Design 101 - Saxon Henry Part 1 - The Floridian Style

Decor Fall 2010, Photograph - Michael Partenio, Stylist - Stacy Kuntsel

In between her travels to Decorex we got the chance to talk with design and architecture journalist Saxon Henry of Roaming by Design about the Florida design style.  Saxon's has just written a book called Four Florida Moderns (which we'll talk about tomorrow in part 2 of this post) and she's spent a lot of time immersed in the world of Floridian design.

How does Florida outdoor design differ from other parts of the US?
I guess I’d use the word “stamina” to describe the main ingredient in designing for the outdoors in South Florida. Not only do buildings have to be able to withstand strong sunlight, tropical downpours and brutal winds, any element that will be placed within an “outdoor space” will need to be hearty even if they’re under cover. As much as it is the sought-after clime for the winter months, it can be devilish during the summer.

Seaside, FloridaAre there design differences between Miami and South Florida
and other parts of Florida?
The panhandle of Florida—think Panama City, Destin, Seaside and other Gulf Coast towns—has a colder climate during the winter months than the temperate tropics bathing the southern tip of Florida with balminess (save for a few weeks a year when the entire state gets hit with temperatures in the thirty-degree range or lower). That said, there are fewer differences in outdoor design elements in terms of weatherability than there are stylistic ones. It’s the norm in Miami, in particular, to see edgy contemporary design whereas other parts of the state—even as close by as Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach—tend to lean toward the traditional, or a transitional style at the most modern.

Florida MediterraneanCan you name and briefly describe the different Florida design styles?
In terms of architecture, there is the hybrid Mediterranean, which Robert McCarter points out in Four Florida Moderns, which is not really a style at all. There is the lesser-known Florida Cracker vernacular, and a mish-mash of other hybrids, such as Spanish Colonial and West Indies. Then there is Florida Modernism, which had one of its greatest moments during the Sarasota School era and is thriving today.

Florida West IndiesHow has immigration from within and outside
the US to Florida influenced design styles?
I would say that, just as food, music, theater and life gain influences from a melding of cultural stimuli, design and architecture do as well. There are a variety of Latin influences in South Florida, as well as a mix of European sensibilities. All of these, I think, come together in the southern tip of the state to create a polyglot of cultural zing.

Seaside, Florida Rentals

Southern Accents

Architectural Digest

Saxon Henry/Roaming by Design