The Turnberry Ocean Club Residences in Sunny Isles Beach are making a real splash in South Florida. With their breathtaking views and unprecedented catalogue of amenities (including the coveted Sky Club), these oceanfront residences are redefining luxurious living.

Of course, no high-end home is complete without Miami interior design services by Steven G. He designed the TOCR’s Model Residence, bringing his legendary touch to the hottest homes in luxury.

In this special interview, Jane Bond sits down with our fearless leader at the unit’s unveiling. They talk about Steven’s prolific career, what it means to have vision, the parallels between art and design, and much more.

Other highlights include:

  • Why his favorite design word is “legs”
  • Steven G’s design influences
  • The importance of keepings things fresh
  • The power of karma

Watch the entire video here!

An-Interview-With-Steven-G-at-the-Turnberry-Ocean-Club

Read the Full Transcript

Jane Bond: Hi everybody, I’m here with Steven G from Interiors by Steven G. I just wanted to ask you a few questions, Steven. What is like to be one of the most prolific interior designers of your time?
Steven G: Well, tired. The day starts at 4:30 in the morning and it’s 8:00 at night and we’re in an amazing Sales Center at Turnberry and it keeps going. The only thing I could really say is it feels tired. We work really hard and we’re doing this sometimes six and seven days a week. I don’t look at it as a fame thing, I never have. It’s a passion. It’s a drive and it’s a drive to stay, as they would say-
Jane Bond: Present?
Steven G: On the top of the ladder.
Jane Bond: You are that.
Steven G: It’s tough to get there. It’s tougher to stay there. I’m blessed and fortunate to have an amazing team behind me. I’m blessed and fortunate to continue being successful and continue growth. At the end of the day you take all that and the word is “tired.”
Jane Bond: Well, people don’t perceive you as being tired because the work you do is amazing. Of course me, as an agent and sitting here being a host with you today, I have been involved with that firsthand and I think the work is so on top, so present, so fresh and at this time everyone’s asking for what you’re delivering, which is wonderful. That must give you some type of relief.
Steven G: Vision is really the word.
Jane Bond: Future. Vision.
Steven G: You need to think about design like an artist thinks about doing a great painting. It has to stand the test of time. We feel that we’re right where the market absolutely is. But it’s also a bit of a timeless thing. The favorite word that I use when designing for anything or any particular project is “legs.” The job must have legs. It must stand the test of time. It needs to be great not only when you do it, but it needs to be great five, six, eight, ten years from now.
Jane Bond: Well, do you know what I see in your work, personally, I see a lot of French influence. I did a little research on you, I know you like quite a few French designers and you kind of go back to the 1950’s. You have a little bit of deco in there which is lovely. A lot of people do like that at this point. They’re transitioning. Actually, a lot of buyers that are looking for new homes now have transitioned into this fresh new look which is kind of a French, 1950’s, 40’s, deco style and you are delivering it.
Steven G: It’s really a little bit earlier, it’s more 1930’s.
Jane Bond: Oh. Okay.
Steven G: About … I’m going to say 12 or 14 years ago, I was asked to do an apartment in Trump in Manhattan, where our current president is sitting, and I had done three homes for the same client, Florida and then two, one in Mexico City and one in Cancun in Mexico. She had said to me, “How are going to do something different?” So I said, “Susanna, let me have a couple days to digest; think about it.” I said to her, “Why don’t we do something a little antiquish? Why don’t we do something maybe French?” She said, “You know, it sounds interesting.”
  At that time I knew as much about the antique world as the man in the moon, so I really did a 60 day sort of self-education crash course. I flew to New York and I visited every authentic antique dealer in Manhattan from one block to the next. I walked til my feet were falling off. I got a handle on a direction, I presented it and she said, “Great.”
  What transpired after that was I said, “You know, as a designer you always look to offer your client maybe something that nobody else could offer.” I actually went into the authentic antique business very heavily into art deco, art devo-
Jane Bond: Interesting.
Steven G: -and mid-century, which is where the 50-60’s. I got into this scenario where I now have about 600 pieces on display in our showroom.
Jane Bond: Fabulous.
Steven G: Yeah. You always try to think a little bit ahead but it’s a lot of hard work.
Jane Bond: Well, for you that don’t know, Steven G has a wonderful showroom. It’s 100,000 square feet, pretty much debt free.
Steven G: We are debt free.
Jane Bond: And it’s absolutely fabulous and you should all get a chance to go out there and see it. It’s in Pampano.
Steven G: Pompano.
Jane Bond: Pompano. I’m sorry.
Steven G: Pompano Beach.
Jane Bond: Pompano Beach. And I’ll let you finish.
Steven G: We are right off of 95 and Copans Road. For those of you who live in Miami or the Palm Beaches and you don’t want to drive, we will have our courtesy car pick you up and bring you to the showroom. We are very proud of our facility. We are, right now, under a little bit of renovation because we continue to bring new things to the marketplace, new looks. I relate it to a woman’s finer clothing store. The window is always changing because you would like the clientele to keep coming back.
Jane Bond: Absolutely.
Steven G: As a design firm we feel that we’re the same scenario, so we keep changing product. We keep bringing in new lines from all over the world. Our inventory, somebody could come in and probably furnish one hundred homes and we could-
Jane Bond: Oh. It’s beautiful. I’ve been there.
Steven G: Thank you. Thank you.
Jane Bond: It’s beautiful. You’ve done well. And I just want to ask you one last question Steven. What is it like being a straight, charming, handsome man in an industry usually full of gay men? I just want to hear your thoughts on that.
Steven G: For me it’s natural. I mean, I’m in the industry 43 years and I deal with all shapes, all sizes in my industry and I never give it thought. Occasionally, at an interview I’m asked by the lady of the house, they’ll sort of lean over the conference room table and they’ll say, “Can I ask you a personal question?” And I know what’s coming and I say, “Of course.” And they’ll say, “Are you gay?” And my answer is, “Do I have to be to get the job?”
Jane Bond: If you would like me to be.
Steven G: Yeah. At the end of the day it is something I don’t give thought to. It’s just part of the design world. I respect everybody-
Jane Bond: Absolutely.
Steven G: -that is in the industry regardless of where they’re from and what their sexual preference is.
Jane Bond: Fantastic.
Steven G: It makes no difference to me.
Jane Bond: Absolutely.
Steven G: I embrace any professional for anything I can help them with. I’ve been blessed and very fortunate to be able to be in that position but I believe in karma. I think karma’s an amazing thing. And I believe that when you’re blessed and fortunate to be successful, you must give back-
Jane Bond: Absolutely.
Steven G: -in a million different ways.
Jane Bond: Absolutely. I agree with you.
Steven G: Good.
Jane Bond: Well, it was nice speaking within you today.
Steven G: No. Thank you.
Jane Bond: It’s always good to see you.
Steven G: It was my pleasure.
Jane Bond: You are as charming as they say you are.
Steven G: Thank you.
Jane Bond: I loved sitting here talking to you.
Steven G: Thank you.
Jane Bond: And I have to say you have knocked it out of the park again.
Steven G: Thank you. This is such an important project for us Steven G’s because as I mentioned earlier in my speech in the Sales Center, 1979, I was an infant in the design world and so for family and Turnberry opened their first project here, it was such a huge success. It was … I don’t know, you might call it an introduction to Steven G at the age of 22. I’ve come a long way since that.
Jane Bond: I would liked to have seen Steven G at the age of 22.
Steven G: Yes. I can show you pictures. But at the end of the day it’s an honor to be here.