Pepe Calderin

The luxury residence at Palazzo del Mare, Fisher Island, Fla., is a showcase of designer Pepe Calderin’s innovative use of decorative glass. Pepe Calderin Design is a Miami-based interior design firm with more than 20 years of experience. The award-winning firm specializes in both commercial and residential design throughout the United States.

Calderin began his career as a runner for an interior design/architectural company. He became curious about the business and the owners were patient and eager to teach. Later in his career he became a partner in the business. When the owner decided to retire, Pepe remained and continued the business as Pepe Calderin Design.

The first thing you see upon entering the Palazzo del Mare home is the floor to ceiling red glass feature wall. The wall is comprised of different size back-painted glass tiles. Not only are the tiles diverse in size and thickness, the finish on the glass is also varied. The combined effect gives the wall a rich, distinctive look. The wall is so striking that you almost miss the recessed glass panel lighting above. The satin-etch glass ceiling panels are hung from above using stainless standoffs.

The red tile theme continues throughout the home. The hall doorway has the same glass tile treatment creating an unmistakable entrance to the living/dining area. In the dining room Calderin used the glass tile treatment to fill the wall space between two windows. The wall becomes an architectural feature for the room.

Using decorative glass artistically to define space is a signature of Calderin‘s design style. “Glass is a great medium to work with.” Frankly, it is hard to find a surface that he hasn’t used glass on. According to Calderin, “I have used glass as a panel divider, wall divider, a back lighted hearth fireplace with LED lights, ceiling panels with LED lights above, sinks, bar fronts, waterfalls, floors, and railings.” Not content to use decorative glass as a solid surface material alone, Calderin makes use of glass for his Peace, Love & Light furniture line.

Palazzo del Mare is Calderin’s favorite residential project to-date, but probably not for long. “I’m working on some other projects that will give [Palazzo del Mare] some serious competition,” he says. New projects include 8-foot tall glass wall lights, a jellyfish photograph on a glass panel for a bathroom, and a pair of elevator doors made with glass and mirror. The Palazzo del Mare residence and future projects by this talented designer will continue to set the “high bar” of design with decorative glass.

Photo credits: Barry Grossman