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MIAMI HOTEL MAKES THE LIST OF TOP DESTINATIONS IN THE WORLD

I am excited to share this beautiful hotel here in Miami that was recently named one of the sexiest boutique hotels in the world! Ten hotels were selected in the Sexiest Design category at the travel industry show, LE Miami. For those of you who are not familiar, LE Miami gathers the world’s trendiest hotels and most distinguishing travel agents and media.

These global winning hotels hit the trifecta of traditional architecture, contemporary design and of course astounding location. We found this great new article that shares insight about how the hotels were selected to win!

“Creating a sexy hotel is no longer about a particular style or design,” said Serge Dive, founder of LE Miami, it is more about creating a theatrical, glamorous environment.”

“A sexy hotel embraces its neighborhood and geography,” says head of the awards panel Rana Florida, whose company Creative Class Group consults for luxury firms. “A hotel that celebrates its diversity and culture — that dares to be different and takes risks.”

The new high-profile Faena Miami Beach is just north of the heart of South Beach. The owners have created one of the most buzzed-about openings of the year. (The hotel opened in December, while other parts of the Faena development, including a music venue and condos, are still in the works.)

Here are the ‘Sexy Design credentials”: Opulent rooms rich in detail and theatrical pops of red set against the turquoise of Miami’s Atlantic Ocean or Biscayne Bay outside. Most rooms have furnished balconies to encourage indoor/outdoor play and your dedicated butler will take care of your heart’s desires.

More and more amazing places are popping up to keep Miami a glowing destination!

Read the whole hotel list here!

ACTIVITIES TO DO IN MIAMI THIS FATHERS DAY WEEKEND

Get yourself on a bike!
The best way to see Miami is on a bike! Go and surprise your father by rent some biked or even grab a Citi Bike and pedal down Ocean Drive, Shark Valley, Virginia Beach, or at any of our parks.
Brave Yourself at the PanIQ RoomThis live-escape game locks you in a room in Wynwood that you can only get out of if you crack “Clue”-style encrypted hints. Such an exciting activity and a must try event!
Relax Outside at The Wynwood Yard
The Wynwood Yard has it all! It’s a restaurant, bar, and lounge that has everything from diverse food trucks and craft drinks. Play a game of beer pong with your pops or lounge out to reggae and disco music. You can even brunch it and yoga here!

MEET THE CREATIVE MINDS BEHIND THE MIAMI GEO-FILTER

Social media and the design world do correlate believe it or not. There are so many brilliants graphic artists and creators creating beautiful content everyday.

I have shared with you interior design inspiration on Instagram and Pinterest, and today I am going to share with you the creators behind the Snapchat “geofilter”.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the millennial generation of social media, Snapchat is the latest player taking over time spent on your mobile device. This app allows you to share your live content, photos, or videos with your friends and followers. Each city or neighborhood has a unique location filter. Shabaz Mallick, Kelvin Hodge, and Chidlet Pierre created Miami’s filter. This design trio works with the company Community Goods.

The team shared that their concept stemmed from their weekly critical-thinking meeting they call “idea hour,” which rarely runs less than 60 minutes and can sometimes lead to all-nighters.

The basis of the company and its name is to contribute to Miami’s culture. Aside from selling apparel, they aim to encourage people to engage. Their Snapchat filter is a way for users to represent their city.

Community Goods conceptualized the look of the filter, but it was drawn by artist Johnny Draco. Draco’s style incorporates cartoon-like sketches, bold letters, and pops of color. “Initially, they presented me with the idea of using the classic postcard-style typography for an only-in-Miami graphic,” the artist says. “Some of the things that really caught my eye were the sunshine, palm trees, women, and various mascots that represented Miami. I knew the blues and pinks would really catch the attention of the local Miami community and give them a bit of nostalgia while presenting something new.”

Next time you are in town you have to test it out! Read more about the artists behind the filter here.

3 DESIGNS TO TRY OUTDOORS THIS SUMMER

Especially during the summer time; the backyard is a key place to spend time with friends and family.

For those of you homeowners who are looking to spruce up your yard take a look at these fun outdoor decorating ideas to try!

Turn your backyard into the perfect venue for BBQ’s or summer festivities by trying these adornments.

Try adding some life into your backyard with a waterfall fountain! The soothing sound of waterfalls splashing in your yard will be dazzling and calming. There are so many types of outdoor waterfall fountains to choose from to fit your own style. Try a smaller hanging fountain in your garden or if you have a larger space try a rock waterfall fountain.

Lacking space in your backyard to grow plants? Try creating a vertical garden! This garden can be aligned vertically along with a wall or a fence. Now your bare wall will be dressed with beautiful plants and flowers and you can fulfill your dream of having garden. Try growing edible plants like mint, basil, radishes, and parsley in your vertical garden. You can also grow plants like fern, acacia cognata, lipstick plant, wedding vine and many more plants to help revamp your outdoor wall.

Try glamorizing your yard into a fairy tale with birds chirping around your garden. A simple solution to create this dream is by adding a birdbath to your outdoor space. You can purchase a readymade concrete birdbath or you can make one yourself! Collect some platters and plates from your kitchen and paint them and build your very own birdbath. This will truly enhance your yard.

Read even more outdoor designs and simple decorating tips for the Summer Season.

THE BEST ROOFTOP BARS IN MIAMI TO CHECK OUT THIS WEEKEND

With the heavy influx of art and design in Miami the nightlife scene has to keep up. With so many newbars and restaurants opening up every month it can be hard to choose, so I have selected some hot spots for you!

Rooftop at the 1 Hotel, South Beach
This rooftop seriously has one of the best hotel pool views on the planet! 1 Hotel is eco-friendly with a matching rooftop bar to go along with it, it’s the most scenic on the beach. In one direction, you can see clear out into the Atlantic, and in the other you can see the Miami skyline. This urban rooftop with ocean views is the perfect place to soak up the sun with a drink at hand.

Juvia, South Beach
This is definitely a great place to take a date with and gaze at the wonderful view of the city. Try a Purple Juvia: Belvedere, Chambord, blackberry, and lemon juice. A great drink choice to sip on while you lean by the ivy-covered wall, and enjoy the award-winning design and views of the ocean.

Area 31, Downtown
You’ll truly feel astonished when you stand at the edge of this bar on the 31st floor of the Epic Hotel. You must try the Plantation: a cocktail featuring peppercorn-infused Brugal extra-dry rum, coconut white balsamic shrub, lime, honey, and ginger beer. Sip on this poolside and enjoy the Miami heat!

Read about even more great rooftop bars here.

THE LATEST APPS FOR THE TECH SAVVY INTERIOR DESIGNER

For our tech savvy readers I have scoped out the latest and most amazing apps from this great Business Insider article to aid your interior design goals.

These apps won’t give you the same attention you can receive from hiring an interior designer, but you can get some amazing results!

Check out the Apps below!

Living Room Decorating Ideas: Be it your living room or bed room, the ideas on this app will transform the look and feel of it. There are many designs and patterns you can get inspired from.
Home Design 3D: In this app, you can create your own design using different tools and see if it will work out for your house or not. This gives a 3D perspective of your room.
Homestyler Interior Design: This Autodesk app is available on both, Android and iOS. This will inspire you to convert your home into a design studio. You can also connect with a professional for tips and tricks.
ColorSmart: This app is only for getting painting ideas for your house and interiors. It will suggest you color schemes, patterns, matching colors, etc. You can also create a workbook and develop your own color scheme.
Houzz: This is also available on both Android, iOS. It helps you in redecorating your house and unveils a plethora of designs from lights to walls.

TOP 5 HOME DÉCOR MISTAKES MILLENNIAL’S MAKE

We have sourced this great article by Vogue magazine that sites advice from various designers. This particular advice is targeted toward 20 somethings who are finding their own interior design stride.

Check out these 5 takeaway tips below!

“The biggest mistake I see is a refusal to decorate like an adult. Listen, Peter Pan, it’s time to grow up! Once you’re out of college, there’s no reason to have a futon. A well-coiffed bed says you’re mature, you have good taste, and you’re financially stable. Even if it’s not quite true, you can trick them with a Euro sham.”
—Jonathan Adler, potter, designer, and author.
“They forget the importance of rugs. I can’t tell you how many homes I’ve been in that have bare, naked floors. I think most 20-somethings are intimidated by how expensive rugs can be and what a commitment they are, but don’t be scared! A rug defines a space and makes everything seem more cozy and comfortable.”
—Orlando Soria, West Coast creative director for Homepolish
“They think metals have to match, small-scale furniture will make a room feel bigger, and that cool tones always make a space seem cold—all not true. And their living room rugs are too small!”
—Sheena Murphy, Sheep + Stone
“Twenty-somethings don’t realize the power of framing artwork. Posters taped or pinned on the walls can look crazy unless you have that artistic eye.”
—Danielle Arps, Dani Arps
“In your 20s, you are often decorating your first apartment or home, and are excited to get it all together. Sometimes people make the mistake of purchasing before planning. My advice is to map it out. Create a rough floor plan of your space with accurate measurements and use it as you pick your key furniture pieces for the room. It will be your guide through the whole process and help you avoid a lot of frustrating errors.”
—Becki Owens, interior designer

TOP 3 DESIGN-INSPIRED EDIFICES CHANGING THE MIAMI SKYLINE

Miami is always growing and bring more luxury and design to the cityscape. A slew of new hotels and residential projects are set to make this city even more stunning!

Town and Country Magazine shared a great article about the most talked about places that are sprouting in Miami. Today we are going to share with you our top 3 favorite projects coming to Miami!

One Thousand Museum
Co-developer Gregg Conin and his crew started the work of the late architect, Zaha Hadid’s first residential tower. It is scheduled to open late 2018. This building is said to be one big piece of art! This architectural vision is not simple to build out. A perfect curve hugging the stacked houses has turned out to be one of most difficult feats of architectural engineering. It will be one of the most complex structures built in Miami. We cannot wait to see this come up!

Fendi Chateau
This oceanfront building sits next to Bal Harbour and has been described as a “boat pyramid”. The Fendi Chateau should be complete by later this year. A cypress pine entrance opens into an open lobby featuring Fendi home furnishings and a Fernando Botero statue. These luxury penthouses include Imported Italian marble; blue velvet-colored bathrooms and a complete kitchen with European-esq inspiration.

Faena Miami Beach
The Faena is a hotel-condominium hybrid that is a stunning addition to the Miami skyline. This 3-block section of Collins Avenue was coined as the Faena District. It will change the city’s landscape significantly by next year with an arts center designed by Rem Koolhaas, the Faena Forum, and a luxury shopping bazaar, and a restoration of a classic art deco residential building, the Faena Versailles Classic, led by designer Bill Sofield.

This development’s spectacular grandeur is the result of opulent collaborations with Baz Luhrmann, Academy-award winning production designer Catherine Martin, artist Damien Hirst, and architect Sir Norman Foster.

BRING BEAUTY INTO ANY ROOM WITH FLOWERS

Incorporating a beautiful floral arrangement into any design a plan instantly brightens the environment. When looking to accessorize a room look no further then flowers. Flowers add color and create softness to any space.

Take a look around your kitchen or entry hall and you will find the right space for that perfect floral arrangement.

Here are some of the best flower shops in Miami to grab some inspiration!

Pistols & Petals

Plant The Future

The Flower Bazaar