A Miami Home Blends Island Elements With Urban Sophistication

Island aesthetic is in designer Robert Rionda’s DNA. “Growing up in Miami, it comes naturally and easily to me,” he says. “I know the lifestyle.” For their new abode in his hometown, Rionda’s clients requested a contemporary, sophisticated take on the local look that would suit their action-packed lives. “They wanted to keep the tropical vibe but within an urban setting,” the designer describes. “They have three sons and entertain often, so the house is always full.”

Residential designer Cesar A. Molina established the tone. “The owners wanted something tropical-influenced but fresher,” he shares. To that end, Molina devised an orthogonal main structure that possesses a classic standing seam metal roof, louvered windows and coral stone. But for a modern spin, the expansive overhangs and ceilings—including the airy, vaulted one in the kitchen—are painted white.

For an indoor-outdoor feel, the house features a covered terrace that runs the length of the main floor’s public rooms. “You can be outside and not change your plans, even when it’s raining,” the residential designer notes. Beyond, he situated a pool that spans nearly the width of the house as well as a gym-topped cabana with its own generous covered terrace. For his part, landscape architect Tyler Nielsen underscored Molina’s intentions using bouquets of plantings and sculptural trees such as buttonwood, gumbo limbo and preserved mature oaks. “We created a lush, verdant garden that respects the home’s strong axes and the hierarchy of the architecture,” he observes.

Inside, Rionda’s material and color choices do much of the heavy lifting in subtly communicating the island feel without falling into cliches. “The clients didn’t want it to feel too beachy-tropical,” he explains. Certainly, the material palette incorporates wood, shell, rope and rattan—but in less-expected ways. For instance, the living area displays chunky walnut tables, a piece of fiber wall art evokes rope and knotwork, and small accessories like shells appear in twin vitrines, while the dining room chairs sport linen slipcovers. Even the nods to palm trees are surprising, like the abstract interpretation on a pair of living area chairs and the dining room’s mural-like wallcovering that rises above rich walnut paneling, evoking the scenery just outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Blues feature heavily in the scheme but not in a typical nautical stripe. “We incorporated varying shades,” Rionda points out. “We chose a navy sofa for the family area but contrasted it with an orange wallcovering that gives it a tropical blast. And we selected softer blues in the primary suite.” Seafoam appears, too, in moments like the oceanic veins running through the kitchen’s backsplash and waterfall island.

Molina’s open layout offers ample spaces to entertain, and Rionda ensured every room could be used comfortably for small and large gatherings. Consider the great room, anchored on one side by the living area—home to a fireplace and built-ins—and the other by a 22-foot-long bar. “I had to figure out how to avoid making the room hotel-ish,” the designer recalls, “so we decided to do a double seating area for a cozier feel.” A daybed services both spaces, which are equally furnished with durable materials. The dining room’s scale, meanwhile, presented another challenge: It can easily fit one large table, but this could be overwhelming for more intimate meals. His solution: two midcentury-inspired walnut dining tables that can be pushed together when a larger piece is needed.

A refined yet relaxed home, the project reflects Rionda’s tropical sensibility through a modern, approachable lens. “It allowed me to mix all the materials I love,” the designer reveals. “It’s my natural style, adapted for a young family.”