A Miami luxury interior design project at the St. Regis Bal Harbour, where Martina Casella designs an oceanfront living room around what matters most: the people who gather in it.
BY MARTINA CASELLA · PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRUNELLA COSTA
At Casa Wellness, we have always believed that wellness is a way of living, not a place you visit. With this story, I’m starting a new strand of our editorial. I’ll be looking at the homes, communities and destinations where wellness isn’t something people go looking for. It’s simply how life is lived. In this first story, I share a Miami luxury interior design project at the St. Regis Bal Harbour, where the living room was designed for gathering.
And for me, that story starts at home, in the living room.
I heard one phrase many times at my grandmothers’ houses. Someone would bring another chair, dinner would end but nobody would leave the table, and the conversations went on for hours. Back then, nobody called it wellness. Today I know that’s exactly what it was.
“There is always room for one more.”
COMMUNITY, THE HEART OF WELLNESS
Over the years, I’ve learned that one of the things that brings us the most wellbeing is the feeling of community. Sharing a meal, a drink, an idea or a story with the people we love does something for us that no spa or retreat can replace.
The spaces we live in can make this easier or harder. This is one of the foundations of Decor Wellness®, the methodology I created at Casa Wellness: wellness through the environment. The way a room is designed affects how we feel, how we move and how we connect with each other.
To dive deeper, read “The importance of spaces in cultivating human relationships”.
MIAMI LUXURY INTERIOR DESIGN AT ST. REGIS BAL HARBOUR
This project is a luxury residence at the St. Regis Bal Harbour in Miami, facing the Atlantic Ocean. From the first visit, I knew the living room had to be a place for people. Elegant and sophisticated, yes, but also relaxed and ready for any occasion, from a quiet afternoon to a full house.
We didn’t design the room around a television. The seating faces inward, so people naturally turn toward each other. A curved green Minotti sofa and a neutral sofa across from it create the setting for conversation. Between them, organic wood coffee tables invite you to leave a glass, a book, or simply stay a little longer.
DESIGNING FOR CONNECTION
Here is how each area invites people to gather:
- The Conversation Area: Two sofas facing each other and low organic coffee tables, designed for long talks without a screen in the center.
- The Bar: A walnut console that works as a small bar, one of my favorite gestures of hospitality.
- The Table by the Ocean: A round marble table with soft, sculptural chairs, the best place in the house for a long lunch or just watching the ocean.
Each area has its own purpose, but everything flows together. For me, this is where Miami luxury interior design really matters. Where you place a sofa or a table changes how people use a room and how long they want to stay.
WELLNESS DESIGN: BRINGING MIAMI’S NATURE INSIDE
In Bal Harbour the ocean is the protagonist, so the interiors had to follow it, never compete with it.
I chose sandy, warm tones that recall the beach and layered them with textures you want to touch: woven fabrics, textured upholstery, warm wood and natural stone. The green of the Minotti sofa came from the idea of leaves. Its rich fabric has the same irregular surface we find in nature and brings a bit of the landscape inside.
This is wellness design applied in a subtle way. The curves of the furniture, the veining of the marble, the grain of the walnut, the soft shape of the paper lamp. None of it is just decoration. Our bodies recognize these forms and textures, and they make us feel calm.
“True luxury is how a space makes you feel, and how naturally it brings people together.”
The art follows the same idea. The cherry blossom painting at the entrance and the large tulip photograph above the sofa bring nature inside in their own way. And then there’s the Miami light. In the morning, the room feels soft and bright. In the late afternoon, the textures come alive, the stone gets warmer, and every detail of the fabrics appears.
WHAT TRUE LUXURY MEANS TO ME
For me, luxury is not only about beautiful materials or famous brands. It is about how a home feels to the people who live in it and the people they welcome.
I believe the most meaningful memories happen in simple moments. A conversation nobody planned. Friends around a table. A night when nobody wants to go home. These are the moments I think about when I design a living room.
A home should reflect who we are. But it should also make room for the people we love, our traditions, and the pleasure of sharing time together. That is wellness in everyday life. That is Decor Wellness.
If you are dreaming of Miami luxury interior design that feels as good as it looks, I’d love to guide you through the Decor Wellness approach. Contact me to schedule a consultation.
