In a city known for modern design, Miami native Constanza Collarte was on the hunt for something with more old-fashioned appeal. “I wanted something that felt authentic for our family,” she explains. “Miami is full of very white bright and modern boxes and I just couldn’t see ourselves living in something like that. We were looking for something that had a bit more story to it.”
Enter a 1936 Spanish Mediterranean–style home in the city’s Coconut Grove neighborhood. “When we fell upon the property, the landscape was just so romantic and divine and layered and lush,” says the designer.
Following a renovation to modernize the layout and lighten the space (“This home needed a lot of brightening,” she recalls), Collarte filled the rooms with soft, minimal, and slightly rustic furnishings. From the lime wash paint on the walls (its wax-like finish means that occasional nicks or crayon marks can be easily buffed away) to the living room’s hard-wearing vintage leather chairs (apple juice spills just add to the patina), it’s the perfect backdrop for a young family of five.
