Original Post By Nancy A. Ruhling | Mansion Global
The home now has an addition inspired by the flying car in the 1960s cartoon series
Location: Miami
Price: $6.25 million
This futuristic residence, designed by tropical modernist architect Rufus Nims in 1949, has just been reimagined for resale after being uninhabited for several years.
The home has a couple of monikers, including SkyFin and the Jetsons House—a reference to the 1962–63 TV cartoon series that encapsulated the Space Age obsession with life in the future.
“It’s a treasure,” said co-owner Gabriela L. Liebert, the South Miami-based architect and designer who rehabilitated the uninhabitable, abandoned house. “It has a past. We made a program that makes it livable in the present and brings it into the future.”
The home was constructed for the original owner—who sold it in 1975—by Nims and a team of friends, who did the manual labor themselves. Later, a couple bought it, but when they got older and moved out, it remained vacant until 2015. A developer purchased it but didn’t get around to renovating it, and it was back on the market in 2020. A member of Liebert’s team saw a Facebook ad advertising it for sale. She and her co-owners bought it in 2022 for $1.5 million.
Inspired by “The Jetsons” and America’s space-age Googie architecture, Gabriela kept the window patterns and the floating central staircase. She enclosed the ground floor to create more living space and designed a wing for the primary suite that looks like a flying car or a spaceship. The changes more than doubled the home’s square footage.
“SkyFin has such a special architectural legacy in Miami,” said Carlos Fernandez of Douglas Elliman, who co-listed it with colleague Pietro Belmonte. “The house has an incredibly welcoming feel.”
SkyFin is one of 20 rehab projects that Liebert has completed in Miami, Hamburg, Germany, and Quito, Ecuador, in which art and architecture merge.
Following Liebert’s visualizations, the Miami-based staging company All About the Wow furnished the house.
Stats
The 4,142-square-foot residence has five bedrooms and six bathrooms and more than 2,100 square feet of terraces and rooftop space.
Amenities
The house has a great room, a fireplace, and a bonus room that could serve as a den, office, or library, while the grounds include a pool, deck, and barbecue area.
Neighborhood Notes
Morningside, on Miami’s Upper East Side, is a historic guard-gated community defined by 1920s and ’30s Art Deco and Mediterranean-style homes.
“It’s a cool, laid-back residential neighborhood with longtime residents,” Liebert said, adding that it has a private park and water access.
Agents: Carlos Fernandez and Pietro Belmonte, Douglas Elliman
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.
