Magazines: Ocean Drive
(March 1997)

That's Entertainment

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A native of Philadelphia, interior designer Louis Shuster moved to Fort Lauderdale in the early 80s and established a beachhead of glitz for a well-heeled clientele: two homes, in Atlanta and Boca Raton, for the CEO of the Home Depot; a residence for the owner of Comp US and a major condo on Fisher Island bought by a famous dress designer who works with Vanna White in addition to creating his own line.

This discretion-above-all approach has its rewards, such as a commission for a 25,000-square-foot Atlanta megahouse -owned by an anonymous 'fast-food-conglomerate shareholder' - which features some notable extravagances: "It has a heated 12-car garage with drive-through wash, and a rather exotic air-conditioned tree house for the client's daughter."

Aside from the luxe lane, Shuster's firm also does commercial work, ranging from the remodeling of Mark's Place restaurant in North Miami to a show room within Dania's DCOTA building. Given that his specialty is living large, Shuster collects classic cars - a 1956 Thunderbird and such - and recently moved into a commodious Mediterranean villa that once housed Fort Lauderdale's first Cuban consulate.

"The charm package is a restoration challenge, but I wanted something with more warmth - that's the new trend. Now clients can easily come over for cocktails and dinners: My work is about being entertaining."

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