For Stephan Weishaupt – the mastermind behind luxury furniture purveyor Avenue Road and design company Man of Parts – Miami was a serendipitous city to establish new roots. “Acquiring this home was a classic case of something finding me,” he says of the sprawling, and somewhat dilapidated, villa he purchased in 2013. “I saw the house while I was in Miami visiting friends and have never looked back.”
Originally built in 1932 by architect Martin Hampton, the home’s eclectic Art Deco features required substantial updating. “It was important for me to preserve the architectural integrity of the home,” Weishaupt explains, “but not to be bound to a specific style by it.” In the dining room: vintage Anel chairs by Brazilian designer Ricardo Fasanello, a graphic rug by fashion designer Mary Katrantzou, faceted bronze sconces by Chris Turner, and two Cipher pendants by Yabu Pushelberg for Lasvit.
A custom installation by German artist Regine Schumann gives a graphic touch to the lounge area. “The luminosity is visible from the poolside, too, when the patio doors are open,” Weishaupt says, “adding an ethereal character to the space.” Completing the vignette are French designer Christophe Delcourt’s EKO sofa and hexagonal MUC7 side table, which frame two circular Nacre coffee tables – one of Glas Italia’s latest products by Yabu Pushelberg – on another rug by Katrantzou.
Late American designer Vladimir Kagan’s serpentine sofa and two linear sconces by Michael Anastassiades complement an original oculus looking out onto the pool, one of the many idiosyncratic elements Weishaupt looked to preserve. “[It] is certainly one of the house’s most distinctive architectural features,” he says. Also in this room: a limited edition chair by Carlos Motta, the Pebbles table by Nada Debs, and a wooden console by Brazilian architect Isay Weinfeld.
Weishaupt’s home office continues the distinct and charming combination of “old loves with new acquisitions.” Here, Philippe Malouin’s Alexander street chair sits behind a peach lacquered version of Delcourt Collection’s YBU desk. “The colour and playful, organic shape make it a little more interesting than your typical work-from-home set-up,” he says. “The best part of my office, though, is the connection to the outdoors, making work feel a little less like work.” Another of Katrantzou’s designs for the Rug Company and a large-scale work by Berlin-based artist Gregor Hildebrandt give an edge to the sombre palette.
“This house provides a space for experimentation to mix styles, play with colour and pattern,” Weishaupt says. “Unlike the typical all-white Miami Beach vibe, I’ve had a lot of fun with colour.” Nowhere is this more apparent than in the bathroom, lined in swirling Italian Rocky Mist marble. A brilliant-white, Art Deco-inspired tub by Agape and a refined table lamp by Michael Anastassiades provide a counterpoint to the vibrant stone.
Weishaup’s master bedroom boasts a plush custom Christophe Delcourt built-in bench. “[It] fills the space between two corner windows and brings you eye-level with the parrots in the trees outside,” he says. “This is also the perfect spot for an afternoon nap.” Its low profile feels at home with the streamlined gestures of the original structure while, above, Toronto studio Moss & Lam’s gold-leaf print Track echoes the sofa’s gentle radius.
Muted walls, like those in the master suite, help highlight the carefully selected furnishings and collection of contemporary Brazilian designs that dots the residence, including the upholstered bed by Meridiani and the carved Cumaru-wood and brass Cantante sconce by São Paulo’s Claudia Moreira Salles.
Like the expressive marble of the bathroom, the umber tile in the gym offers a deliberate “dark, moodier, more masculine moment of contrast to what is otherwise a fairly bright, lively interior,” says Weishaupt. It has also provided a renewed sense of respite from the world. “Certainly, during the pandemic having a comfortable, functional place to work has been really important,” he says,” but equally so has my home gym — a place to exercise or de-stress, with room to unplug and relax too.”
The home’s exterior spaces, including the original pool with a view into the living room, are enveloped by dense tropical fauna. “Living in Miami is all about maintaining the connection to the outdoors,” Weishaupt says. “The lushness of the vegetation and landscaping paired with daybeds for lounging as well as various spaces to eat, entertain and relax have made the outdoors a favourite.” In other words, it’s a modern oasis fitting for the sunshine state.