Don't take our word for it. This is what Guimar Urbina Interiors' clients have to say about their design experience.
Guimar Urbina and Cheryl Kaufman
Cheryl Kaufman commissioned her home to be redesigned by esteemed luxury interior designer Guimar Urbina. Haute Design recently asked about the experience after Cheryl so kindly accepted to take the time and share her thoughts.
Additional images of the residence seen throughout this article can be seen here.
Haute Design: You have such a lovely home. What were some of the main things you wanted Guimar to do with this space?
Cheryl Kaufman: I wanted Guimar to transform our home from a Mediterranean style to a more contemporary style and to execute a complete renovation with which we would be proud to use for entertaining. I could not visualize what I wanted but Guimar was brilliant with reading between the lines when we went through some images of rooms I liked. When Guimar made her presentation of her proposal for our home, my husband Dana and I were completely by the beauty and creativity with which she captured our vision for living in our renovated home.
HD: How did you discover Guimar? What was your favorite part about working with her?
CK: I actually. discovered Guimar on Houzz, believe it or not. I met with a few designers that were recommended to me but they didn't wow me enough to want to begin renovating our home. I then discovered Houzz and poured through each and every designer South Florida. I came across of project photo from Guimar Urbina Interiors and it seemed to be exactly what I wanted. I love how she did a lot of the leg work before we met, which saved a lot of time. If there was something I did not like, she helped find an alternative. If she thought I was making a mistake, she gently made me aware of it and told me why it might not be the right choice. Guimar met with me often and always kept us informed about our budget and what to expect next. When we would visit stores to choose furniture, it was clear Guimar has strong relationships with so many of the vendors. I felt I was in excellent hands.
Photo Credit: Oscar Huespe
HD: There are plenty of accents of wood throughout the home, yet it is not overbearing - quite the opposite. Was that a feature you already had in mind or did Guimar make the suggestion?
CK: The wood was completely Guimar's idea. The built-ins, the placement of the dining room, the blending into structural columns which needed to remain for foundational purposes, as well as the fabulous wooden custom doors to our bedroom suite - it was all Guimar's idea.
HD: The artwork and decorations add subtle yet impactful nots of color throughout the mostly neutral-shaded home. Are these art pieces and decorations yours or did Guimar help pick these out?
CK: Guimar chose the pop of color on the oversized chair in the family room as well as in the throw pillows and other accessories. She even drew colors out from some of our artwork when she chose our accessories. While many of the accessories were chosen by Guimar, some we already had but just didn’t know how to properly place them and group them. Guimar helped us find the correct use for them. With respect to the artwork, we had most of it but Guimar recommended that we reframe them. She me with me at the framing store to help us to choose new frames for each of our hanging art pieces. After reframing our hanging art, she came to the house and assisted us with choosing the perfect spot for each piece. After everything was placed, we engaged Guimar to assist us with filling a few empty walls. Guimar helped me choose the size of the custom artwork piece above our bed, painted by the very talented artist, J. Steven Manolis.
Photo Credit: Oscar Huespe
HD: What would you say to anyone who might be reading this and is currently looking for a luxury interior designer in South Florida?
CK: As I have said to many of my friends, I had a wonderful experience with Guimar and her team. They were extremely creative, professional, talented and everything I could have asked for in a design team. Not only did Guimar's team have incredible vision, they stuck to time schedules and budget! I highly recommend Guimar to my friends, family and clients. I was so lucky to have come across Guimar.
Photo Credit: Oscar Huespe
Photo Credit: Oscar Huespe
Photo Credit: Oscar Huespe
Photo Credit: Oscar Huespe
