The apartment was gutted and reconfigured to accommodate our respective collections of art, rare books on dogs and French furniture from the 30’s and 40’s. We have enjoyed how well the apartment works for us on a daily basis as well as when entertaining. A paneled wall and door system divides the apartment into two zones.
Project Name: Palm Beach Penthouse
Architect Name: Bruce Bierman Design
For entertaining, the ‘disappearing’ kitchen, dining room and living room are one big space divided by a free standing vent-less fireplace. Our private spaces include the master bedroom, dressing room, library/guest bedroom and two baths. A terrace which wraps three sides of the apartment provides spectacular views of the intracoastal and the ocean, Palm Beach and West Palm Beach.
Additionally, I am very proud of the careful considerations that was paid to materials and their architectural detailing. For instance, we employed a 48” grid when designing the apartment, allowing all tiles seams to align with wall openings and corners. The floors throughout are white glass cut into 48” x 48” slabs. The bathrooms feature floor to ceiling slabs of the same material. Ribbon stripe Mahogany and Makassar ebony were used for the cabinetry as a nod to the art deco furniture purchased on various shopping trips to Paris. Our kitchen is designed to seamlessly ‘tuck away’ after its use, mimicking the galley on a boat. It is these features and finishes that makes the apartment feel like a yacht floating in the clouds. I designed all the upholstered furniture and used fabrics and carpets from Stark Carpets, Clarence House, J. Robert Scott Fabrics and Edelman Leather.
The dog paintings were chosen to reflect the nineteenth century dog portrait convention, but brought up to date in the twenty-first century. The dining room, for instance, has a contemporary dog portrait by the academically trained Maryland artist, Christine Merrill. The large painting over the sofa is its direct ancestor; a painting of a deerhound and a terrier by the Scottish nineteenth century artist, Gourlay Steell (1819-1894).
Steell was one of Queen Victoria’s favorite artists, becoming her Animal Painter for Scotland in 1873, virtually guaranteeing him a monopoly on dog portrait commissions. Our monumental portrait was commissioned in 1880 by Robert Alexander and exhibited in the same year at the Royal Scottish Academy.
Bruce Bierman Design Inc.
Bruce Bierman Design Inc. specializes in residential and commercial interior design. Trained in architecture as well as fine arts at the Rhode Island School of Design, Bruce Bierman brings a unique perspective to each of his design projects, combining practical knowledge with a highly refined aesthetic.
Projects include:
- 1949 John Volk Palm Beach Waterfront Home
- 2,500 Square Foot New York City Upper East Side Residence
- 5,000 Square Foot Aspen Townhouse
- 24,000 Square Foot Palm Beach Residence
- 3,500 Square Foot Philadelphia Townhouse
- 2,500 Palm Beach Oceanfront Apartment
- Palm Beach Penthouse at Breaker’s Row
- 4,500 Square Foot Palm Beach Penthouse
- 2,500 Square Foot Palm Beach Penthouse
- 18,000 Square Foot Residence in Greenwich, Connecticut
- Renovation and Furnishing of 1929 Tudor Home, Croton on Hudson
- Renovation of a Coastal Vacation Compound in Seal Harbor, Maine
- Townhouse and Artist’s Studio on New York City’s Upper East Side
- Chelsea Gallery and Residence
Inducted into the Interior Design Hall of Fame in 2000, Bierman’s work has received extensive acclaim from his peers as well as from the design press. Articles on his work have appeared in Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, House & Garden, House Beautiful, Interior Design, Luxe, and The New York Times Magazine. His work has been featured in international design magazines throughout Europe, Japan, South America, and South Africa and was seen worldwide on CNN’s “In-style with Elsa Klensch.” He has been named one of “The top 10 Designer’s to Watch,” “America’s Most Brilliant Decorator’s A-Z,” one of the Twenty “Best Interior Designers in the United States,” and one of the “Top Influencers” in the Home Design Industry.
