In February 2022, real estate developer M. Patrick Carroll relocated his company, Carroll, to Florida and purchased a stunning oceanfront property in Miami for a whopping $16350000. The house was designed from scratch by the renowned architect and designer Achille Salvagni and completed in 2020. It is a true masterpiece, inspired by Gio Ponti and the historic Miami of the 1950s.
This modern home is located on a spacious 111-foot waterfront property and boasts seven bedrooms and 6.5 bathrooms. The expansive 7951 square foot property also features a 90-foot infinity pool, 24-carat gold leaf detailing, a grand bronze staircase, and a private boat dock.
M. Patrick Carroll’s House
Carroll had not heard of Salvagni’s work before seeing the house, but he quickly became a fan. Achille Salvagni is known for his classic Italian furniture and exceptional designs. Each piece of furniture, every light fixture, and the entire design concept was directly from Achille.
Carroll was looking for a turnkey home that required little to no renovations. He said, “It was important that the home was modern in design. I have always loved the sleek modern look, and it seemed perfect for Miami. I also wanted to be on the water and buy a furnished home. The fact that this home was furnished by a top-notch designer made it perfect.”
It is quite fascinating when someone like Carroll moves into a new home but makes almost no changes to it, especially when it is their primary residence. According to Francesca Beauty, an interior designer and professional stager who has not worked with Carroll, some high-net-worth clients purchase an entire house, including the furniture. Although it is rare, it does happen and can be quite expensive. Usually, the client would rather not deal with furnishing an entire home, especially one that is over 3000 square feet. It can be challenging to furnish it, delivery lead time can be a nightmare, and many buyers may not have a clear vision of what they want. This is where staging comes in – it helps guide people who may not know how to design a new space or create their dream home. Seeing a space fully staged can help them visualize the result.
Carroll made some minor changes to the home, which were important but not significant considering the home’s size. The changes included adding a gym, which is essential in today’s world, and a home theater. The architect believes that the home theater is like being in a real cinema. It has power outage shades and all the necessary equipment to help you relax after work or on weekends.
A Mansion Designed Remotely
One of the most interesting things about this property is that Salvagni planned the whole project due to COVID-19 travel limitations. While remote design is not a new concept, it has become more common since the pandemic. Usually, designers will decorate a room or design bathroom or kitchen construction remotely. However, this project was more serious and complex, especially considering its location and price.
The architect mentioned that he directed the establishment of the interior design of a particular project entirely on Zoom. He worked on the project while staying in Rome and followed Eastern Standard Time to conduct meetings with his team. He would wake up at his usual time and start working on the project and then switch to Eastern Standard Time to lead meetings. During the meetings, he discussed the placement of all the furnishings, rugs, textures, lighting, cabinetry, fine arts, and even the bronze detailing on the stairs.
The exterior of the property was also meticulously planned and executed. The process of selecting palm trees and plants was a bit unusual, as the team members on site would send me videos on WhatsApp while visiting nurseries to show me the available options. Once the trees and plants were delivered, I would then review every detail online, even down to the specific placement of the palm trees along the water’s edge to ensure privacy on the Intracoastal Stream.
A Curated Home
The home features brushed Negresco, Verde Alpi, Malyat limestone, and Outright Belgium Dark marble, along with French-finished mahogany, and brushed oak for wall framing and cabinetry.
Salvagni furnished the house with a variety of custom pieces and lighting that he made specifically for this project, as well as antique pieces from Europe. He purchased everything that was designed in the 20th century at online auctions, from vendors he knew in Italy, and from Maison Gerard in New York. He would inform them of the task and the specific items he was searching for, and they would send him photos of the works they had in their stock. From there, they would set up the assortment.
