Tara Bernerd unveils Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale
Tara Bernerd & Partners has revealed its design inspiration for Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale, comprising 189 accommodations including suites and hotel residences, a pool terrace, lobby cafe, champagne bar and spa.
Seeking inspiration from Fort Lauderdale’s yachting heritage, an era where Chris Craft yachts and Capri pants flourished, the studio’s scheme encapsulates the elegance of Mid-Century Modernist design, blending a Riviera lifestyle with a luxury Florida/Bahamas feel to create an approachable aesthetic with timeless quality.
“Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale is set to usher the city into a new era of luxury. The natural beauty of its location, along the Beach Boulevard, immediately reminded me of La Croisette in Cannes,” says Bernerd. “Taking inspiration from its yachting heritage, we brought the space to life with an effortless flow throughout the public spaces, pairing fresh palettes with statement Mid-Century furniture pieces.”
At the heart of the building, the lobby is an elegant oasis designed to capture the warm, welcoming Florida feel upon entry to the hotel. The space’s double-height walls have been clad in white washed oak and silver travertine to invoke a feeling of the Bahamas, while striking Gio Ponti-inspired patterns bring a sense of boldness to the floor, formed from triangular cuts of four contrasting coloured travertine and other stones.
Large floor-to-ceiling windows framed in antique brass and the extensive use of planters further blur the lines between indoors and outdoors, allowing light to flood through the lush greenery outside into the lobby. The furniture selection for the space is a mixture of both mid-century and contemporary pieces grouped with bespoke designs by Tara Bernerd & Partners for the concierge desk, bookcases, rugs and jute chandeliers.
A continuation of the reception, the Honey Fitz cafe is an inviting all-day lounge that took its name from the Presidential yacht made famous by John F. Kennedy. Echoing the lobby, the cafe is adorned with pale linens, while the addition of warm ambers, mossy greens and a playful palm fabric create contrast. The area’s yachting heritage can be seen through the use of brass wall sconces as well as wood and metal wall lights.
To the centre of the room, a marble topped table is on display for pastries and cakes during the day and champagne in the evening. Playing into the symmetry of the space on each side of the table are groups of feature armchairs finished in a classic mid-century yellow fabric, facing a custom-made rattan sofa with pale linen cushions, set on bespoke designed rugs with a bold pattern similar to the lobby. Feature rattan and polished walnut-coloured wood screens frame the windows, adding an additional layer of chic to the design.
Double antique-brass framed glass doors lead immediately from the café out onto the café terrace. The outdoor space is open on two sides, with the pool deck above providing welcome shade from the Florida sun, with sumptuous planting throughout allowing guests to catch glimpses of the Atlantic Ocean beyond.
Inspired by the waterways that weave through Fort Lauderdale, the spa is a wellness sanctuary encompassing lounges, salt-wall saunas, aroma steam rooms, ice fountains, and a fitness centre. An interplay of marble, natural woods, antique brass and pale linens in the design imbue a feeling of soothing luxury throughout.
The guestrooms and suites meanwhile portray a distinct mid-century inspiration, with a connection to the sea and nature. The use of pale linen and a light palette is seen throughout the walls, consistent with the lobby and cafe downstairs. A circular, bespoke striped rug – designed by Bernerd – in cream and navy blue/oyster grey with pink bordering brings a playful touch on top of the silver travertine-finished floors.
Elsewhere, an architectural-inspired wrap-round shelf winds its way round one side of the room; taking cues from Chris-Craft yachts, it is finished in a highly polished walnut coloured. The rooms also feature brass reading light inset into a bespoke rattan and wood headboard, polished wood side tables, a deep green ottoman, a desk chair, wardrobe, a mini bar. Sliding double doors lead to the terrace, where guests can enjoy views of North Fort Lauderdale beach and scenery to one side, or the Intracoastal Waterway to the other.
As with all Tara Bernerd & Partners’ properties, the suites at Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale have been designed to achieve a home-from-home feel. Each comprises a master bedroom and a separate sitting room with cream tones, polished walnut wood, and mid-century inspired furniture throughout. Here, spacious balconies also feature an outdoor sofa and coffee table, as well as a round dining table with four chairs.
The condo residences meanwhile at feature a double bedroom and separate open-plan living room. To achieve a luxurious residential feel, Bernerd opted for open shelving on a travertine-floor space completed by a mid-century inspired wooden table and dining chairs, an abstract custom-designed rug and a curved soda, together with twin armchairs, teardrop shaped glass topped coffee table, a foot stool and shelve-turned-desk.
