS TO BRING OUT THE BEST IN THE DWELLING—AND THE SKILLS OF ONE ANOTHER.
BY JEAN NAYAR
As regular collaborators on high-end interiors projects throughout South Florida, Sabrina Maclean and Anthony Torres are well-versed in the concepts, components, and construction of luxury residential build-outs. So when Torres, a founder of the Miami-based luxury construction company Navicon, asked Maclean, a principal of Miami-based interior design firm Hino Studio, to work with him to transform his own condo in Brickell, the pair knew from the start that the process would be seamless and a positive outcome assured.
Situated on a high floor of the Jade condominium overlooking Biscayne Bay, the two-bedroom dwelling was already in reasonably fine shape. But with his experience in crafting top-shelf residences, Torres wanted to take the home to another level with built-in elements, fixtures, and finishes that would not only boost the caliber of the interiors but also align with his personal style of living. “Our mission has always been to translate a client’s vision into flawlessly executed reality, and partnering with Sabrina enabled us to elevate that mission into bespoke urban architecture here,” says Torres, who indulges his aesthetic instincts by collecting high-end vintage and antique furnishings and objects and pursuing photography as a side passion.
In addition to creating spaces that attune to his lifestyle, a priority for Torres was to maximize the potential of the roughly 2,000-square-foot abode. “We share the belief that true luxury lies in simplicity, authentic materials, and intentional design,” says Maclean. “And here we sought to create interiors that not only respond to the metropolitan context but also offer a retreat-like sense of calm.”
To achieve these ends, they started by gutting the space and fitting out every room with new custom built-ins that optimize every inch of space. Atop new wide-plank European oak floors, smart custom Italian-made cabinets and closets throughout—from the foyer and halls to the living room, bedrooms, and kitchen—merge form and function for contemporary living. In contrast to subdued neutral wood floors, panels, and kitchen cabinets, a few lacquered panels and doors in a daring palette of sage-y olive greens and blush pinks add splashes of bold personality. They also contribute to a layered backdrop that allows some of Torres’s collectibles—such as an iconic vintage Fornasetti buffet in the entrance gallery and an antique tapestry hanging in the dining area—to stand out as protagonists amid the lively cast of vintage and new custom furnishings in this inspired setting.
“Fun elements—such as ceramic drawer pulls in the form of dogs’ heads in the kitchen or a porthole in a sliding pocket door that opens to an integrated bar on one side of the living area—catch you by surprise and give you hints to certain details behind the design,” says Maclean. And a mix of gorgeous Italian stones—Verde Alpi marble backsplashes in the kitchen and a Ceppo di Gré stone vanity in a bath—reinforce the quality and beauty the designer emphasizes in all the collaborative work she does with Torres throughout South Florida.
The same design ethos underpins the work that Maclean and her mother, Carola Hinojosa, who hails from Bolivia and founded the Miami-based studio in 2000, do with their team in parts of Central and South America as well. “About fifty percent of our work is here in Florida, and the other half is in places like Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, and Guatemala after the projects we complete in the second homes of certain clients in Florida lead to more work in their primary dwellings in their home countries,” she says. And Hino Studio’s newest project, a pair of mixed-use towers in Gibraltar, will soon bring a touch of the designers’ cosmopolitan Pan-American panache to the tip of southern Europe, too.
