By Florida Weekly Staff
on June 10, 2009
BY EVAN WILLIAMS ewilliams@floridaweekly.com
Michael Biondo COURTESY PHOTO What’s the difference between redecorating a $4 million apartment on Fifth Avenue in New York City and a mobile home in Cape Coral? Less than you might think, according to Michael Biondo, who has done both. He is equally comfortable designing your wardrobe with pieces from Saks Fifth Avenue like he has for a globetrotting opera star or with clothes from Wal-Mart, for his niece from Montreal. A “lifestyle designer,” Mr. Biondo is like a hired best friend for creating a cohesive plan for your home, parties, wardrobe (ask him for a “wardrobe clarification”), makeup, shoes, hairstyle and all things subject to fashion. “I really try to find out who (my clients) are and what they’re about,” Mr. Biondo said. “My job is to help them define themselves and represent who they are and not what I am. My color scheme and aesthetics don’t change. The only thing that changes is the money spent on each piece.” For instance, the Fifth Avenue apartment he decorated, for a party in honor of news icon Katie Couric, was replete with expensive Chinese silk and votive candles. “That was really the start of my career,” Mr. Biondo said. The mobile home in Cape Coral was designed for the parents of one of Mr. Biondo’s Manhattan clients. He created a bright, beach cottage-style theme with pieces from craigslist. “When I first saw it I knew the potential immediately,” he said. Left to his own devices, he likes to mix things up with pieces from craigslist but also Saks Fifth Avenue, Goodwill and Kiwanis thrift stores as well as Macy’s, Lowe’s, Jo-Ann Fabrics and Nordstrom. “I think what makes me a good designer is I can see good design elements in all different types of stores,” he said. For Iris Leith, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker in Cape Coral, he found a new sofa, love seat, co*cktail table, office chairs and dining room set all on craigslist and renewed them with some creative concepts like beating old, wooden furniture with a heavy metal chain, then refinishing it. Mr. Biondo advises that client’s “mix it up,” and “don’t try to make things look perfect — embrace the flaws and work around them.” “Almost everything he bought was from craigslist,” said Ms. Leith, who lives at Cape Coral Yacht Club. “The positive aspect of Michael is he can create a look for a very moderate amount of money. He’s very creative and resourceful.” And meanwhile, she sold her old furniture on craigslist to someone else. “My house is small,” she said. “I’m a single person. It was OK before, but when Michael looked at it he asked, ‘what (were you) thinking?’ Now it’s comfortable the way everything fits into place. It’s warmer, comfier. He has a knack for putting things together.” Ms. Leith described the overall look as like “a French beach cottage.” For his niece, Mr. Biondo found an outfit at Wal-Mart. “It looked like it came out of a showroom,” he said. He also likes mid-priced and discount chains like Target, T.J. Maxx and Marshalls. His hourly fee was $250, but Mr. Biondo is charging half that now, he said, “due to our nation’s economy.” Most of his clients are still moneyed — for instance, he’s working on a penthouse in Naples. He is also willing to work with clients on a sliding scale. “Is the money there?” he asked. “No, it’s not. But money isn’t everything. I like breaking it up, the diversity. I love to be able to create beauty for my clients no matter what their income — that’s what gives me the most pleasure.” Mr. Biondo relocated to Fort Myers in 2008 from his home in New York City, where he made a splash as a “lifestyle designer.” Wall Street Journal writer Robert J. Hughes did a piece on Mr. Biondo’s wardrobe and party for opera star Deborah Voight, leading to further news articles and television appearances. He had lived in New York since Sept. 1, 2001. Before moving there, he owned a boutique store in quaint New Hope, Pa., where he often planned parties at his home for friends from New York City. “I would decorate, design the party, take care of the floral arrangements,” he said. Mr. Biondo discovered Fort Myers while traveling with Manhattan-based clients to their home in Cape Coral, where he spent six weeks overseeing the choices they made in designing their home. The relatively laid-back lifestyle here is the change Mr. Biondo was looking for after living in New York’s frenetic atmosphere. But he’s found plenty of work in the area. “I feel very grateful,” said Mr. Biondo, 42. “I know a lot of people are suffering and I’ve had one job after the next.” He is currently working on pitching a show to HG TV tentatively called “The House that craigslist Built.” And why craigslist? “It’s convenience,” he said. “I know what I want. I can look at 250 sofas in about an hour and the prices can’t be beat.” 
