Behind the design of Miami Pool House

With Miami Pool House opening later this month, we have enjoyed exploring the different sides of Miami: from the vibrant nature of Wynwood and nearby neighbourhoods to the history surrounding them. We’ve also been growing our community of creatives, meeting new Miami members while creating a new space for existing ones.
 
Miami Pool House is the sister House to Soho Beach House (which opened its doors in 2010), but it has its own unique look and atmosphere. To gain an insight into the design process, we sat down with Lead Interior Designer Lucy Packard and Interior Designer Da Ye Kwon from Soho House’s New York office, who walked us through the inspiration behind the House and how their vision came together. 
 
Built across nearly an acre of land, the House is located between Wynwood and Edgewater. It’s made up of three buildings around a pool on the edge of the railroad tracks, and was converted from a 1940s printing factory into a home, before eventually being transformed into the Pool House we see today. The Loft (a workspace by day and bar by night) was once a two-storey machine shop built in the 1960s, while The Cottage (a health and tonic bar at the House) has exposed Dade County pine beams dating back to 1926, as well as reclaimed wood floors. 
 
For the design team, one of the goals was to keep the ‘campus style’ of the property, with each of the buildings maintaining its unique character and function. Here’s how they achieved it: 

Historical influences
‘When looking for inspiration for this House, we looked at the neighbourhood of Wynwood and the history of the surrounding area,’ explains Packard. ‘Wynwood in the 1920s was known for its garment industry, so we took a lot of influences from various floral prints and custom fabrics that we created in-house. In the 1950s, the area was known as Little San Juan with a lot of Puerto Rican people and culture, and we wanted to bring that to our finishes and fabrics.’ 

‘One of the main challenges in designing Miami Pool House was our effort to retain as many original features of the existing building as possible. Also, it had beautiful existing landscaping, which we tried to preserve,’ adds Kwon.  

The Pool 
‘The House has a light and airy feel, with an oasis of greenery distinguishing it from the surrounding concrete of the neighbourhood. The pool, with retro-style umbrellas and sun loungers is, of course, the centrepiece – a perfect location for a relaxed afternoon away from the buzz of the city, or a cocktail in the evening,’ says Kwon.

‘We have pink and white mosaics around the pool, a lot of bold colours, pastels and floral patterns, and our pool towel takes graphic inspiration from the shape of the pool as well,’ Packard adds.   

The club spaces 
The main club spaces are The Loft, a daytime workspace that transforms into a cosy bar in the evening, with an upstairs living room for talks and meeting; The Cottage, a health and tonic bar focusing on pure and nutrient-rich foods (with pop-up dining experiences by night), and The Restaurant and Terrace, an indoor and outdoor space with a menu inspired by 1960s pool clubs.

The garden area features bright and bold patterns on the upholstery, with the tables and chairs nestled in between tropical trees, all illuminated by festoon lights through the branches in the evening. 

The Miami Pool House art collection, which you can see displayed throughout the spaces, focuses on artists whose lives and practices are connected to Miami. The House will also have a dedicated art programme with an emphasis on Afro-Caribbean and Latinx artists who have created works in the city.

Furniture and details 
‘We sourced a lot of our furniture locally from Florida-based antique dealers, which included a lot of bamboo and rattan pieces that we reupholstered in Miami-inspired patterns and colours,’ says Kwon. ‘Other notable details are 1980s Palm Beach-inspired lamps and ceramic tiled tables.’ 

Textiles designed especially for Miami Pool House by the Soho House design team reflect the playful spirit of the House, as well as its history. The botanical print on the sunbeds is inspired by the 1920s and the boom years of Wynwood, while broad stripes (pink and white; yellow and white) channel the light-hearted spirit of retro pool parties. 

‘When designing Miami Pool House, obviously we had to keep in mind that Soho Beach House Miami is so well established and loved in the city,’ says Packard. ‘We really wanted to design the Pool House in a slightly different way, with a fun, playful, energetic look and feel.’ 

For more information about Miami Pool House, click here. Follow Soho House on Instagram for video interviews from our Behind The Design series.