Jessica Schuster Devises a Contemporary South Florida Home with a Bold Assortment of Art

Of course, they knew that no designer could intuit and translate their desires better than their own daughter. So after finding a large oceanfront plot on which to build, they enlisted her to lead the design of the residence, working with West Palm Beach–based Smith and Moore Architects. What followed were months of close collaboration, with Jessica serving as chief mind reader, mediator, and design guru.

“My dad really wanted modern, but my mother wanted something more Mediterranean in style,” she says. “So for the architecture, we narrowed the concept down to a very contemporary Mediterranean home.” The result is a 10,000-square-foot residence with streamlined exterior details finished in stucco, coral stone, black metalwork, and classic barrel roof tiles.

“It was all about simplicity and balance,” says Peter Papadopoulos, a principal at Smith and Moore. On the outside, “we didn’t want to make a statement house,” he notes. “We wanted the house to feel integrated into the landscape.”

When it came to the interiors, the script shifted. Schuster pushed her parents to go well beyond traditional Palm Beach style with attention-grabbing sculptural elements and art. Right inside the front door, the foyer commands attention with a geometric floor made from asymmetrical pieces of limestone, white travertine, black marble, and emerald quartz.

“I wanted a really fun, unexpected moment when you come in,” Schuster says, noting that she riffed on a stone floor she had seen in Italy to create the pattern. A whimsical sofa with a shaggy backrest by Khaled El Mays offers a place to perch beneath the entry’s dramatically swirling staircase, while a Sterling Ruby painting enlivens the space with sprays of yellow, coral, and dark teal.

Schuster kept the more formal entertaining areas, the living and dining rooms, polished with limestone floors, an exquisite straw-marquetry pocket door by Alexander Lamont, and an artfully composed mix of elegant modern and Deco-inspired furnishings. The resulting spaces feel a little like galleries, perfect for showcasing prized works by David Hockney, Liza Lou, and Alex Katz. In the dining room, this pared-down treatment sets up a surprise: a wild, looping bronze chandelier sprouting mushroom-shaped shades by Frederik Molenschot that Schuster placed above the table.

After passing through an arched portal, however, one arrives at the cozier, more casual area of the home, where the designer used European oak flooring and exposed timber ceiling beams to give the kitchen, family room, and game room a warm, welcoming vibe. In the playful family room, the designer placed a deep, custom L-shaped sofa and an exaggerated Guillerme et Chambron armchair under a cathedral ceiling and installed a totemic Cammie Staros sculpture of stacked ceramic vessels between the windows.

In the equally inviting outdoor spaces, just beyond the placid swimming pool, the Palm Beach firm SMI Landscape Architecture created a coral stone dining terrace. Shaded by a vine-covered pergola and leafy palms, it’s a lovely spot for plein air entertaining.

With its array of refined materials and subtle details, the home exudes easygoing luxury. “It’s way more minimal than we were used to,” Schuster’s mother says, “but also absolutely beautiful.” It’s a refreshing change she and her husband have wholeheartedly embraced.

For Schuster, that’s a win, especially when the praise comes from Mom and Dad. “At the end of the day, it’s very rewarding when you love the space as much as your clients do,” she says, adding that she now looks forward to family visits more than ever. “Fortunately for me,” she says, “I actually get to live in this space, too.” 

A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2024 Winter Issue under the headline “Tropical with a Twist.” Subscribe to the magazine.