Photo Credit: Ivey Design Build

Kirk chose to highlight a beautiful Ivey Design Build project which exemplifies the one-of-a-kind work the firm consistently delivers.

Haute Design: There is a wide range of natural elements throughout the home. How do you go about using outdoor elements and making them fit so naturally inside a modern home?

Kirk Ivy: The protagonists of this project were always the sea and nature. From the very beginning the architect in charge wanted to make sure that nature would be a big part of the project's structure and theme. Being on the seventh floor, the ocean is the primary focus. Limestone was used throughout the floor to mimic the sand so that there would be a continuous dialogue between the sea and all the finishes, materials and tonalities.

HD: What really adds to the natural aesthetic is the quantity of natural light seen throughout several spaces in the home. Was this something the client required?

KI: The privilege of natural light was something we had to take advantage of and accentuate to the fullest. We worked very closely with our client to find the right location for his home, where he would properly be able to rest and find peace. Natural light was always something we strived to find and, in this case, it became a major ally for us.

So much so, that we were able to add an interior window into one of the bathrooms, where the user could appreciate the sea, light and nature, despite being this being inside a bedroom and not adjacent to the perimeter of the building.

Photo Credit: Ivey Design Build

HD: The art pieces and accessories seem to do most of the leg work when it comes to bringing in color to the home. Was that by design?

KI: The art selection was a collaboration between the client, his wife and daughters. Each piece was selected to bring life to the home in its own way depending on its location and the story behind it. For example, "The Mulucans" by Hunt Slonem, which is located in the master bedroom, brings nature into the room. The master bedroom is on the west side of the apartment, where you have a view of the street and plenty of trees. The inspiration was that the parrots from the piece came from the trees outside to rest on branches inside the room - to bring their music and color indoors. Additionally, we chose to not hang this piece, but rather, we designed a shelf to support it and act as a branch for the parrots.

Photo Credit: Ivey Design Build

HD: What was the most unique or challenging aspect of this project?

KI: What makes this project unique is that we were able to maintain the same design language in all areas of the house, with the same architectural details. For example, on the baseboards, ceilings and walls, there is a consistent half reveal detail. This can also be found throughout the millwork, cabinets and doors. This was the most challenging and fun aspect about this project. It pushed us to guarantee the space felt larger and more harmonious.

Photo Credit: Ivey Design Build

The post Ivey Design Build’s Recently-completed Residential Design Resembles a Tropical Oasis appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

The partnership between Sensi Casa and EJ Architects was born from the active customer demand to have a complete service that provides design, furniture and decoration of luxury residences. Additionally, this partnership was driven by the need from both companies to offer services in which the client is accompanied throughout the process of creating their ideal residence.

EJ Architects is a studio whose common denominator in every project is a timeless, creative, personalized, and above all, functional style; always exceeding the customers' expectations with their results. The architecture and interior studio specializes in residential projects located mainly in exclusive residential areas and complexes in the main cities of Latin America. All their designs have a fundamental basis in the deep analysis of the users' needs and the space where the project is going to be built, in order to make the best and most accurate decisions. Keeping in mind as a guideline that the result must always reflect both the essence of the architecture studio as well as the client.

Photo Credit: Sensi Casa

The professional behind EJ Architects is Esteban Jácome, a young visionary with disruptive and modern ideas, who describes himself as an artful and architecturally passionate person. The studio has a team made up of designers and renderers who work with the best-rated architecture programs worldwide. Jácome and his team implement high-tech structures in their designs in order to bring all of their ambitious designs to reality. British designer, Norman Foster, is a constant reference for the studio as he is one of their greatest inspirations for being a developer of high-tech design and for his philosophy which consists of integrating exteriors with interior spaces. 

Sensi Casa is a boutique interior design and home staging firm operating from Miami, Florida. Awarded Bets of Houzz 2021 and 2021, Sensi Casa is not like other design firms. Their elevated approach offers what only a few firms can: turnkey homes in record time. Their mission is to assist their clients in achieving a high-end aesthetic through detail-oriented curation that fills a space with luxurious furniture and accessories. The design concepts they implement prioritize the establishment of a central theme for the property that will fulfill the homeowners' vision.

Photo Credit: Sensi Casa

"It's a beautiful thing when a career and a passion come together," says Chiara Sensi-Contugi, founder of Sensi Casa. Chiara's distinct individuality and enthusiasm for her craft resonate in her design and have led to the success of her boutique design firm. Sensi Casa takes clients through the process, step by step, and ensures that they are just as excited about the project as the designers themselves.

EJ Architects and Sensi Casa create a perfect synergy, since each company assists the client in different stages of its home creation, which at the end of the day, are all equally important and must be connected so the final result is functional and optimal. In Latin America, EJ Architects will offer their clients the possibility to furnish their luxury homes with furniture not currently available to their corresponding local markets, but is innovative and exclusive. On the other hand, Sensi Casa will implement a complete service in Florida that begins with the architectural design and ends with the delivery of the finished, furnished and decorated residence. Both companies stand out in the market since they both comply with the highest quality and safety standards in each of their projects. This will undoubtedly make their merger remarkable.

If you wish to see what else Sensi Casa offers, CLICK HERE.

The post Sensi Casa Now Offers Clients Top Of The Line Architectural Design appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

Today, Stefano Balli answers a few questions from Haute Design.

Giorgio Balli & Stefano Balli

Photo Credit: Balli Group

How did you get into real estate development?

Originally, my intentions were to go into private wealth management, but I realized within a short period of time that it was not a true passion of mine. I found myself leaving the Business School at Florida International University to join the Architecture School. One afternoon after a large final studio presentation, it hit me. Real Estate Development is that balance between my passions - Architecture and Finance. I graduated from the School of Business with focuses in Finance and Real Estate. That year in Architecture school carved out my true passion.

What is the legacy of Balli Group?

Balli Group is a legacy company. My Grandfather, Giorgio Balli Sr., arrived from Lima to California in the early seventies and never looked back. A few years later, he arrived in Miami and designed most of Cocoplum and Gables Estates in the early eighties. Soonthereafter, my Father, Giorgio Balli Jr., joined the company and exponentially grew it to have designed and built over 300 Luxury Custom Homes all of South Florida. Over the years, we've been able to expand our services to our clients to now become a fully-integrated development firm. Balli Group will continue to produce its high-quality level products for decades to come.

What trends have you been seeing and incorporating into your projects?

Given the current conditions, at-home gyms, spas and offices are at the top of the list. One item I’ve been focusing on incorporating into our upcoming projects is technology integration within our projects.

Where do you see the company going in five years?

I see the company continuing to lead the South Florida’s Residential Luxury Market while branching out into Commercial Markets.

Hammock House

Photo Credit: Balli Group

What has been one of your favorite projects to date?

This is a very difficult question because each and every project is so unique and special in its own way. One of my favorite projects to date must be Hammock House, a beautifully appointed Tropical Modern compound located in the gated community Hammock Lakes. What made us purchase the property was the abundance of mature oak trees (70+). This created a challenge during the design phase, but Giorgio managed to design everything around and between the oaks - creating an incredibly surreal experience once inside the home. The success of this project lead to a recording breaking sale prior to the project’s completion. One of our next projects will be located in the gated community Snapper Creek Lakes and we anticipate a completion date of 1Q 2023.

The post Stefano Balli Sits Down For Q&A On What Sets Balli Group Apart appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

Here is the home tech that is worth the investment to add convenience plus value to any home.

Kohler Smart Shower System

Kohler's DTV Digital Shower System takes the shower experience to a whole new level. Imagine being able to dial in the precise water, background music, steam level, and lighting design into a shower experience and that is the fingertip control offered here.

With every setting fully customizable through an easy to use, water-proof touch panel--Kohler has thought of everything.

This shower system can be retrofitted for any bath but works best when the shower has been designed as a "wet room." Combine these digital controls with a Kohler "rain" shower kit for an unbelievable spa-like experience in the master bath.

Alexa home hub

Photo courtesy of Alexander Goldstein

Alexa has many features, but many people are surprised to find out it works great as a smart home controller. Kohler digital devices like the shower system can even be paired with it.

Using Alexa through an Echo device can be configured to power thermostats, speakers, smart TV's, and lighting fixtures. Setting the climate and mood of a room with just voice commands is not only a great party trick--it saves energy as well.

Alexa can be powered through a home's Wi-Fi or a direct Bluetooth connection. New Alexa-enabled devices can be added all the time to scale the smart capabilities of this AI-enabled assistant.

Nest Thermostats

Historic homes, like many of the Spanish-style beauties found in Montecito, California and the surrounding areas can benefit from a more modern thermostat system.

The Nest Learning Thermostat is an excellent choice in digital thermostat selections because it adapts to the owner's schedule and usage habits.

Being able to adjust the temperature using a smartphone, laptop, or tablet from anywhere in the room is another modern convenience that isn't fully appreciated until it's experienced.

Nest currently works with 95% of heating and cooling systems, including gas, electric, forced air, heat pump, radiant, oil, hot water, solar and geothermal.

This solution is not only more sensitive to the user's tastes. It's more eco-friendly than legacy thermostats as well.

When it comes to smart home tech, there are a lot of unnecessary devices on the market, but these three choices not only provide the luxury and customization they promise but improve the efficiency and value of the home.

The post The Best Home Tech To Invest In Right Now appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

Albany

Culturally and climatically, Albany and Silicon Valley couldn’t be further apart but all the indicators allude to the fact that big things loom for NY’s state capital. Firstly, as CNBC noted the city’s number of tech jobs grew 161 percent between 2016 and 2017. Like the city itself, the start-ups weren’t sexy. They didn’t bask in pop-culture credibility, but rather in the nuts-and-bolts health and education sectors. The area is surrounded by as many universities as it has snowfall during the winter. It also benefits from New York’s sizable $1.4 trillion GDP and well touted tax breaks for new businesses. And what’s more, what you would pay for a garden shed in Silicon Valley could buy a mansion near Albany.

Atlanta

3509 Tanners Mill Circle, Gainesville, GA 30507 is listed for $16,500,000 by Haute Residence partner Debra Johnston

It’s one of Amazon’s top 20 HQ candidates and last year Forbes described it as one of the top five “US cities poised to become tomorrow’s tech meccas.” It’s got the population (close to half a million), the climate and is fairly cheap to live in. Throw in universities, an international airport and all the other franchises, businesses amenities (sports, commerce, CNN is based there) and Atlanta is a great place to live and work.

For more information on Atlanta's real estate market, contact Haute Residence partenr Debra Johnston.

Pittsburgh

Since the steel industry's collapse in the ’70s and the population exodus in the ensuing years, Pittsburgh has been the poster child for renewal through technology. A big draw has been Carnegie Mellon’s highly respected computer science program leading to Google basing a campus there which has since been significantly expanded. According to CBRE's annual Tech-30 Report, the city's technology talent pool expanded by 31.4 percent from 2015 to 2016, placing it third overall behind San Francisco and Charlotte. Housing is very affordable — the median price is $135,465 — and it has well-established medical, banking and sports franchises and room for a rapid population increase, which would happen if Amazon decides to base its HQ there as many in Pittsburgh’s real estate industry hope it will.

Cleveland

Like nearby Pittsburgh, Cleveland has re-invented itself from its blue-collar roots to a progressive tech hub.  The highly regarded Cleveland Clinic is a center of innovation for the area. The city’s Health-Tech Corridor Director, Jeff Epstein told Forbes why he thinks tech companies should be based there:

"Cleveland is a prime location for innovative health-tech and high-tech companies. The heart of Cleveland is a leading biomedical, health-care and technology region. It offers easy access to clinicians, researchers and state-of-the-art lab infrastructure inside world-class institutions. The cost of living is 30 percent to 60 percent lower than that of Boston, Silicon Valley, and NYC.”

Detroit

If you haven’t heard, once much maligned Detroit is enjoying the kind of revival that would put many of its Baptist churches to shame. But this is real estate not the Holy Ghost. Old buildings are catching the renovation spirit and going from grit to glitz. And business appears to be booming along with construction. The New York Times reported that only 7 percent of office space is vacant today compared to 30 percent a decade ago. And, at the tail-end of 2007 Ford Motors announced it would use downtown Detroit to base its self-driving and electric car development. 

Like other Mid-West cities, Detroit’s phoenix has risen thanks to the tech sector with the field growing by 55 percent or more between 2011 and 2016, according to CBRE. And despite the construction boom, housing is still incredibly cheap.

Kansas City

Kansas City is already being dubbed “Silicon Prairie.” ZipRecruiter analyzed that network engineering and web development jobs in the area increased by 157 percent year-over-year in 2016. The median pay for mid-career tech jobs is around $90,000 a year. Pretty good considering the median house price is $189,000 and the median rent $900/month. Twenty percent of the city’s population are well educated with tech workers making up 5 percent according to a 2017 report by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

Philadelphia

1 Firethorn Lane, Malvern, PA 19355 is offered at $1,997,500 by Terese Brittingham and Tom McCouch

Aside from the fact that it’s an already established major city with everything that comes with it — prestigious universities, transportation, businesses and sports franchises, Philly has made huge strides in gene therapy to battle cancer. Spark Theraputics CEO Jeffrey Marrazzo told Philadelphia Magazine, "I can make the argument that Philadelphia has the greatest concentration of foundational research in gene and cell therapy in the world.” Employment portal Dice stated that Philadelphia had the highest year-over-year growth for tech salaries in 2017, bettering Silicon Valley itself.

For more information on the real estate market in Philadelphia and larger Pennsylvania, contact Haute Residence partners Terese Brittingham and Tom McCouch of Keller Williams Realty Group.

Phoenix 

While the weather and tech sector might be hot, the house prices in Phoenix are not — $227,849 according to Zillow, an increase of 10 percent over the past year. They are predicted to rise a further 4.3 percent next year. What has skilled workers arriving at Phoenix in their droves is the city’s staggering 188 percent one-year increase in tech jobs between 2016-2017 with companies such as General Dynamics, Datashield and MST Solutions being the big employers.

Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City is a city known for start-ups. In fact, Entrepreneur reported that Salt Lake’s fledgling tech businesses had a value of $12 billion as of mid-2017. It ties in to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s No. 1 ranking for Utah for innovation and entrepreneurship and No. 2 for high tech performance in 2017.

Tampa

204 Harbor View Lane, Largo , FL 33770 is offered at $9,995,000 by Jennifer Zales

Even tech types are vulnerable to celebrity pixie dust and when that pixie dust is being sprinkled by one of their own — Bill Gates —everyone pays attention. Gates, along with business partner Jeff Vinik, plans to invest billions of dollars to make Tampa tech incubator, or as Forbes described it, "a model city of the future.” According to CNBC, 200 new residents flock to the city each day. Couple this with noted research institute, The University of South Florida and a median house price of $172,000, which is considerably cooler than the climate, and expect the number of Tampa transplants to increase. 

For more information on Tampa's real estate market, contact Haute Residence partner, Jennifer Zales.

The post As Silicon Valley Luxury Real Estate Soars, These Tech Centers Are Pretenders To Its Throne appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

How do the "No Place Like Home" shoes work? A GPS device is embedded in the heel of the shoe (with an antenna cleverly disguised in the decorative red ankle tag) which communicates wirelessly with custom location-tracking software. Users can mark the location of "home" by uploading the information to the shoe via a USB cable that plugs into the insole. A circle of Light-emitting diodes (LED lights) in the toe of the shoe then communicate to the wearer their proximity to or deviation away from the location of home. Explained Wilcox; "The progress bar starts with one red light at the beginning of the journey and ends on the green light when you arrive. The correct direction to walk is shown by the illumination of one of the LED's on the circle."

On his website Wilcox said; "I was commissioned by the Global Footprint project in Northamptonshire, a place famous for shoe making, to create some shoes. I decided to make a pair of shoes that can navigate you to anywhere you wish to travel to. I thought about the Wizard of Oz and how Dorothy could click her shoes together to go home. After uploading your required destination to the shoes via a piece of custom made mapping software and a USB cable, the GPS, which is embedded in the heel, is activated by a heel click. It then communicates to the wearer via a ring of LED lights to point in the required direction. The shoe with the GPS wirelessly communicates with the right shoe that has a progress bar of lights to show how close you are to the destination."

In an age when we're always on the go, we can't imagine a nicer reminder of home. Below, some close-ups of these technologically savvy shoes and their development.

Source and photos courtesy Dominic Wilcox's website.

The post GPS Shoes Guide You Home appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.