Preservation

One thing was clear from Day 1 of the restoration process, whether repairing the delicate wood siding or reviving the durable dade county pine floors, Miami's painted ladies offer a lot of history and required a lot of care.

The preservation process began with mold remediation, new roofing systems, and termite control. It ended with charming interior design, fresh paint, and lavish landscape design. From restoring some of the antique furniture to adding ornate Spanish tile, from window shade design to preserving the coral rock - no part of the property’s story was left untold.

A priority for the development group involved keeping on the local housekeeping and maintenance employees that live in the neighborhood. Talent for the project was also locally sourced.

The design inspiration came from the property's layered past and immediate context. The refurbished and reupholstered antique masterpieces add modernity to the authenticity of the interior rooms. The hardware, furnishings, and metal stairways speak to the industrial working River while the porous coral rock and Spanish tile pay homage to Little Havana.

All 38 bedrooms and bathrooms received updates and the kitchen was remodeled to serve the needs of modern day tenants. All toilets were replaced and updated to EPA approved sustainable toilets to improve water efficiency.

Nautical light fixtures, wood siding repairs, and fresh paint gave the exteriors the face lift they needed. Each window was removed and restored by a historical window expert, to function as they were originally intended - with a weight and pulley system. The development team worked closely with the City of Miami Historic Preservation and the Miami Dade Heritage Trust to ensure it remained genuine.

The window shade art design was inspired from some research about the neighborhood. Stumbling upon a historic photograph of the pink house with stripped awnings inspired this elegant grey, white, and color stripe pattern. Details like this throughout the project carry out the genuine Miami River Inn legacy. Now, guests get to live and experience it first hand.

Several “after” images are courtesy of Roam and Andrew Litsch.