Step Inside the Chicly Understated Miami Home of Real Housewives Cast Member Dr. Nicole Martin
It didn’t take long after its premier last December for The Real Housewives of Miami to descend into intrigue and drama—both hallmarks of the popular global television franchise that has amassed millions of fans over the years. But for Dr. Nicole Martin—a new addition to the recently revived show on Peacock—a freshly renovated waterfront estate in Coral Gables, Florida, offered a measure of tranquility.
“It was really important that the house felt cozy and homey,” Dr. Martin says. She’s a Miami native whose medical career began and continues at the University of Miami, where she is an assistant professor of clinical anesthesiology. “Sometimes when you take on large scale renovations like this, the house could end up feeling cold. We didn’t want that.”
She and her husband, attorney Anthony Lopez, spent just over a year gut-renovating the 9,000-square-foot home, which features a stunning 500 feet of waterfront. The couple employed Manny Angelo Varas, CEO and president of luxury home builder MV Group USA, to work with interior designer Briggs Edward Solomon on the gut renovation of the 2.2-acre property. Notably, Solomon has designed interiors for a number of boldface names in Miami including former Major League Baseball player Alex Rodriguez, while Varas has collaborated on luxury projects with global design stars such as Giorgio Armani.
Double-height ceilings inside the property are framed by large picture windows that allow sunlight to pour into the Mediterranean-style home, which is lined with European elk wood flooring throughout. Elsewhere, cream colored walls give the living room a relaxed and comfortable feel. Inside that space, white linen sofas serve as anchoring forces while leather Pierre Jeanneret lounge chairs, cast bronze side tables, and a midcentury Jean Prouvé daybed make for appealing accents. The furnishings sit atop a textured hemp rug by Woven Accents.
The primary bedroom includes painted white oak nightstands that frame a custom-made bed and wool fabric ottoman by Briggs & Co. An antique Doroksh rug and vintage bamboo standing lamp surround two Art Deco club chairs in white linen, also by Briggs & Co. “The idea was to employ a very clean and contemporary atmosphere, but also to inject a classic, timeless theme throughout the home,” Solomon says.
The property was also designed for entertaining, Varas says. He installed a 3,000-bottle wine cellar with professional-grade temperature and humidity control and a plush, 20-seat movie theater to help facilitate the couple’s love of opening their home to guests.
That emphasis carries through back into the living room, where an oak bar and black granite countertop was added. The teak and leather bar stools are by Pierre Jeanerrette while the carpet is an antique Mallayer rug. The carpet is in the dining room, which includes a triple dome chandelier in dark waxed bronze and a 12-person dining table designed by Briggs & Co. too. “Nicole and Anthony both enjoy having friends and family share their home,” Varas says. “So it was important to create communal spaces that not only added luxury, but also felt inviting for everyone.”
Showcasing the couple’s art collection also served as a guiding force in the home’s design and renovation process. As lifelong collectors, they have amassed artworks by Cuban artists such as painter and sculptor René Portocarrero and Victor Manuel García Valdez, an early member of the Vanguardia movement of artists who utilized European concepts of Modern art to create distinctly Cuban aesthetics.
Nonetheless, for car afficionados, the best collection of works of art might just be Lopez’s growing car collection, which clocks in at 15 and includes a 1954 Porsche Speedster and a 1951 Jaguar. They, in turn, made for a challenging engineering feat, as a set of three two-car hydraulic Italian car lifts were installed in order to properly house them. Clearly, even in the garage, the sky’s the limit at this Miami home when it comes to design.
1/14The impressive pool area is surrounded by lush palm trees.
2/14The plaster pendants are by Alexandre Loge while the limestone console is from Formations. Antique Oushak rug sourced from Woven Accents; reclaimed antique marble flooring purchased through Exquisite Surfaces.
3/14White linen sofas by Briggs & Co. anchor a living room accented by leather Pierre Jeanneret lounge chairs, Atlas cast bronze side tables by Alexander Lamont, and a midcentury Jean Prouvé daybed. The furnishings sit atop a textured hemp rug by Woven Accents. Gulule wall sconces in a polished pale gold finish are by Joseph Dirand.
4/14An oak bar with a black stain and black granite countertop was added in the formal living room. Teak and leather bar stools by Pierre Jeanneret, an antique Mallayer rug from Woven Accents, and a wooden barrel planter from Briggs & Co. can all be seen.
5/14This interior features a living Divani sectional and pillows, iron tripod table with bronze edging, and Daphine Terra floor lamp are by Interior Deluxe. Vintage Kilim rug, log coffee table, and custom linen lounge chairs in Fortuny fabric are all from Briggs & Co., as are two mid-century woven rush wood chairs.
6/14The custom sectional in Perrine Rousseau fabric is from Briggs & Co. Antique table lamps are by Venini. The ancient elm wood coffee table, custom petrified wood side tables, antique leather armchairs, and pedestal are all from Briggs & Co.
7/14In the dining room, triple dome chandeliers in dark waxed bronze hovers above a Plug Table designed by Rick Owens. The cane and teak chairs are Pierre Jeanneret designs. A tambour wood console by Kelly Behun serves as an anchor.
8/14The custom-made workman stool is from Briggs & Co. while the Basque table is by Demiurg. Other eye-catching elements in this room are the synapse pendant from Apparatus and the wool rug by ALT for Living.
9/14The kitchen features an oven range by La Cornue and faucets by CEA Design. Ceppo di Gré stone countertops and white oak wood millwork cabinetry can also be seen. Industrial brushed steel swivel stools, Flos structure lighting by Vincent Van Duysen, and Swedish wooden bowls by Briggs & Co. make for additional highlights.
10/14Purple-ish marble sets one powder room aglow.
11/14In this bathroom, the Whitby sconces are by The Urban Electric Co. French limestone basin and woven basket are by Briggs & Co. The faucet is by Waterworks.
12/14The primary bedroom includes painted white oak nightstands, a custom bed, and wool fabric ottoman—all created by Briggs & Co. An antique Doroksh rug and vintage bamboo standing lamp frame two Art Deco club chairs in white linen, also by Briggs & Co. The shagreen table lamp is by Alexander Lamont, and the Bauhaus–inspired side table is by Atelier Demiurge.
13/14Arabascato marble floors and vanities can be seen in this stunning bathroom. Fixtures are by Waterworks. Studio Loho Club was in charge of the bathtub.
14/14In this bedroom, the Med Zig side table in mahogany is by Rose Tarlow. Jane Hallworth Ishmael floor and table lamps are by Blackman Cruz. Custom bed, Belgian linen armchair, antique wood bench, and wood stool are all from Briggs & Co.
