Penthouse Panache

Florida may be a vacation destination for many Twin Citians—but interior designer Billy Beson and his partner Ronn Larson purchased their twentieth-floor penthouse condominium on Hutchinson Island near Palm Beach primarily for business. They bought it three years ago while visiting Larson’s family in the area. “Ronnie’s family has been vacationing here since he was a little boy,” Beson says. 

“Penthouse four,” he says with a grin. “I just love pushing the PH button in the elevator.”

The condo is used by clients, vendors, and employees, and Beson personally uses it about eight times a year. Built twenty years ago, the high-rise condo was in serious need of a facelift, which was part of its appeal. “We gutted the place,” says Beson. “I wanted to create a space that reflected what the new Florida looks like.” 

Unlike what Beson calls the “big song and dance” décor of old Florida that you can’t see past, new design is all about the view. “I focused on décor that offers ambiance and creates a framework for the view,” says Beson. “I used shape, form, and subtle color versus busy patterns.”  When it was completed, the couple hosted an open house with more than 100 guests from the building. The high-rise community has practically adopted Beson and Larson, which has led to several new clients for Beson, including the developer, who hired him to redesign the lobby, common areas, and entertaining spaces.

“It’s been great,” says Beson, “Florida’s east coast is filled with mostly New Yorkers, many of them Italian, and they all want to cook for you.”

And where do Beson and Larson go when they really want to get away? To their modest cottage, just outside of the Twin Cities.

Eating In  
“We have a ball,” says Beson. “We eat lots of fish prepared different ways. And our new kitchen is like a demo kitchen—with a bar nearby.”

If Money Was No Object  
“Things really wouldn’t be that different,” Beson says. “More is not better. I’ve got everything I want.”

The Trend I Am so Over  
“Tuscany in Edina, or Wayzata, or Eden Prairie,” says Beson.

If I Could Live in Any Era  
“The future,” says Beson. “We already know about the past. Plus, when you think about the advances in just our lifetime—I wonder where we will be.