Collection by Coral Cavanagh
Open Plan
Brooklyn-born painter Christopher Florentino sought a residence to house his collection of midcentury modern furniture that he’d started to amass as a teen. When he saw a Gene Leedy–designed 1963 ranch house on Instagram, he knew he’d found the perfect place. Nestled in Winter Haven, Florida, the Ellison Residence was teeming with all the elements of Florentino’s modern design fantasy including courtyards, local sandstone, glass walls, and a sense of indoor/outdoor living. He bought the house without even stepping inside. Now, it’s filled with the quintessential accents of the era including a George Nelson’s Saucer Bubble pendant, Eames furnishings including a LCW chair, Molded Fiberglass armchair, and Molded Plywood coffee table. He also maintained all original facets of the home from cabinets to door hardware down to the cork flooring; and even the palette plays to the era with primary colors and color blocking dominating the abode.
Artist Christopher Florentino says his respect for Gene Leedy drove his update of the architect’s 1963 Ellison Residence in central Florida: “Being original is important to me. I don’t want Gene Leedy to come here and be like, ‘Damn, you killed my vision.’” In the living room, George Nelson’s Saucer Bubble pendant hovers over Eames classics, like an LCW chair, a Molded Fiberglass armchair, and a Molded Plywood coffee table. Christopher found the lounge, an Eames replica, in a dumpster and couldn’t let it go to waste. A Warhol print hangs from the sandstone block wall; the Ekko mobile is by Matthew Richards.
The workshop interiors emphasize function, with polished concrete slab floors and 35-foot-high ceilings to accommodate large projects and gatherings. The disco ball, set to spin via a smartphone app, can be lowered with an industrial winch and is visible from the overhead studio suite through a peek-a-boo window.
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