La Claridad, designed in 1924 by noted architect Marion Sims Wyeth, sits proudly on a corner a stone’s throw away from Worth Avenue. It’s a landmarked treasure that was uninhabited and crumbling before our eyes. With our preservation hats on, we acquired the property at auction and assembled the team to begin the 26 month restoration.

We were allowed to demolish the back half of the house where some unfortunate additions had taken place in the 1980’s. We replaced it with a new wing to match the old exterior, complete with cast iron balcony railing details and pecky cypress lintels. We used our open courtyard plan to help organize the floor plan.

A key feature of the courtyard is the pavilion with its striped awning and banquette seating for 12 people. This is the alfresco dining room.

The Cuban terra cotta and the Mizner black glazed diamond shaped tiled floors remained, as did the cast stone steps of the grand staircase with the Mizner wrought iron railings, and the original fireplace in the green living room.

We cleared the dense overgrowth of dead trees and shrubs to make way for the tiled pool and a terrace off the kitchen with an awning.

The before pictures are in a file somewhere. We prefer to show the after pictures to remind us of the absolute magic that a talented group of artists, architects, landscapers, builders, masonries, carpenters, and painters can make.

Landscape Designer | Niviera Williams Landscape Architecture

Architect | Fairfax & Sammons

Builder | Tim Givens Building and Remodeling, Inc.

Photographer | Lisa Romerein