About Surf Club in Surfside, FL
The Surf Club’s historic past is at the center of Surfside located between Miami Beach and Bal Harbour. In May 1935, 35 members of the Surf Club incorporated the seaside town.
In the late 1920s, tire magnate, Harvey Firestone was sailing with friends, Carl Fisher and Irving Collins, aboard his yacht, the Marybelle. They took notice of the idyllic stretch of golden sands and cerulean waters as they sailed past. The seaside stretch in south Florida haunted these tycoons as they imagined a refuge from prying eyes and Prohibition inside a members-only retreat. The Club opened on New Year’s Eve 1930 quickly becoming the place for the rich and famous to be seen by each other but able to throw cares to the wind out of the public’s view.
The opulent destination was designed by innovative Miami architect and city planner, Russell Pancoast, who designed many iconic buildings in south Florida. The Mediterranean Revival building and beachside cabanas became the ultimate place to be seen. The Depression had little effect on Miami Beach society and south Florida tourism continued to thrive. Stories abound of ostentatious black tie dinners that might make Jay Gatsby blush and lavish themed galas. Imagine soirees held every 2 weeks on Saturdays during the warm Florida winters from December until Easter. The diversity of the parties were on an unthinkable scale. You might see elephants in attendance, an accurate re-enactment of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, or 300 tables made entirely of ice…in south Florida!
Even after the 13-year Prohibition ended in 1933, Surf Club drew the who’s who of celebrities, wealthy entrepreneurs, socialites, and dignitaries. Regular guests included Gary Cooper, Noel Coward, Douglas Fairbanks, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Joan Crawford, Elizabeth Taylor, Douglas MacArthur, Tennessee Williams, Liberace, and even the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Perhaps its most famous guest, Winston Churchill, relaxed painting seascapes in 1946.
The Surf Club was sold in 2012 and began being redeveloped in 2014 into a Four Seasons Hotel and Residences property spanning 9 acres of ocean front along a mile of pristine beach. While not as infamous as a place of impropriety as during the mid-20th century, today’s Surf Club is no less elegant or catering to a luxurious relaxing lifestyle. Its location adjacent to the walkable downtown district and world-class shopping make the Club and the entire town an exceptional destination to visit and a special place to live.
Luckily, owner Nadim Ashi of Fort Hospitality Group, had a keen desire to balance development with preservation of the building and the spirit of the Club. In fact, soon after purchasing the property, he visited with Charles Gilatt, the oldest Surf Club member alive at the time to try to understand what it was like in its heyday. The main clubhouse’s Peacock Alley where those who wanted to be seen could strut their stuff back in the day, looks very similar to the new modern club today. Just one of the ways the historic past has been preserved.
Surf Club Residence Remodel
With its storied past, though now thoroughly modern, eggersmann was thrilled when an owner of one of the Four Seasons Residences at Surf Club invited us to design their new stone island kitchen and floating bath vanities.
Surf Club Residence Kitchen
The stone island quietly dominates the kitchen that is part of an amazing seaside great room. The floor to ceiling windows bring in natural light to highlight the natural beauty of the Taj Mahal quartzite cladding the island. Use of inset cutaways for handles made the absence of hardware possible which accentuates the modernity of this custom cabinetry from the eggersmann unique collection.
Surf Club Residence Bath Vanities
The home’s baths boast two double vanities in contrasting color palettes. The lighter of the cabinets is finished in Taj Mahal quartzite with the same sleek design of ultra-modern cutaway handles as the kitchen. The darker vanity is a black stained oak creating incredible depth and drama.
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