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The Candib's Living Room in Miami Beach
decorated by Valerian Rybar.
Image: Architectural Digest. |
Another office neighbor's purging of reference files has yielded more images of the Miami Beach house that Valerian Rybar decorated for Claudette and Murray Candib. Looking like a neo-classical villa on the Riviera, the project with partner Jean-Francois Daigre was featured in the April 1987 issue of Architectural Digest. The stylish chairs in the handsome lattice-paneled Dining Room were featured on a previous post of
The Devoted Classicist.
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The Candib Dining Room.
Image: Architectural Digest. |
Clearly, Rybar was not big on choosing furnishings from a catalog; he mixed carefully selected antiques with his own custom-designed cabinetry and upholstery. In the Living Room, a central
bourne was fabricated with a scagliola top that accommodated table lamps to supplement the light from a pair of crystal and bronze doré chandeliers.
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The Loggia in the Candib home.
Image: Architectural Digest. |
The Loggia benefits from classic Florida architecture, walls in blocks of coquina stone and a paneled, white-washed wood ceiling (which appears to be cedar or cypress). The modular seating in Ottoman form has stylized paisley upholstery fabric in gray and burgundy, an effect later to be diluted with less-expensive versions but this was not as familiar at the time. The same goes for the pleated shades. And it was not long before knock-off Coromandel screens diminished the value of the antique lacquer panels. But at the time, this room with pots of huge orchids was chic.
"I told Valerian I wanted something very different," Claudette Candib was quoted to say about the Powder Room. Although animal prints are commonplace today, wall panels of jaguar velvet framed with ebonized wood certainly had to be unexpected in Florida. An ebony Empire
coiffeuse paired with a sculptural chair of the same period with a black horsehair-covered seat added glamor to the space as well.
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The Candib's Library designed by Rybar.
Image: Architectural Digest. |
In some terms, the Library was one of the more conventional rooms in the house. Handsomely paneled, an animal-print carpet furthers the black and gold scheme for comfortable upholstered seating, a Louis writing desk, and a lacquered low table probably designed by Rybar.
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The Candib Master Bedroom by Valerian Rybar.
Image: Architectural Digest. |
There was no lack of drama for the decoration of the Master Bedroom, however. Rybar designed a canopy in a variation of a
lit à la polonaise with supports as stylized palm trunks. An Ottoman style bench at the end of the bed undoubtedly concealed a pop-up television.
Self-described as "the world's most expensive decorator," Rybar's published projects were not universally praised although the firm never suffered from a lack of potential clients with the means to have a gasp-inducing interior. The most interesting lesson today, however, might be the design professional's ability to carry through with a theme and leave no aspect of decoration without consideration. The idea of Total Design for interiors has lost appreciation in these past years, but there seems to be interest growing again, no?
While certainly sumptuous, much of it seems heavy and dark, especially for Florida. That bathroom is especially dark and closed in. I prefer the rooms at Whitehall, the Flagler house in Palm Beach. They are both sumptuous and light.
ReplyDeleteC.L., I do not disagree. But a shady relief from the white-hot summer sun is appreciated by year-around residents. And maybe a decor for sunset entertaining was a factor. Thank you for commenting.
DeleteI remember this- The Loggia particularly- the extravagance of a Coromandel screen outside and the luxury of the orchid "trees"
ReplyDeleteT., you could not tell from this, but the Loggia had been enclosed with glass by this time. But the screen was still unexpected for the space. Thank you for commenting.
DeleteJohn, I agree with Cynthia on some of the rooms; however the living room, dining room, and loggia are my favorites! Superb design!
ReplyDeletexoxo
Karena
The Arts by Karena
K.A., there have been a large number of direct messages favoring the Living Room in particular. It was featured on the cover of that issue. Thank you for commenting.
DeleteI very much like the loggia. I was trying to figure out why it had an air-conditioning grille in the ceiling, until I realized there were French doors in the arches, so it is almost like a sun room, and a good spot to grow orchids. The whitewashed ceiling boards compliment the natural stone walls superbly. DLC.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful rooms! I though so when they were first published one month ago!
ReplyDeleteI was employed by Rybar & Daigre when this project was designed and implemented. I was the "project designer" and therefore attended to all the design drawings, shop drawings, cabinetry designs, drapery, and custom furniture specifications. It was a daunting task, and my first "big" project with the firm. Although the results are a far cry from my personal tastes, it was a wonderful learning experience and I loved the house architecturally. Heavy-handed design was a hallmark of R & D with opulence as the norm. It's great to see these rooms published once more, everyone involved, including the clients, have since passed away. I'm the only one left!!!
ReplyDeleteThank-you for your comment, Jeffrey. The photo of the wonderful dining room in particular has been widely shared on the Internet since this essay was published, but the attributions of designer and location do not usually follow. I appreciate your adding to the story.
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