From Miami Vice to Miami Vibes in Ponce Davis

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What could have easily been a gut renovation became instead a thoughtful plan to update and personalize the interiors, while respecting the existing 1980s-era architecture of a 8,100-square-foot home in the lush Ponce Davis neighborhood. “The bones were quite workable,” says Paul Pierson, the architect and designer who, along with his brother Marcel, leads a team at Pierson A Design Company. Retaining the integrity of the structure also meant preserving the two-story, curved, glass block façade designed by Mateu Architects in a style so emblematic of that glittery era. “It’s part of the eighties vernacular of Miami, now part of history,” Paul says. To maximize that aesthetic but still achieve their design goals, they left the glass block exposed on the exterior, but covered it in the interior. “We wanted to emphasize more tropical modernism, less Scarface,” he says with a laugh. 

The brothers, who have clients all over the world, grew up with interior designer parents and are known for creating homes with functional beauty. “While I deal with logistics, Paul creates spaces for each client’s own life. How they work and entertain,” says Marcel. “We love to go into their worlds. It’s what drives our aesthetic.” 

These clients realized they needed more space for their three sons, so in 2016 they bought the sprawling residence after a three year search. The wife, who was born in Nicaragua and raised in Miami, knew the Pierson brothers, who hail from the same country and grew up in Key Biscayne. “They’re from a famous, renowned design and furniture family and we knew them socially,” she explains. “Paul had given me great advice when we were in our first home, so I trusted him implicitly.”   

With a masterful use of rich hues, luxurious furnishings, and refined finishes, the interior came alive. A deep, saturated blue, the wife’s favorite color, adds drama and anchors the dining and living areas, creating intimacy in the immense space. The massive round, wood dining table—a custom Holly Hunt design directed by Pierson A Design Company—balances out the soaring ceiling height and the client says guests love to linger long after dinner is over. Curvy, sage green chairs from Knoll echo the olive green from the velvet lounge chairs in the living room and the colors of the tropical foliage visible from every window. “I found the lounge chairs at the Poliform floor sample sale,” states Paul. “That’s how we work. The more we can stretch your budget the better.” The client adds, “They don’t choose the most expensive, they choose what’s best.” 

The Piersons also believe in saving and repurposing. They kept the dark, glossy lava rock floors throughout the first level, so brightening up the living and dining areas was in order. They chose white custom wool rugs in two crisp geometric patterns from The Rug Company. “We like to use large rugs because they frame the space,” says Paul. The kitchen was a total remodel and redesign by the Piersons who partnered with Ital Kraft. The brothers decided to add a Pierson wood breakfast table and conserve the 1990’s-era Arc Línea island “because it works,” says Marcel. As does the white dome Avico suspension lamp by Fontana Arte. It once hung in the dining room, but now it’s a playful counterpoint to all the straight lines upstairs in the family room. 

“Our design decisions are based on how a family interacts,” explains Marcel. The clients’ sons, who are now ages 15, 18 and 21, love the house but especially that they have their own individual spaces. “We continually need different things so the design process is ongoing, with two college age kids and a teen, their friends are always here,” the wife says. “Paul taught me how to live and enjoy every nook in this house. I didn’t entertain this much before and I’m grateful my kids are being great hosts too.”  

Story Credits:

Interior Design and Interior Architect Marcel Pierson and Paul Pierson, Pierson A Design Company, Miami, FL

Text by Daisy Olivera

Photography by Ken Hayden, Miami, FL

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