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How does a supermodel accessorize her house? In Chanel, of course.
Surfboards and throw pillows from the luxury fashion label set a chic scene in the living area of Chanel Iman Godchaux’s Miami area manse—doubly apropos, given the storied brand’s founder, Coco Chanel, is her namesake. Though the fashion influences in the modern abode were just as much a reflection of the model as they were her husband, NFL star Davon Godchaux. And if you ask their designer, Rafaela Simoes of 2id Interiors, the athlete was the driving force behind the home’s sartorial decor moments.
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The New England Patriots defensive tackle’s impressive footwear collection, which boasts a Carrie Bradshaw–worthy display in the couple’s colossal closet room, seems to confirm this. (Chanel, who naturally has an enviable wardrobe herself, had to “almost fight” her husband for closet real estate.) Having recently forayed into the home and lifestyle space with her new brand CHASA, the entrepreneur is practiced in translating her eye for aesthetics from the runway to the residence. But while fashion was an inspiration, function took priority for the blended family, who sought a clean, modern look and plenty of space for the pad where they and their children would live under one roof for the very first time all together. The couple laid claim to their South Florida plot in 2021. “Davon and I met in Florida, and to have a home together in the place we found love is very special to us,” Chanel says. “It’s a part of our love story.”
The three-year waiting game for that house to be built from the ground up (a collaboration between PPK Architects and Centurion Land Group) and curated to their liking was less romantic, but the delays gave way to an energized design process once time came to hit the ground running with Simoes and her partner Laila Colvin. 2id caters to the eclectic gamut of Miami clientele, though Simoes says her contemporary-minded firm has particularly enjoyed recent projects with those in the fashion and athletic scenes. The Godchauxes check both boxes. “They’re design-forward and we love it because they push us to do things that are bold and unexpected,” Simoes says. “We appreciate that.”
Bold indeed, like the soaring Calacatta Viola marble slate presiding over the living area, a statement piece that Chanel calls her “all-time favorite thing in the home.” Impressive as that space is, it’s got more of a sacred, personal purpose to the couple as “a Davon-and-I room, where we talk and we have our prayer and kids are not really allowed,” Chanel says. A grown-ups-only retreat was necessary, given kid-friendliness reigned supreme elsewhere in the home; Simoes notes that the couple were united in giving the thumbs-down to a white bouclé sofa, which felt a little too pristine for a family of six. Instead, plush, jewel-toned seating and curvilinear forms, from Anima Domus tables to Artefacto sectionals, ensure the littlest inhabitants of the abode have soft, stain-concealing landing spaces and no sharp edges to run into.
While their Floridian locale might call to mind a flamboyant aesthetic and a kaleidoscope of punchy colors, the family favored a sleeker, sexier overall feel. A largely black-and-white palette grounds most of the rooms, broken up with recurring espresso slatted wood dividers that offer a softening, organic layer.
Its lavish style is enough to make one forget that the kids came first in the home’s design program. In fact, one more new addition to the family came along in the time between building and move-in to the forever home: Capri Summer Godchaux, the couple’s fourth child and their first together. Nearly a year into life at the finished residence, the family is fully ensconced. Chanel and Davon buzz with excitement discussing their future projects—they’ve reteamed with Simoes and Colvin for a Texas estate—but don’t expect them to ever move on from the Florida property.
“We will be in [this house] for the rest of our lives, and it was worth it,” Chanel says. “It’s classic. It’s timeless, it’s effortless. It’s our dream home.” Davon needs fewer words to distill the manse’s larger-than-life personality down to a brief: “It’s a vibe.”
Video director: Gabrielle Reich. Producer: Jeremy Kohm. DP: Dominic Easter.