Maison & Objet Does Miami, Again: Inside the French Interior Design Fair

Martone Bicycles on display at Maison & Objet.

Maison & Objet, the preeminent French interior design, decor, decoration, and architectural fair is back in Miami for the second annual incarnation of Maison & Objet Americas, its American edition based in Miami. This time around, the fair has begun to settle in to its permanent American home and grow, taking up double the hall space in the Miami Beach Convention Center, sustaining more satellite exhibitions, events, and parties, and and letting embracing Miami and Miami Beach more than ever. (Last year I explored the fair for Curbed Miami) The fair began today and runs through Friday, with the center of activity being the convention center, but plenty to see in the Design District, Wynwood, and around South Beach. But before all that, here’s a first look at some of the design and decor inside the main show.

Brickell Flatiron Issues Groundbreaking Notices; Construction Begins in March

Fans of Ugo Colombo will be overjoyed to hear that groundbreaking notices have been delivered to the buyers of Brickell Flatiron, the long-awaited project at 10th Street & South Miami Avenue in Brickell. According to the notices, the official groundbreaking is scheduled for March 16, 2016 although preliminary site work will be commencing immediately.

Locals will recall that this groundbreaking has been quite long-awaited. Ugo Colombo’s CMC Group purchased the site in 2013 for $21 million. In January 2015, the popular neighborhood restaurant/nightclub was closed to make way for the development. Since the closing and demolition, not much has been said with regard to the actual construction start date. The site has been used as overflow parking for the neighboring shopping center and restaurants.

This groundbreaking is very much a triumph for the neighborhood as Ugo Colombo is one of the area’s most celebrated developers. His previous projects have been among the most successful developments in the city and tend to hold their value through market fluctuations better than some of the competing buildings due to their quality and unique design. Some of his previous projects include Santa Maria, Bristol Tower and the Epic Hotel and Residences in Brickell as well as the famed Grovernor House in Coconut Grove.

One of the aspects that we appreciate the most from Ugo Colombo’s developments is that they have a more lasting effect on the skyline. Buildings that he built 10 or 20 years ago still appear brand-new in the skyline and do not show their age even as newer buildings pop up around them. The average resale price of Mr. Colombo’s developments stands at $757/foot over the last year, compared to $506/foot for the same time period for all buildings developed by The Related Group.

Purchase opportunities are still available at Brickell Flatiron, in the range of $600/foot depending upon layout and floor location. Residences will be delivered in 2018 fully finished with Italian porcelain tile. Contact us for details about the available opportunities or to speak about your specific needs for a condo.

Fully Furnished 3 Bedroom Condo at Trump Palace in Sunny Isles Beach – $2.495M

Your paradise retreat awaits you. Wake up each morning to the sights and sounds of the beautiful Atlantic Ocean. A relaxing stroll down the white sand beaches is just an elevator ride away.

Welcome to Unit 3604 at Trump Palace – an impeccably designed, contemporary masterpiece with nearly $800,000 spent in renovations, furniture, and electronics. This flow-through residence includes 3 bedrooms, 3.5 baths with 2,167 interior square feet plus two spacious balconies and offers direct, breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean. Property features include: a private elevator and foyer; 10-foot ceilings with floor-to-ceiling glass windows; Sonos surround sound system; renovated kitchen with custom Italian cabinets and high-end appliances by Sub-Zero, Gaggenau, and Miele; custom half bath with stone tiled walls; and custom master bathroom with a white pedestal tub, glass-enclosed shower with rainfall shower and body jets, and side vanity for makeup and hair.

Venetian Islands Real Estate: November 2015 Market Report

Each week, Miami Beach Realtors host a progressive open house of listings in the area. This week’s focus was the Venetian Islands, with an impressive 23 properties on the tour! This is a great time for the Venetian Islands as the roads and infrastructure are in the last months of a $12.4 million restoration project. The Venetian Causeway is expected to reopen by the Spring of 2016, offering residents new roads as well as utilities. The construction project has not slowed the bustling real estate market in the neighborhood. Here are some highlights of the market as we draw an end to 2015:

There are currently 47 actively marketed homes for sale on the Venetian Islands in Miami and Miami Beach (comprised of Venetian Drive, San Marco Island, San Marino Island, Di Lido Island and Rivo Alto Island).

Highest Price Listing: 610 W Dilido Island
$15,500,000 for 5 bedrooms, 6 baths in a 5,210 square foot home on a waterfront lot.

Lowest Price Listing: 211 S Rivo Alto Drive
$1,595,000 for 4 bedrooms, 3 baths in a 2,194 square foot home on an interior lot.

Contracts Signed
There are 4 properties that are currently under contract, ranging in price from $5,900,000 down to $929,000.

Recent Closings
Over the last 3 months, we have seen 9 properties trade hands for $12,500,000 down to $1,525,000.  Waterfront properties averaged $1,450/square foot in price vs $811/square foot for interior lots.

Featured Property: 300 W Rivo Alto Drive
Of the actively marketed properties in the neighborhood, we made special note of the home at 300 W Rivo Alto Drive, offered at $12,750,000.

This Venetian Island home was built in 1938 on a waterfront lot, but recently remodeled beautifully. It offers 5 bedrooms, 5 1/2 baths and 90 feet of bayfront views with an infinity lounge pool and boat dock. There is an outdoor living room with summer kitchen, garden and even a koi pond with waterfall. The interior design is tasteful yet dramatic with zebrawood walls, calcutta gold marble, top of the line appliances and Crestron security system.

Here are some additional photos of 300 W Rivo Alto Drive:

And if that waterfront house doesn’t tickle your fancy, be sure to visit our real estate listings page for luxury houses for sale in Miami and Miami Beach.

A Tour of the Malibu-style Beach House located at 222 Ocean Drive in South Beach – Asking $14,995,000

Tuesday afternoon, I had the pleasure to drop by an open house that my broker, Dora Puig, was holding, so I could see first-hand the amazing new luxury listing she recently landed – a 7,000 square foot, Malibu-style beach house located at 222 Ocean Drive in the South Beach neighborhood known as South of Fifth. It’s not often that you get the chance to visit a single-family home in that neighborhood. In fact, there are only two other single family homes that exist in all of South of Fifth, and this is the only one that is located across the street from the beach, right smack on Ocean Drive. In terms of location, it doesn’t get much better than this. Fortunately, location isn’t the property’s only strong suit. It’s also incredibly sexy. The moment you walk into the recently renovated, three-story home, you are greeted with soaring 20-foot ceilings and an elegantly appointed, white spiral staircase. The luxury home for sale consists of 4 bedrooms, 4 full baths, 2 half baths, and includes a theater room and bar; a custom wine cellar; 11-inch wide plank Oscar Ono rustic wood floors; a custom kitchen with best-in-class appliances by Viking, Miele, and Sub-Zero; a private, rooftop deck with pool and summer kitchen; and an air-conditioned 2-car garage to boot. This is the type of property that will appeal to a special kind of buyer – one who fully appreciates its uniqueness and location, and, of course, has close to $15M to indulge. As for the rest of you, the accompanying photos will have to do.

Matt Damon’s Miami Beach Estate Now Under Contract

After spending over 600 days on the market, the Miami Beach waterfront estate owned by Oscar award-winning actor Matt Damon is finally under contract.  The one-acre property located at 6020 North Bay Road is comprised of two separate but adjacent parcels.  It was originally listed for $20M on April 11, 2013.  According to MLS records, the North Bay Road waterfront home, which was reduced late last year to $18,999,000, went under contract earlier this week on December 1, 2014.  The estate – known as “Maravilla” – was built in 1935 and is situated on a rare double lot with 170 feet of water frontage.  In two separate transactions, in 2005,  Damon acquired it for a combined total of $14.5M.

No word on who the buyer might be but, due to the sheer size of the land itself, my guess, if I had to venture one, is that the buyer has plans to knock down all existing structures and build anew.  Damon’s seven-bedroom, Miami Beach estate has just 12,705 interior square feet, quite small when compared to the 21,845 square foot home that could reside there, according to my calculations, if built to code.  The property located at 6020 North Bay Road has great potential, a fact that I am sure would not be overlooked by buyers in this price range.  If I am correct, the transaction should close quickly as there would not be a need to do a home inspection.

It will be interesting to see the final sales price once everyone lays down their cards.  Word has it that Damon, along with his wife and children, relocated in 2012 to Pacific Palisades, a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.

If you’re curious about other luxury houses for sale on North Bay Road or other exclusive neighborhoods throughout Miami Beach, be sure to pay a visit to our collection of luxury real estate for sale in Miami and Miami Beach.

Miami Luxury Homes See 11.5 Percent Price Increase in Q3

With an 11.5% increase year-over-year in the third quarter of 2014, luxury home prices in Miami ranked 7th out of 33 key global cities tracked in the Knight Frank Prime Global Cities Index.  As should be expected, within the past 6 and 3 months, prices for luxury real estate in Miami saw a decline of 3.6% and 4.1% respectively.  The third quarter, which includes the months July through September, is typically the slowest quarter for Miami real estate.  This price trend should reverse itself over the next two quarters as the weather in other parts of the world becomes progressively colder.  In my opinion, all eyes should be on the figures for the first quarter of 2015. Q1 tends to be the best performing quarter for Miami luxury real estate and should provide an indication as to where prices may head.  Any signs of weakness in Q1 could spell trouble for luxury home prices throughout 2015 and 2016.