By: JEAN NAYAR
Whether on the ocean, the bay, or waterway, waterfront property is always coveted—and a trio of top listings in Miami highlight the best of what’s offered now for $20 million.
Island Jewel
TROPICAL INTONATIONS LEND STYLE AND SUBSTANCE TO A NEWLY REBUILT WATERFRONT ESTATE ON SAN MARCO ISLAND
Character and comfort are the keystones of this newly reconstructed home on San Marco Island, one among Miami Beach’s chain of Venetian Islands. “Unlike the bland white boxes that typify so many modern dwellings in Miami, this house was designed with a mix of textural materials and warm touches that add dimension and tropical flavor,” says Berkshire Hathaway
HomeServices EWM Realty listing agent Nelson Gonzalez. Its design, says the home’s owner, Al Cabrini, was inspired by the work of noted Miami architect Cesar Molina, particularly the home he designed for hip-hop musician DJ Khaled on Pine Tree Drive. “Taking cues from Molina’s work,” explains Cabrini, “I sketched some ideas on paper and collaborated with my own architect to completely remake the house inside and out.”
Originally built in 2006, Cabrini took on the renovation during the pandemic, transforming the dwelling with a completely new interior layout. “One of the differentiating features of the home is the fact that it not only includes a contemporary open plan in the family room, kitchen and dining area in the front of the house, but it also has a more traditional layout with enclosed spaces, including a formal living room, an office space, and a library, in the back, which overlooks the pool and bay,” says Cabrini. “As a result, the home is old school with respect to how some rooms function, but it also has a fresh contemporary new look.”
Among the qualities that enrich the home outside is a truss roof with deep overhangs, handmade chiseled bricks, an inviting courtyard with old-world-inspired handmade Cuban tiles, and expansive divided light doors and windows with black muntins. Cuban tiles add more color and life to a pair of patios flanking the 40’-long pool that bisects the expansive rear lawn and leads the eye toward vast views of Biscayne Bay beyond. “A major selling point is the wide-open bay view from the home, which faces north so you can see the sun rise and Miami Beach to the east in the morning and sunsets and the Miami skyline the west in the evening,” adds Gonzalez. “It’s also an ideal setting for a boater since there’s a dock for a 60-foot yacht on the bay.”
Along with its complete makeover, the home was enlarged to more than 5,650 square feet. With a wet bar, gazebo, and an outdoor shower and bathroom, “the home is also an entertainer’s oasis,” says Gonzalez. “The configuration of the home makes it inviting for guests,” adds Cabrini. “I can host a dinner party for 20-25 people and comfortably accommodate everyone with different indoor and outdoor spaces that allow for large gatherings in some areas or intimate conversations in another.” A pair of staircases in the double-height vaulted foyer facing the courtyard ascend in different directions to allow guests to retreat to bedrooms on one side of the upper level while family members settle into their own rooms on the other.
The five-bedroom, seven-bath home’s location is about as good as it gets. “One of the top five neighborhoods for waterfront properties in Miami and Miami Beach, it’s just a 10-minute drive to South Beach,” says Gonzalez. “It’s also easily accessible to Wynwood, the Design District, and Brickell in Miami with all the best that these areas have to offer.” With its luxurious interior finishes, lush landscape, and two-car garage, this $20.95 million gated waterfront estate is an island dream home
1277 N VENETIAN WAY
MIAMI BEACH
$20,950,000
WWW.NELSONGONZALEZ.COM
NELSON GONZALEZ, 305.674.4040
Easy Elegance
INTERIOR DESIGNER MEGAN LYKES TRANSFORMED A CLASSIC HOME IN OLD CUTLER BAY WITH RESORT-STYLE CREATURE COMFORTS AND VIBRANT FAMILY-FRIENDLY APPEAL
Nestled amid flowering hedges and flanked by a languid pair of willows, the porticoed entrance of this stately home beckons, like a gracious neighbor, with a warm welcome. Past the five-paneled front door, the spirit of easy elegance continues in a broad central hall offering vistas through the home to abundant greenery and 140 feet of water frontage beyond. “Designed by architect Jorge Hernandez and built in 2018, the home blends traditional Mediterranean-inspired influences outside with a relaxed modern open plan inside that’s perfect for contemporary living,” says Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices EWM Realty’s listing agent Ashley Cusack. Situated in Old Cutler Bay, the 7,325-square-foot home is also a boon for boaters. “It’s set on a half acre along a waterway that leads directly to the bay with no bridges,” she adds.
And for active families who place a premium on easy-care indoor-outdoor living, the home’s interiors—recently revamped by Miami-based interior designer Megan Lykes—offer low-maintenance high style ideally suited to a sub-tropical climate. “The current owners have two young sons who love to watch sports and play games, so they wanted their home to reflect their lifestyle” says Lykes. As such, the designer introduced new topnotch furnishings and bespoke fabrics and finishes that elevate the elegance quotient, while a tropically inspired palette fills the home with family-friendly flavor.
While the essential finishes, including the black slate floor in the living spaces and Calcutta marble counters in the kitchen, were of high quality and in great shape, the rooms begged for cozy layers and sparks of personality. “The family wanted the atmosphere to be casual and comfortable rather than formal and stuffy,” says Lykes. “They also love modern design but also have a taste for tradition, so wanted the interiors to meld both styles with eclectic touches.” To that end, Lykes turned to the finest furniture and fabric makers and scoured antiques shops in Palm Beach to kit out every room with a lively yet easy-going sense of luxe comfort, beginning just off the foyer, where the formal dining room was converted into a game room with Robin’s egg blue lacquered walls and a pool table anchoring the space.
At the back of the house, where an expansive family room with a fireplace on one side flows into the dining area and open chef’s kitchen on the other, a windowed wall of doors opens onto a sweeping terrace overlooking the rear grounds, including a large pool, a covered outdoor entertaining area, and a summer kitchen. A series of smaller sitting rooms and a junior suite for guests add to the practical living spaces on the ground floor, while a grand stair at the front of the home as well as an exterior stair next to the pool offer two points of access to the second story, where an expansive master suite and three additional ensuite bedrooms brim with more relaxed comfort.
Spirited accents, including some vintage chairs in the entry and fine contemporary works of art throughout, finish off the home with zesty grace notes. And the furnishings and accents, including some works of art, are also on offer as part of the sale of the $19.75 million home. With multiple covered outdoor living spaces and a two-car garage with lifts that allow it to fit four, the seven-bedroom, eight-bath dwelling offers resort-style living at its easygoing best.
125 SOLANO PRADO
CORAL GABLES
$19,750,000
WWW.125SOLANOPRADO.COM
ASHLEY CUSACK, 305.798.8685
Game Changer
ONCE OWNED BY BASKETBALL SUPERSTAR LEBRON JAMES, THIS OPULENT ESTATE OFFERS COMMANDING VIEWS OF THE BAY AND AN ABUNDANCE OF AMENITIES.
Perched on a shy half acre with sweeping views of Biscayne Bay, this spectacular 13,930-square-foot manse, not unlike its first owner, is hard to beat. Newly built in 2010 when beloved superstar LeBron James purchased it while playing a leading role on the Miami Heat basketball team, the grand abode checks all the boxes for anyone seeking the ultimate luxury waterfront lifestyle in the Magic City. “Nestled along the glistening shores of the bay, the awe-inspiring three-story mansion redefines the essence of opulent living,” says Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices EWM Realty listing agent Jason Zarco.
Designed in a contemporary Mediterranean-inspired style, the home is divvied over three floors to deliver everything one needs for different modes of living in distinct zones—an abundance of amenities on the lowest level, primary living spaces with commanding views of the water on the second floor, and multiple bedrooms separated for serenity on the top floor. “You can entertain full-throttle in this home, with all of the amenities—including a spa lounge with a steam room and sauna, a full bar, an art studio for creative pursuits, a well-equipped gym, a pool table and poker room, and a cozy family room for relaxed gatherings—on the ground floor,” says Zarco. “It’s like 4,000+ square feet of bonus space in one place.”
Leisure seekers have more to love on the second-story living level, where a massive waterfront living room embraces endless water views next to a gourmet kitchen with marble counters, a Subzero refrigerator and Wolf appliances, plus a generous breakfast nook. Another seating area, a formal dining space, a 1,000-bottle wine cellar, a library, and a home theater offer additional creature comforts on the main floor, while a dramatic staircase leads to the private bedroom spaces above. “The primary bedroom is like a sanctuary with separate walk-in closets and separate baths—one with a soaking tub overlooking the water,” notes Zarco. “This room also has a staircase that leads to a private rooftop terrace with breathtaking views.” And a guest suite on the opposite end of the upper floor ensures privacy for all.
A completely separate guest house above the three-car garage is something Zarco envisions as the ‘King James Suite.’ “It can function as an extra game lounge with hoop baskets and an arcade,” he says. More lounge space awaits on the rear deck where the heated infinity pool features a swim-up bar with barstools submerged in the water. “You can enjoy a drink and hang in the pool at the same time,” says the agent. Beyond the pool deck, 80+ feet of waterfront includes a private dock that can accommodate two 60-foot yachts. “It’s a boater’s paradise with wide open waters leading out to the ocean,” says Zarco.
Situated in Coconut Grove’s Crystal View neighborhood, the home is also just a 15-minute walk to the marinas, restaurants, and shops in downtown Coconut Grove, which, notes Zarco, “has undergone a tremendous resurgence.”With six bedrooms, ten baths, an integrated security camera, a smart Savant home automation system plus an elevator, this $20.5 million gated estate is a rare bayside oasis.
3590 CRYSTAL VIEW COURT
MIAMI
$20,500,000
WWW.JASONZARCO.COM
JASON ZARCO, 305.975.4061