Inside a Couple’s Penthouse Jewel

Stepping inside the penthouse condominium owned by Beryl Raff and Paul Russell is tantamount to entering the finest stateroom on a luxury cruise ship—a cruise ship with a permanent port of call at Royal Palm Pointe. A wall of retractable glass doors that open to a 28-foot deck overlooking the Indian River Lagoon offers panoramic views of sky, water, island, mainland, and frolicking wildlife that are, in Russell’s words, “pure theater.”

But the showstopping views are not the only featured attraction in this dramatic riverfront renovation, which began shortly after the couple purchased the property in 2021. The three-bedroom, three-bath, 3,500-square-foot home fully embraces the couple’s passion for cooking, entertaining, and collecting contemporary art.

Raff and Russell, who also own properties in Kansas City and Cabo San Lucas, had been searching for something a bit larger than the oceanfront condos available in Sea Oaks, where Raff and her late husband had first purchased in 2010. “When COVID hit, we decamped there for several months and ran our companies,” says Russell, a self-described serial entrepreneur, world traveler, and art collector.

“We’re not house people,” explains Raff, whose 40-year career in the diamond industry included chairman and CEO posts at the Zale Corporation, and, most recently, Helzberg Diamonds—a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway—from which she retired in 2022. “We don’t want to worry about taking care of a pool or lawn. We want to be able to lock and leave.”

When they stumbled upon the unit in Royal Palm Pointe, they immediately recognized its potential. “The kitchen, to me, was the biggest deal,” says Raff, an avid cook. “Our real estate agent connected us with Croom Construction. We showed Croom’s vice president, David Lyons, photos of our Kansas City kitchen that had been featured in a magazine and asked who we could speak to in Vero Beach. David connected us with Dawn Wallace of Dawn Wallace Designs, and Dawn connected us with Scott Layne and David Moulton of Moulton Layne.”

“We interviewed several architects,” explains Russell, “and they all asked, ‘What do you want?’ We explained that we like an open concept, but we’re not architects. We don’t know what’s possible. When Scott and David came in—and we hold them and their entire team in the highest esteem—the first thing they said was, ‘Would you give us 15 minutes to walk around?’ So, we sat on the balcony and waited. They came back and said, ‘This is our vision.’”

That vision—executed by the team of Moulton Layne, Croom Construction, Wallace, and interior designer Andi Beck—begins the moment the elevator doors open to the residence’s dramatic white-lacquered foyer. “Knowing the homeowners wanted wall space for art, we gave them some homework by asking them to obtain a piece of art that would draw you into the space,” says Layne. “What they commissioned for the spot opposite the elevator couldn’t be any better.”

Walking left from the foyer, Layne explains, the objective was to draw the vista of the southern-facing water views as deep into the main space as possible. This was achieved by replacing three sets of French doors with a bank of retractable glass doors, elevating the ceiling, and removing walls to double the main space from 28 feet to 56 feet. At Russell’s suggestion, window jambs on the western wall were mirrored to capture multiple views of the Intracoastal.

The primary bedroom, which also opens to the spacious deck, was similarly reconfigured to maximize light and southern views while offering privacy. Two additional bedrooms—one with a western-facing, sunset-watching balcony—function as an office and TV room.

Considering Raff’s career in the diamond industry and her love of cooking, it comes as no surprise that the kitchen is the crowing jewel of her home. “This is my fourth kitchen renovation project,” comments Raff, surveying the sleek, high-gloss, walnut-toned floor-to-ceiling cabinetry in what might be considered a kitchen incognito. “I wanted to create something that was inviting, contemporary, and unlike what everyone else has.” She also admits to being obsessive about storage space, wanting to create a home for gadgets, small appliances, and cooking utensils within easy reach but out of sight.

To make Raff’s dream kitchen a reality, Wallace had the ironic task of replacing the kitchen she originally installed when the unit was constructed in 2005. “It dates me a bit,” laughs Wallace, who has been designing kitchens and baths in Vero Beach for the past 35 years, “but this was an opportunity to open up and modernize the space with state-of-the-art materials that were unique, interesting, and fun.”

She incorporated a dark walnut stain with a high-pressure laminate and high-gloss lacquer to create sleek, reflective cabinetry for appliances and storage with minimal hardware. A large quartzite island serves as a prep and cooking area with hidden drawers for knives, utensils, spices, oils, and a Wolf integrated vacuum sealer. A generous quartzite-topped peninsula provides a casual dining area for five and houses a galley sink that can double as a wine chiller when the couple entertains. A TV mounted on the wall, anchoring the peninsula, is disguised as a framed piece of art.

Behind the main kitchen, Wallace created a fully equipped catering kitchen with back-painted magnetic glass cabinets on which kitchen staff can write notes and post menus. A heavy stand mixer slides out for ease of use. In both spaces, hidden drawers, doors, and compartments give added meaning to the phrase “a place for everything and everything in its place.”

“This is one of the most contemporary kitchens I’ve done,” observes Wallace, “yet it’s highly functional, warm, cozy, and stunning—all at the same time.”

“Anytime we work in condos, there are challenges,” says Layne, “particularly with plumbing or other structural supports, which cannot be altered.” Here, the team transformed those challenges into advantages. A spacious, yet cleverly hidden, walk-in kitchen pantry was designed around a plumbing riser and now offers plenty of organized storage. A floating bar with an illuminated glass top and shelving disguises a structural column but now adds extra sparkle to etched glassware as well as a picture-perfect frame for the artwork hung in the adjacent hallway.

“I consider this to be one of our masterpieces,” says Croom Construction project manager Aaron Benson, reflecting on the attention to detail involved in every aspect of the 18-month renovation. Walls were reinforced to accommodate heavy porcelain slabs surrounding the fireplace. To minimize noise, sound-dampening systems were installed between walls and floors. Cabinetry was perfectly aligned to conceal invisible doors. Sound system speakers were hidden behind walls. Narrow slot diffusers function as air-conditioning vents, and pin lights disappear into the ceiling while providing ample light from above.

“We created a mock-up of every piece of art to ensure that it would be properly lit and framed by the surrounding architecture,” adds Benson.

As the renovation wound down, Raff called upon veteran interior designer Andi Beck to assist in the selection of furniture, fabrics, wall covering, and accessories. Together, they decided on low-profile furniture and a palette of neutral, muted colors that allow the couple’s art collection to steal the show. Dining chairs are on rollers so they can be easily moved. Living room chairs and a curved love seat are complemented by a coffee table shaped like a puzzle piece. The entire space, says Beck, exudes “sleek sophistication.”

With the renovation in the rearview mirror, Raff and Russell are eager to put their entertaining masterpiece to good use. “We want to better the community one cocktail party at a time,” quips Russell, who cites the couple’s many philanthropic interests. “This space is designed for cocktail parties with someone passing hors d’oeuvres and someone standing over here, explaining why it’s important to support a particular cause.”

“There is no TV over the fireplace,” he points out. “We’re not hosting Super Bowl parties here.” Yet, the Kansas City homeowners are the first to admit that their renovation team performed just as superbly as this year’s Super Bowl champs. “They’re like Mahomes and Kelce,” says Russell. “They’ve worked together so many times, they know what the other is going to do, and it works!”