Christened SkyFin, architect/owner Gabriela Liebert honored the home's groundbreaking design while making it more suitable to a modern lifestyle.
Original post: Robb Report
Photography: Miranda Kruse
SkyFin is a striking example of luxury home design in Miami, combining historic modernist architecture with contemporary interiors and furnishings. The home was furnished by All About the Wow, whose luxury home staging expertise helped bring the property's distinctive architecture and modern lifestyle to life.
Just north of the bustling Design District in Miami lies the guard-gated enclave of Morningside, a leafy waterfront neighborhood largely built out in the 1920s and ’30s. Amid its mix of Art Deco and Mediterranean Revival homes cloaked in dense tropical foliage stands something altogether different: a strikingly revamped residence originally designed and completed in 1948 by architect Rufus Nims. A master of South Florida tropical modernism, Nims pioneered passive-cooling strategies that helped homes adapt to the region’s hot, humid climate. He was also known for coming up with the design for the hundreds of Howard Johnson’s motor lodges that once dotted highways across the country.
Previously known as the Charles Roman House after its original owner—who held the singular property until about 1975—the home entered a new chapter in 2022. That year, according to records, the long vacant property was acquired for $1.5 million by architect Gabriela Liebert, who embarked on an ambitious renovation and expansion aimed at honoring the home’s original design while seamlessly ushering it into the 21st century.
The transformed home—described in press materials as “pure architectural audacity”—has been reborn as SkyFin, a name that evokes the fluid, sculptural form seemingly suspended above a generous roof terrace off the main bedroom. Throughout, sunlight streams through the expansive glazing, casting shifting patterns across the rooms and emphasizing the home’s sense of movement, while the curving lines and airy volumes create a rhythm that carries the eye seamlessly from one space to the next.
On the lower level, walls of glass dissolve the boundary between interior and exterior, while the original support beams punctuate an open-plan great room, its pale wood floors grounding the space in warmth. The living area frames views of the curving exterior staircase that once led to the home’s front entry, while the dining area peers onto a garden vista. Anchoring the space, a sleek Boffi kitchen is defined by a dramatic oval window above the sink, a signature detail that perfectly balances form and function.
The home spans just over 4,200 square feet and offers five bedrooms and six bathrooms in total. A ground-floor bedroom with a private bath is ideal for guests, while the second floor features an en suite study that can easily convert into an additional bedroom, as well as a casual lounge. The primary suite unfolds across multiple levels, encompassing a sunken dressing area, a spacious bath, a fitted walk-in closet, a semicircular bedroom, and a lofted study that opens onto a roof terrace. There, a sculptural fireplace—bulbous and suspended from the arched vaulted ceiling—serves as a striking focal point.
The overhaul was guided by a desire to maximize the corner parcel’s modest 0.19-acre footprint. Two expansive covered patios provide shaded retreats from the relentless South Florida sun, while a crescent-shaped plunge pool echoes the home’s flowing, sculptural lines. Lush lawns and verdant foliage knit the outdoor spaces together, creating a tranquil, seamless garden oasis.
A Thoughtful Approach to Luxury Home Staging
For architecturally significant properties like SkyFin, furnishings play an important role in helping prospective buyers understand how a distinctive space can function as a home. The right furniture can complement architectural details, define living areas, establish scale, and create a sense of warmth without competing with the original design.
All About the Wow provided the furnishings for SkyFin, bringing its luxury home staging expertise to a residence where architecture, interiors, and the surrounding landscape are closely connected.
For luxury real estate professionals, this is where thoughtful staging can make a meaningful difference. A well-furnished home allows buyers to visualize the lifestyle a property offers while highlighting its most compelling architectural and design features.
All About the Wow provided the furnishings for SkyFin, which is available at $6.5 million with Pietro Belmonte and Carlos Fernandez of Douglas Elliman.
Why Luxury Home Staging Matters for Architecturally Distinctive Properties
Luxury homes often have unique layouts, expansive rooms, dramatic architectural details, or unusual proportions that can be difficult for buyers to visualize when empty. Strategic furniture placement helps establish scale and purpose while creating an emotional connection with the property.
SkyFin demonstrates how luxury home staging can work alongside architecture rather than overshadow it. From defining the open-plan living spaces to complementing the home's sculptural forms and indoor-outdoor connection, the furnishings help communicate the experience of living in the residence.
For real estate agents and homeowners preparing a luxury property for market, the goal is not simply to make a home look beautiful. It is to create a presentation that helps the right buyer immediately understand its value, lifestyle, and potential.
Frequently Asked Questions About SkyFin and Luxury Home Staging
Who designed the SkyFin house in Miami?
SkyFin was originally designed and completed in 1948 by Miami architect Rufus Nims, a notable figure in South Florida tropical modernism. The property was later renovated and expanded by architect Gabriela Liebert.
Where is SkyFin located?
SkyFin is located in Morningside, a historic waterfront neighborhood in Miami, just north of the Design District.
What makes SkyFin architecturally significant?
The home is an example of South Florida tropical modernism, incorporating elements such as expansive glazing, indoor-outdoor living, natural light, and design strategies developed for Miami's warm and humid climate.
Who provided the furnishings for SkyFin?
All About the Wow provided the furnishings for SkyFin, helping showcase the residence as a sophisticated, livable luxury home while complementing its distinctive architecture.
What is luxury home staging?
Luxury home staging is the strategic furnishing and styling of a property to highlight its architecture, lifestyle, functionality, and market appeal. For high-end properties, staging can be particularly important because it helps prospective buyers understand scale, flow, and how a distinctive home can be lived in.
How can luxury home staging help sell a high-end property?
Professional luxury home staging can help create an emotional connection, define spaces, highlight architectural features, and make it easier for buyers to visualize themselves living in the property. For luxury listings, these details can be especially important when the home has an unconventional layout or highly distinctive design.
Bring the Wow to Your Next Luxury Listing
SkyFin is a reminder that exceptional architecture deserves an equally thoughtful presentation. Whether you are preparing a luxury home for sale, marketing a newly completed property, or furnishing a distinctive residence, the right interiors can help buyers experience the property rather than simply see it.
All About the Wow specializes in luxury home staging and turnkey furniture solutions designed for exceptional properties and the real estate professionals who represent them.
Looking to elevate your next luxury listing? Explore All About the Wow's luxury home staging services or contact our team to discuss your property.
