The Brief

Celebrate historical architecture while making the photos appealing to potential buyers.

Villa Serenita is a luminous blend of historic charm and modern elegance. Designed by legendary Miami architect Walter De Garmo and thoughtfully updated by Rafael Portuondo, the home pairs Mediterranean Revival details with bright, airy living spaces made for today’s luxury lifestyle.

When I first visited, much of the façade was wrapped in ivy, giving it a secluded, almost storybook quality. While beautiful in person, the arched entryway and fortress-like foyer are covered in the shadows of the property’s incredible canopy of tropical foliage. It risked being perceived as “dark” and “gloomy” by potential buyers. I knew the listing photos needed to convey vibrance and openness, the kind of light and warmth that inspires buyers to picture themselves here.

To achieve this, I recreated the look of golden Florida sunlight on demand, using professional lighting mounted high above the property to wash the architecture in a welcoming, directional glow that mimicked morning and late-afternoon sun.

Inside, the owner’s eclectic taste in art and furniture brought a bespoke kaleidoscope of color and texture. From flora-inspired light fixtures and pattern-on-pattern styling, to built-in bookshelves, vintage first editions, and vaulted open-beam ceilings hand-painted with botanical motifs. These layers gave the Mediterranean Revival bones the rope they needed to unapologetically embrace bold, contemporary interior styling.

And then there’s the banyan tree: A tall, silent sentinel anchoring the pool and gardens. It was the perfect framing element for one of my favorite shots, a happy accident involving the neighbor’s black lab tussling with the resident gang of peacocks. After a burst of dust clouds in the bushes like something out of a Peanuts comic strip, the birds suddenly remembered they could fly, landing on the terracotta roof just as I sprinted to my car for the 25-foot tripod. Seconds later, I was shooting a whimsical composition of banyan foliage, clay tiles, cream stucco, and wood railings with a little lifestyle element to boot.