House Beautiful July 14, 2025
Buyer
For the Miami bungalow of Chelsea Hirschhorn, husband-and-wife design team, Monica Santayana and Ronald Alvarez of MONIOMI Design were tasked with capturing a subtle, beach-inspired atmosphere. The four-bedroom, four-bathroom property exists across the street from the Frida founder's primary residence, and is used mainly as a guest house, as well as a spot for decompressing and a private place to get ready for events. Hirschhorn's only call to action? That the space mirror her own colorful outlook, while otherwise giving the design duo the freedom to create magic in the space, a task that they fully leaned into.
Across the home’s 3,250 square feet, the pair built upon a foundation of impactful color schemes, from the oceanic-blue kitchen with a seashell art display to the welcoming guest room wrapped in the warm glow of mustard yellow. The end result is a moody and funky aesthetic that's a far cry from the traditional "beach retreat"— but just right for a boundary-breaking female founder.
We captured the characteristics of each room through a color story to give each space its own identityENTRYWAY
Setting a soft yet vibrant mood for the rest of the home, the foyer is covered in a textural blue lime wash, juxtaposed by more formal paneling and inset grasscloth wallpaper. A vintage Mario Lopez Torres monkey table welcomes entrants upon arrival and exudes whimsy.
Where multifunctional seating supports casual hangs.
The great room accommodates a variety of activities, from lounge-style seating for hosting guests to areas for Hirschhorn's kids to play games. “The sofa had to work as island seating so that, in whichever corner you were gathering, the sofa could support its adjacent spaces," Alvarez says of the centrally located sofa that provides 360-degree seating.
The 3D wallcovering was a worthwhile splurge.
In the guest wing, the hallway acts as a transportive vessel, thanks in large part to a 3D raffia wallcovering from CMO Paris. “We wanted it to be an element of surprise, as creating a hallway in this finish is typically unexpected,” Santayana says. “It emphasizes the play in design that we wanted to infuse throughout the home.”
It's coastal but far from kitschy.
For the kitchen, the design team continued an oceanic color story, painting the existing cabinetry in a custom light blue with hints of gray. They replaced the backsplash and counters with mint quartzite to complement the refreshed cabinets and create a more monochromatic look. In one corner, custom light wood shelving displays a collection of seashell art, along with favorite glasses and dinnerware. Bonus: The corner houses a candy bar, a must-have for Hirschhorn.
It doubles as a glam room.
According to the design team, “rest and self-expression meet” in this personal retreat. “Plum tones wrap the space, while textured details, [like the fluted wall,] add just the right amount of edge,” Alvarez says.
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