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Randy Florke—a New York decorator and author who juggles the responsibility for three adopted children, six houses, a string of high-end design projects, a brokerage business, a construction company, and a steady run of television appearances—can fit a lot into a day.
So it follows that Randy knows how to make smart use of a tiny space, most recently in a Miami Beach getaway for his young family—17-year-old Jesus, 6-year-old Daley, 4-year-old Essie and Randy's longtime partner, Sean Patrick Maloney, a lawyer and former White House staff secretary under President Clinton.
Randy bought the apartment on a whim in March 2005. Its location, at the quiet end of trendy Lincoln Road, sold him on the spot. But the space—a white concrete box with bland ceramic tile floors—defined style-challenged. Undaunted, the designer cut to the real predicament: how to make 750 square feet yield the right degree of togetherness for a dynamic family of five—and all within his $16,000 budget.
Now, the one-bedroom apartment is beautifully designed to meet everybody's wish list. "For my son, it's all about TV and wireless Internet," Randy says. "The girls need some soft space, so I did the Flokati rugs."
The living room drapes and the ottoman were custom made, and the lamp was converted from a Mercury-glass vase purchased at John Derian Company.
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