Contemporary Sunset Island Home is a Natural Beauty

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over the weekends, interior architect Tatiana Moreira often found herself running over to her clients’ 4,700-square-foot waterfront home on Sunset Island to oversee construction. Or sometimes, she’d just jump on her bike. “I like to double-check, and they live close by, on the other side of the island,” she says. “In many pictures I have of the job site, there I’d be in my sneakers and jeans.” That kind of constant oversight, along with her forte for modern styling, her keen eye for architectural details and her love of natural materials have come together to create a striking contemporary residence for her longtime clients, a couple with three young children, who share the same aesthetic.

Aiming to achieve an elegant, modern-yet-timeless home where a growing family would thrive, Moreira chose the finest, most beautiful natural materials and drew upon the breathtaking coastal Miami surroundings for inspiration. In fact, nature and organic materials serve as the primary building blocks, thanks to floor-to-ceiling glazed glass panels that seamlessly integrate the interiors with the exterior. “We used very durable natural stones and woods with an earthy color palette maximizing the use of natural light,” Moreira says. “These classics will still be good 20 years from now.” Explaining her modus operandi, she says: “All my projects are very contemporary. The color scheme, finishes, floors, ceilings, walls — I choose these first and the design comes alive organically.”

Adding warmth to the contemporary vibe in the great room, Moreira selected rich walnut paneling, Pietra Serena limestone flooring, and natural keystone cladding to contrast with a serene palette of the earthy tones. Light grays and creamy hues are set off with touches of black and green. Ceilings with drop-down soffits and soffit cuts separate spaces, making the expansive area feel cozy. “High-end furnishings add distinction, and solid-color fabric selections do not overpower the heavily textured and patterned stones,” Moreira says.

In the living area, furnishings by the luxury Italian brand Poliform include a “Bristol” sofa covered in linen, a marble-topped cocktail table and the harmonic structure of Marcel Wanders’ velvet-clad armchairs. In the dining area, the elegant “Manta” table by Rimadesio topped in rich Emperador marble is matched with “Shell” dining chairs by Mater and a custom walnut sideboard topped in marble.

Nearby, the sleek Poliform gourmet kitchen is fitted with lustrous walnut cabinetry, beautiful hard-wearing gray stone by Cosentino on the counters and backsplash, and the pièce de résistance, an integrated custom breakfast table in magnificent Nero Marquina marble. “This is where the family comes together, where they can cook and talk,” Moreira says. “So, we attached the breakfast table to the island, making it a little higher and in a different finish to define it as a separate area.”

At the far end of the great room, the custom wet bar is delineated by a drop ceiling and combines walnut paneling with Nero Marquina marble as well. Set apart from the wall, the husband steps behind to serve his guests and access bar accoutrements. “I clad the bar in the same very black noble stone used for the kitchen area’s breakfast table, and it’s lit with LED lighting, so it’s very breathtaking,” Moreira says. “Using the same finishes and color palette integrates the two areas.”

Glass panels recede completely to fully open the great room to the loggia beyond. The highlight here is the long, custom built-in sofa. “The loggia flooring and wall are keystone, so we used it to build the sofa, as well, adding a wood element between the stone and the cushions.” A rugged local beauty, keystone continues as a primary element in the exterior, creating continuity and a calm ambience as one steps down from the loggia to the pool and patio embellished with borders of lush tropical plants that edge the Intracoastal Waterway. Here, sparkling blue stones lining the pool are quite exotic, Moreira notes. “These are exquisite Indonesian stones that my clients loved and imported directly from Bali,” she says. Poolside social groupings for dining and lounging — complete with a custom barbecue in stone by Cosentino — invite family time out of doors.

Completed just last year, the couple is happily ensconced, and Moreira is pleased. “We nailed the finishes. They are consistent, beautiful and integrated throughout,” she says. “The gray stones with all the four marbles, that’s me.”

Story Credits:

Interior Design by Tatiana Moreira, StyleHaus Design, LLC, Miami, FL

Architecture by Max Strang, Strang Design, LLC, Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Sarasota, FL

Builder Oxford Universal Design & Build, Miami, FL

Text by Christine Davis

Photography by Alexia Fodere, Miami, FL, and Mayra Roubach, Key Biscayne, FL

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