In life, as in novels, the end of one chapter means the beginning of another. Such was the case for author Asha Elias and her new home in Miami Beach. As her family’s needs shifted, a change of address offered a thoughtful reset for her and her two young children. “It was a hopeful beginning,” she reflects. Ready to embrace a fresh start in a 1930s property, the novelist reached out to her longtime designers, Monica Santayana and Ronald Alvarez.
“Asha has been our client for more than 12 years,” Santayana says. “We started out designing her daughter’s nursery, and she became a friend through the process.” Via projects over time—from a condo to larger dwellings as their client’s life evolved—the pair gained a deep understanding of who Asha is. “She’s a free spirit, and she’s bold,” Alvarez describes. “She is a risk-taker.”
Arflex’s Botolo chairs gather around a sculptural Made by Moniomi dining table. Corbett Lighting’s Lariat chandelier from Hudson Valley Lighting Group casts a warm glow across the space.
In the stairwell, an abstract BelarteStudio wall mural conveys the home’s color scheme. “It captures the entire spectrum and bridges the tones together,” designer Monica Santayana observes. Reinaldo Sanguino’s Round chair from The Future Perfect offers a seat.
The living room’s Soho Home sectional pairs with an En Gold coffee table atop a Made by Moniomi rug. The Roman shade—a Mokum textile from Holly Hunt—complements Carlucci fabric draperies alongside Bower Studios mirrors beneath a Bover light.
Over the living room fireplace, Corbett Lighting sconces accent the wall, treated with a Portola Paints limewash. A barrel chair from Chairish and a Meso Goods stool sit beside Made by Moniomi’s tiered ottoman, creating a layered composition.
In the kitchen, Lulu and Georgia’s Ripple counter stools continue the feminine curves found throughout the house. The muted-pink Zia Tile backsplash adds a soft, luminous quality to the open shelving.
Arabescato Rosa marble from Opustone makes a statement on the kitchen countertops and waterfall island. Hudson Valley Lighting’s Mamaroneck sconce brings warmth to the materials palette, balancing a Visual Comfort & Co. ceiling fixture.
Élitis wallpaper inserts and vintage hardware enliven the California Closets system in the primary suite. The designers updated the homeowner’s light with a custom cord cover.
Fluid forms, introduced by a Lulu and Georgia bed and chair, soften the primary bedroom. The Made Goods desk presents an inviting workspace in the cozy atmosphere.
The daughter’s West Elm bed is flanked by Serena & Lily mirrors and California Closets nightstands. The bench and table lamps are Crate & Barrel. Draperies in a Brentano fabric and the Arteriors ceiling light inject texture.
A Lulu and Georgia mirror adorns the daughter’s vanity, illuminated by Mitzi’s Fifi picture light from Hudson Valley Lighting Group. MG & Co. knobs lend a charming note to the cabinetry. A Loloi Rug carpet runs underfoot.
Pierre Frey wallpaper crowns the cabana living area. The Oroa chair, Lyk Carpet stool, hanging Schoolhouse pendant, CB2 sectional, Soho Home coffee table and Nordic Knots rug provide an eclectic mix.
Sklo ceiling lights and a Giobagnara sconce amplify the McMullin stools lining the cabana bar.
A wall of Zia Tile sets a dynamic backdrop for waterfall countertops of Concrete Collaborative’s Nightpalm terrazzo. Modern Matter pulls and a Gessi faucet support the earthy look.
Free to express her identity in this house, Asha envisioned a vibrant, artistic residence that balances family-friendly functionality with a pinch of quirkiness. The designers responded with an eclectic, pattern-heavy scheme that honors her predilection for a particular color. “Her design direction was clear,” Alvarez remembers. “She said, ‘Make everything pink. I want it to reflect a strong, feminine woman.’ ” It was a fitting choice: Having just debuted her first novel, Pink Glass Houses, Asha was ready for one of her own.
The designers took their client at her word, layering the hue in varying shades that combine soft, feminine expressions with vibrant, sexy and striking notes. Selecting tones from deep mauves to light blushes was a key first step: “We always start with a color palette,” Alvarez explains.
With the tones established, every room was transformed—beginning with the foyer, which turned into an unexpected welcome: a space lined with abundant shelving to display the owner’s favorite novels. “Because she just sold her first book,” Santayana recalls, “Asha said she would love for it to become a library.” Surprising moments continue in the common areas, where the designers blended formality with comfort, backdropped by limewash-painted walls in a pale blush for a moody effect. The kitchen, for instance, sports a pink backsplash and cabinetry along with rose-tinted countertops streaked with black veining. Meanwhile, the living room is anchored by a tailored mustard sectional—a spirited contrast to the surrounding signature color and geometric-print draperies. “There’s some organized chaos,” Alvarez acknowledges. “A rhythmic appearance creates a sense of calmness, so it doesn’t feel overwhelming.”
To enhance familiarity, the designers inserted pieces from Asha’s previous residence, like the abstract-shaped dining table and her art collection. “We were able to execute the spaces in a way that’s just as beautiful and elevated from the home she came from, making it feel like a lateral move,” Santayana says. Bedrooms, on the other hand, became opportunities for new excitement: Asha’s is cocooned in deep pinks for a den-like space to relax and write, while the daughter’s retreat—her fourth by the designers—is her maturest yet, home to a vanity and a range of blushes.
The one space Santayana and Alvarez shifted palettes was the cabana, a gathering spot near the pool in a guest house. Outfitted with a living area and bar, it boasts blue-greens and tans for a “wow” factor, echoing the lush surroundings through elements like a palm-print pattern on the ceiling. “The green tones and foliage wallpaper evoke the natural elements of Miami Beach,” Asha observes. “It’s such a pretty setting to kick back and relax.”
Settled into her very own pink house, Asha turns the page to a happy ending through another meaningful collaboration. “Ronald and Monica have created beloved spaces for me throughout three distinct stages of my life and helped me usher in those phases with warmth, compassion and impeccable design,” she muses. “The Pink House is filled with color, comfort and love.”
The daughter’s West Elm bed is flanked by Serena & Lily mirrors and California Closets nightstands. The bench and table lamps are Crate & Barrel. Draperies in a Brentano fabric and the Arteriors ceiling light inject texture.