The fashion designer calls on architect Calvin Tsao to conjure a serene, sophisticated setting at her Florida pied-à-terre
With its lively profusion of Mediterranean architecture, overreliance on pink, and preppy apparel, Palm Beach, Florida, was the last place New Yorker Josie Cruz Natori had in mind for a holiday retreat. But after looking at properties in Miami Beach (too hip, she concluded) and the Caribbean (too inconvenient), the East-meets-West-minded designer of lingerie, ready-to-wear, and home furnishings decided to give the storied resort community a closer look. Soon she acquired a two-bedroom pied-à-terre in a serpentine 1960s apartment building—painted salmon-pink, of course—that wraps around a free-form courtyard planted with swaying coconut palms and blasts of scarlet bougainvillea.
An Auguste Garufi mixed-media work dominates one wall of the living area; Tsao designed the sofa, chair, ottoman, and carpet, the latter of which was made by Vanderhurd; the Christophe Delcourt floor lamp is from Ralph Pucci International.
In the master bedroom, painted in a Pratt & Lambert beige, a 1940s reading lamp is attached to the Tsao-designed head-board; the pillows, coverlet, and throw are by Natori Bedding, and the carpet is by Vanderhurd. The vintage Sergio Rodrigues desk is from Noho Modern, and the desk lamp is by Blackman Cruz.
The master bath features a Kohler tub and fittings and a Lacava sink, as well as towels by Natori Home; the tile on the tub surround is by Nemo Tile Co., and the flooring is by Ann Sacks.
A Steinway piano stands in the guest room, where a Ross Bleckner artwork (left) and an Indonesian textile hang above a custom-made daybed; the pillows are by Natori Bedding, and the cocktail table is from Walker ZabriskieFurniture.
Floor cushions from Walker Zabriskie Furniture and a lounge chair by Dedon furnish the terrace; the pendant lights are by Property.