Welcome to another entry of Jessi’s I Love Places, featuring a Landmark home in a suburb of Miami that is requested to be historically preserved. This home is over 150 years old and what is unique about this space is not just the home itself, but the gazebo and backyard that was built in the last 27 years.
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First, what makes this home special to me was that I grew up across the street from this home and saw all the transformations occur with the backyard.
Also, when I was a little girl there has been 5 different owners, and every single one updated it little by little. Exactly 26 years ago this backyard was just grass, with NO POOL & NO GAZEBO. Can you imagine that?
Next, here’s some great facts and timeline about the evolution of this great backyard & installed gazebo:
In the early 2000s a young couple who flipped houses moved in and added a necessary pool for this space.
In mid 2000s the next set of owners were from South Africa and loved the outdoors. They decided to design and build the gazebo.
Since the house was a historical landmark the owners had to design the gazebo to look and feel like the rest of the home. It had to keep the same aesthetic as everything else.
The gazebo overlooks the pool and you effortlessly can jump right into the pool from there! It’s absolutely stunning and extremely relaxing.
What ties this gazebo together is the amazing furniture pieces.
Here are the last 4 fun facts about this space:
If you ever visited a Tulum, Mexican resort; this gazebo has that feel. The extreme arches give the space the hotel resort design and the grand entrance feel.
One of the most complex sections of the gazebo is the amazing wooden panels built in the ceiling where the fan is located. It is breathtaking!
The pool was changed to salt water about 4 years ago! Honestly it brings out the amazing blue/teal color in the water. The water looks unrealistic in the most beautiful manner.
The other side of the home has turf grass. The previous owner installed complete turf grass for easier maintenance and to save money on getting the grass cut weekly.
Last, the current family living here are amazing people who respect and love the home for its reach history and aesthetic. Their taste in outdoor furniture was spot on to what this place needed to uphold the tradition of this timeless landmark.
Do you have a space in your home that you traditionally cherish?
Below I have included some amazon pieces that would be great substitute items to capture this gazebo feel. Just click on the picture below for all the details! See below…happy shopping!
The best coffee in the world in my opinion is Nespresso! They have the most flavored coffees with or without sugar and cream. I also love their sleek coffee machines and how it gives your kitchen a sophisticated feel. No matter what your decor is in your home, your Nespresso machine will go with it.
Also, there are many flavored capsules to choose from and in the past you would have to order your Nespresso capsules online or in a standing door which are extremely limited…
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BUT NOW…NESPRESSO capsules ARE AVAILABLE ON MACYS.COM! YES MACYS.COM! I am beyond happy with this, what a convenience and they have an amazing selection as well for both types of machines!
Another plus is having the Nespresso machines on sale during Black Friday! This is the time to buy yourself or a loved one a coffee machine like this. Below I am listing the key coffee machines on sale as well as listing my top 10 from the VertuoLine capsule flavors…Check it out!
My top 10 Favorite Nespresso VertuoLine Capsules…
Caramel Cookie – Love this one by far, it has the taste of caramel, coconut and almond! My new favorite.
Hazelino Muffin – Hazelnut flavor is all I have to say with a touch of almond. I drink this one on the weekends always!
Vanilla Custard – I am not a fan of the name but the taste is so good! It tastes like vanilla cake to me.
Intenso – Just want it says intense but it first tastes strong but when you actually swallow this coffee goes down so smooth.
Stormio – Guatemalan decent flavor, it tastes very sweet to me but I love it.
Ice Leggero* – Extremely fruity taste, if you don’t like sweet then this flavor isn’t for you
Colombia* – Very sweet and creamy!
Mexico* – This one is spicy and a bit intense but that is the Miami type of coffee we love!
Costa Rica* – Little taste of salt in this one but I really love it.
*These are only online at Nespresso.com or at a Nespresso boutique…visit www.nespresso.com
Check out these amazing Nespresso Machines on Sale at Macys during Black Friday! These are great Christmas gifts! Check out the options and click the picture to see the deals! Happy Shopping!
As Lynette drives jumps from call to call negotiating with her key department stores to drive her Coty Fragrance business, she sits in her living room fixing up her amazing coffee book collection as she once again admires her beautiful home that she share with her wonderful husband!
Welcome to another Jessi’s I Love Places featuring a close friend of mine named Lynette who a high power regional director for Coty Fragrances Division! #powerfulwoman I admire her so much as a business woman and as a friend. We have been working together for the past couple of years and I noticed how amazing Lynette’s taste in clothes and style always.
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So I was extremely excited to feature portions of her amazing home for my next entry. I just adore her official living room. I love the neutral pieces of furniture, however she adds amazing color accessories like the pillows up against the mirror to the red orange coffee table. I am also obsessed with her collection of coffee books, she has them everywhere but in a way that makes sense and creates such dimension to her room.
Lynette also does a great job of balancing solids with a bit of print to give the space more depth. The carpet and the matching pillow patterns were just the right touch. Fun Fact: She loves leopard prints by the way lol.
The Entrance…One of the most thoughtful and stunning entries to a home comes from Lynette as well. She does an amazing job with choosing wallpaper that fit and match her taste in furniture. The chairs matched perfectly with the walls but they did not blend in and get lost. The walls had a print on top of the muted gray tone that tied in with the gray velvet like grand chairs in the entry way.
I am excited to share more of Lynette’s home in my next post but for now here are a few design/decor tips I learned from visiting her home:
Monochromatic mixed with prints is awesome – Being able to keep the same color story but have a print thrown in to shake it up is the ultimate design concept.
Wallpaper is back – If you pick the right wallpaper and match it up with coordinating furniture pieces you will have a wow in your home.
Coffee table books NEVER GET OLD – Coffee books are like works of art that you do not hang. Continue to utilize them to make your spaces more interesting.
Mirrors – Long Mirrors defiantly give the illusion that the room looks bigger. It may not be a bad idea for me get one for our living room now, I beyond inspired.
Art Pieces – A living room or entry way is not complete without a work of art of some sort displayed. It just ties the room together and sets the tone for what you want the decor of your home to be.
So cheers to the Jessi’s I Love Places feature for the week! What do you feel is the most important part of a living room?
Lynette found many of her pieces in one of a kind locations and Macys! She loves to mix the low with the high. Check out some cool dupes from Macy’s based on some of the very unique pieces from this home. Click picture below to take you there!
What a process! The Hot Mess Powder Room that died and has gone off to bathroom vanity heaven! As we moved into our first home we were excited to update the bathroom/powder room vanity. It was a necessary fix and it has transformed the house once again.
So let’s begin with this Powder Room. This was by far the biggest change. The original space had very old 1970s carpet like wall paper that was on the walls and ceiling. It really made your head spin a bit. Check out the original photo from when we first visited the house. Here were the top 3 reasons this powder had to be re-done:
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Wallpaper on wall and ceiling was a major eye sore.
The cabinets were 30 inches heigh – This was not going to work seeing that I am 5’7″ and my husband is 6’8.” He was basically on his knees trying to wash his hands.
No overhead lighting – the previous owner used lamps and tied them to the wall. The cords were neatly attached to the wall, but after our cousin came who is an electrician, told us that that is a fire hazard. So yep…we had to get rid of that.
Countertop – The counter top famously sagged in the middle and we were not fans of chocolate brown color tops either.
Needless to say this set up had to go! So we decided to gut it and start over. The toilet and flooring were the only elements that stayed. My husband and I decided to raise the vanity to 36 inches, plus we wanted a calming color story in our powder room.
We went with a glossy gray finish on the cabinets, and to make the space modern/bold I went with black matte exposed sinks and faucets. I love utilizing simple colors with bold finishes or pieces, I guess you can say I am a hard/soft person when it comes to decor. Here is a before and after picture below:
What a change right? I am a amazon queen so most of these items came from Amazon & Target. Here are some links to items I bought to create this powder room vibe:
Gold Mirror – I love a beautiful brass gold round mirror. It was a nice compliment to the very square like sink, it was a good balance of structure and curve appeal. Bought it from Amazon!
2. Foam Molding – Yes its foam! It was a perfect way to elevate the open white walls in this space. I am looking forward to decorating the corner of my powder room soon!
3. Feature Wall – I wanted to have a accent wall of some kind vs just painting it. Painting takes a bit more time, and we decided to just do contact paper. I found a very nice white brick paper that would go with anything when I finally decorate the rest of the room in the future. I suggest ordering 3 to 4 rolls, but it depends on the size of the wall.
4. Faucets – My contractor got the sinks for me but I ordered the matte black faucets. I just love the entire look and it has elevated this space so much.
These are some of the key pieces I bought to bring this powder room together. I also love the bath accessories which I received from my wedding 2 years ago and the candle on the counter is from Target! But here are so good substitutes for the bathroom accessories and candles from Amazon.
In the end we were so happy with the results and we plan on changing out the flooring in the future and decorate this sweet corner as well. This is by far one of my favorite renovation projects. More to come! Any renovation projects you have enjoyed experiencing or seeing? Share below…
Within Coral Gables, FL there are various homes that have such history and appeal. I grew up in this area with my parents and have always admired the taste level of our neighbors with their homes.
One of my favorite places has to be our neighbor’s home…Vivian’s Kitchen Island. It’s just one of my favorite spaces to come visit and have a cup of lemonade or coffee. Hear the story of the renovation and concept behind this wonderful space.
This family saved money for over 15 years to renovate their entire downstairs of their home practically. And it has paid off! The #1 priority was the kitchen, Vivian and her family are like mine. They gather around the kitchen table to not just eat but to converse. Check out this island…this is the island of all islands!
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First, the island feels like a mile long, it can sit easily 12 people and still have room! She picked out an amazing pure white quartz counter top to match the overall white theme to her kitchen. I love the hidden refrigerator with the long exaggerated handles. It gives it such an elegant but simple feel. The backsplash is so pretty and has a hint of gray in the print. I really love it because with the kitchen being white already, the backsplash just gives it the complete look.
Second, the amount of drawer space is out of this world as well. This kitchen island alone has 12 drawers! What an amazing use of space.
One of the most charming stories from the owner was her standing firm on getting this kitchen island. This space originally had a wall separating the kitchen and the dining room table. Just picture a wall lining up next to the now refrigerator…that was the size of the kitchen.
The interior designer that she worked with wanted her to keep it separated. They even drew up plans and everything to persuade Vivian to do what they suggested. But Vivian held her ground and said no.
Lastly, I personally felt she made the right decision based on the needs of her family. Family is all about conversing with each other and hanging out. This 117 inch long by 66 inch wide kitchen island represents that for her family dynamic. This is why I view this as a “Jessi’ I love Places.” What piece in your home means the most to your life or family dynamic?
Most of this kitchen’s pieces came from Pottery Barn or Crate & Barrell. However, I do have some great dupes or options from Amazon. Check out the links below.
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from Amazon. 
