When asked about the upkeep for a white glass floor, Kory (seen here) laughs, "I was never practical to begin with, so I'm not going to start now."
Photo: Cheryl Maeder for AOL
Most people would agree that you should not hire your best friend as your interior designer. Kory Apton would also agree, and yet she did just that. In fact she hired
Patrice Flashner Fitzgerald, her best friend for 30 years, to spearhead a construction project on an entire apartment, that had to be completed within seven months. "It was a big risk, but I gave it a shot because I adore Patrice. And I tried not to think it through too carefully!"
Since her first trip to Miami at age 5, Florida held a magnetic soul-freeing appeal for Kory. Though her full-time life takes place in New York, alongside her husband, Phil Griffin, president of MSNBC, and her two children, Riley, 13, and Jackson, 12, Kory always wanted a dream home in the tropics. While she could have bought anywhere along the beach, Kory was focused on finding space in the same 1975 Boca high rise that her mother and stepfather once had an apartment.
In January 2008 she purchased two adjacent units in the building. During the transaction, the previous homeowner pulled out blueprints and went on and on about her own ideas for joining the space. Kory listened politely, all the while getting mentally started on her own unique vision, which was an open light-filled party house with a kitchen in the center, tricked out in South Beach colors. She told Patrice what she wanted, and Patrice paid close attention. "My friendship with Kory provided me with a unique level of trust and insight. In some ways our friendship made the process easier."
The two worked via phone and computer mostly, and Kory came down from New York about every six weeks. The work was completed on schedule. She discussed the basic idea of an orange and white kitchen with her family, but as Kory remembers, "When they walked through the door for the first time, they were in complete shock. Everyone ran off in different directions, and they kept saying 'Thank you, Thank you.'"
Since that day, Kory, a former television sports producer and devout Dolphins fan, has hosted many a football party. That's the norm around here. With two televisions mounted on either side of the kitchen, the big open space functions well for such gatherings.
Patrice says, "When Kory and her family tell me this is their dream house – that is the best part of the job. I know I listened to my client." Expressions of gratitude and love go a long way.
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A Wow Kind of Place
Kory Apton showed signs of unconventionality at an early age. When she was five she took her first trip to Miami and remembers being moved by the tropical humidity. These days, Florida still conjures up emotions. "The minute I get off the plane, I thank my lucky stars for the light, air and wind." And the minute she opens the door of her Boca home, she feels instant joy. She is grateful for this place -- its big open party kitchen facing onto the Atlantic -- and bookended on one side by a sink-in-and-watch-TV family room and on the other by a more sophisticated lounge. "I am a really happy person, and the orange reflects that," says Kory.
Cheryl Maeder for AOL
A Wow Kind of Place
When she was 18, Kory Apton (right) met Patrice Flashner Fitzgerald at the Unversity of Arizona. They lived in the same dorm. Kory was trying to move a keg of beer one night, and she asked Patrice for a little help. Since then, these two have been up to no good and also a lot of good, splitting their time between colleges, careers, families, charities and the general celebration of life. While Kory was always assured of the qualities which made Patrice a BFF -- like creativity and kindheartedness, it was in the design process that she got to know Patrice's professional persona. In that realm, Kory says she is "tenacious and honest," two qualities that totally worked for her.
A Wow Kind of Place
Kory Apton showed signs of unconventionality at an early age. When she was five she took her first trip to Miami and remembers being moved by the tropical humidity. These days, Florida still conjures up emotions. "The minute I get off the plane, I thank my lucky stars for the light, air and wind." And the minute she opens the door of her Boca home, she feels instant joy. She is grateful for this place -- its big open party kitchen facing onto the Atlantic -- and bookended on one side by a sink-in-and-watch-TV family room and on the other by a more sophisticated lounge. "I am a really happy person, and the orange reflects that," says Kory.
A Wow Kind of Place
Kory's mother was born and raised in Bolivia, and had collected Bolivian silver throughout her life. When she passed away, Kory inherited it. While the silver flatware is kept in kitchen drawers, sleek shelves are reserved for displaying some of the larger decorative pieces. Whether old or new, many of the surfaces reflect the brilliant Eastern light.
A Wow Kind of Place
The Bolivian silver with its intricate detail of flora and fauna is a pleasant contrast to the majority of shiny, smooth and solid surfaces.
A Wow Kind of Place
Kory's decorating vision wasn't entirely influenced by the Miami Dolphins' colors, but her passion for the team certainly played a role. "I have more football parties here than anything," says Kory, the excitement of the new season in her voice. She and her son Jackson root for the Dolphins, while Phil and daughter Riley are Jets fans. "We get really into it."
A Wow Kind of Place
"Kory's input was clear and straightforward," says Patrice. "She wanted a clean and uncluttered modern home with strong color and lots of white." In fact, what makes this design so successful (and the wild orange so livable) is the peaceful mass of whiteness that surrounds the tangy brights. Kory really loves the combination of mixing old silver with new glass (glass accessories from Niba Home) but Kory says the key to maintaining a certain calm is by not over-furnishing or over-accessorizing.
A Wow Kind of Place
When it came to lighting the space, the designer and her friend initially planned on crystal chandeliers. That thought, however, quickly dissipated as the style seemed too predictable and busy. Then, one day it hit her. Kory was in SoHo, NY when she saw this Ingo Maurer Birds fixture and bought it. Made of metal coils and trimmed with goosefeathers, it was a whimsical addition to a fun and sophisticated space. Her daughter Riley thinks it's spooky.
A Wow Kind of Place
Without even a single mirror in this large open space, the amazing view is reflected everywhere you look. "Bringing the outside in" occurs when most everything inside is high gloss and glass. As for maintaining the white glass floor, Kory laughs, "I was never practical to begin with, so I'm not going to start now."
A Wow Kind of Place
Though Kory's tastes lean heavily toward modern Italian, she makes room to incorporate antiques that are part of her heritage. While the Bolivian silver gets the most play in the space, other heirlooms are used as needed. This cobalt blue demitasse is from Vienna, where her maternal grandmother was born. It is one of a dozen, and each delicate cup is unique. Kory also serves on her grandmother's set of gold-rimmed Rosenthal China. When her grandparents escaped from Germany in 1933, they took it with them. The collection fills an entire kitchen cabinet. From home to hand, family treasures also include her colorful rings.
A Wow Kind of Place
Kory never forgot the words: "You always dare!" said years ago by her own mother's decorator. Even though Laura was referring to upholstering a sofa with a colorful patterned fabric, the sentiment rang true during the creation of the orange kitchen. After Patrice ordered the "India Laccato" lacquer kitchen from Poliform, the company checked back several times to verify the order. No one had ever done an entire orange kitchen! And to date no one else has. Seems like Poliform wasn't so accustomed to people daring so much.
A Wow Kind of Place
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Reader comments (Page 2 of 2)
ugly! too modern too bright and not child friendly !!!i like a warm inviting kitchen this looks like a clowns kitchen and it looks unsafe.
ReplyNot very origional. The fast food industry has been doing this kind of design scheme for some time now. It is designed to keep you from getting comfortable so they can turn over more customers every hour.
ReplyIt's obvious that this women never cooks in this kitchen. She may entertain in the home but everything is catered in.
ReplyIt must be nice to have money up your butt and be able to play with such expensive toys.
ReplyYou can tell she has no Kids.....
ReplyPoorly planned kitchen. Work island is too long. You would have to do the 50 yd dash every time you set or cleared the table. "Display" shelving and feathers are nothing but grease and dust catchers. Stools look unsteady, and not where I would have kids sit with a fork in the mouth risking a fall. Below cupboard storage requires squatting... heavy duty drawers would be more functional. Colors are retro 1960s. Just what I want, a place for my friends to put their feet on the counter. Kitchen looks it was designed by someone who has never cooked and cleaned.
ReplyYuck! Much too contemporary, hard-surfaced and unfriendly for me. Too much heat and sunshine for us light-skinned folks. It does take all types to make the world go 'round, but if she has lots of skin cancers in her older years, don't expect me to pay for her treatment. She asked for it...
ReplyI don't like the color. (Looks like Denny's!)
ReplyI don't like all the retro-sharp angles. (Too sterile, like a hospital!)
I DO LIKE the OVERAL LAYOUT and FUNCTIONALITY OF THE SPACE.
From looking at the pics, I got some GREAT IDEAS for how to MAKE THE MOST OF SPACE IN MY NEW KITCHEN!
ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE,i cant imagine waking up to that mess for my morning coffee.
Replyjust in time for halloween
ReplyI loved this kitchen. Very Floridian, retro, and yet very modern as well. Many contemporary designs are so colorless. This is such a fresh air. I have gathered our elders seem afraid of orange kitchens since the seventies, but at least she went past stupid geese or apples. Of course, I have quite a bit of orange in my kitchen, since my kitchen design is based on toys. All the primary colors for me :)
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