Just north of the bustling Design District in Miami lies the guard-gated enclave of Morningside, a leafy waterfront neighborhood largely built out in the 1920s and ’30s. Amid its mix of Art Deco and Mediterranean Revival homes cloaked in dense tropical foliage stands something altogether different: a strikingly revamped residence originally designed and completed in 1948 by architect Rufus Nims. A master of South Florida tropical modernism, Nims pioneered passive-cooling strategies that helped homes adapt to the region’s hot, humid climate. He was also known for coming up with the design for the hundreds of Howard Johnson’s motor lodges that once dotted highways across the country. 

Previously known as the Charles Roman House after its original owner—who held the singular property until about 1975—the home entered a new chapter in 2022. That year, according to records, the long vacant property was acquired for $1.5 million by architect Gabriela Liebert, who embarked on an ambitious renovation and expansion aimed at honoring the home’s original design while seamlessly ushering it into the 21st century.

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The transformed home—described in press materials as “pure architectural audacity”—has been reborn as SkyFin, a name that evokes the fluid, sculptural form seemingly suspended above a generous roof terrace off the main bedroom. Throughout, sunlight streams through the expansive glazing, casting shifting patterns across the rooms and emphasizing the home’s sense of movement, while the curving lines and airy volumes create a rhythm that carries the eye seamlessly from one space to the next. 

On the lower level, walls of glass dissolve the boundary between interior and exterior, while the original support beams punctuate an open-plan great room, its pale wood floors grounding the space in warmth. The living area frames views of the curving exterior staircase that once led to the home’s front entry, while the dining area peers onto a garden vista. Anchoring the space, a sleek Boffi kitchen is defined by a dramatic oval window above the sink, a signature detail that perfectly balances form and function.  

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The home spans just over 4,200 square feet and offers five bedrooms and six bathrooms in total. A ground-floor bedroom with a private bath is ideal for guests, while the second floor features an en suite study that can easily convert into an additional bedroom, as well as a casual lounge. The primary suite unfolds across multiple levels, encompassing a sunken dressing area, a spacious bath, a fitted walk-in closet, a semicircular bedroom, and a lofted study that opens onto a roof terrace. There, a sculptural fireplace—bulbous and suspended from the arched vaulted ceiling—serves as a striking focal point.

The overhaul was guided by a desire to maximize the corner parcel’s modest 0.19-acre footprint. Two expansive covered patios provide shaded retreats from the relentless South Florida sun, while a crescent-shaped plunge pool echoes the home’s flowing, sculptural lines. Lush lawns and verdant foliage knit the outdoor spaces together, creating a tranquil, seamless garden oasis.

SkyFin is available at $6.5 million with Pietro Belmonte and Carlos Fernandez of Douglas Elliman.

Click here for more photos of the Miami home.