Photo Credit: Cozy Salazar Interiors

Cozy Salazar Interiors is based and accomplishes plenty of work in the historic and charming Coral Gables area of Miami. Haute Design recently inquired about the tight-rope act of elevating and innovating design in such a historic area.

Haute Design: Working in Coral Gables, how do you maintain the look/feel of a home within the Gables vibe while making it unique as well?

Cozy Salazar: The houses in Coral Gables are all special in their own way! We love working on renovations, specifically in Coral Gables, that restore the charming aspects of a home to its former glory rather than trying to make them look like new construction. Whether that be preserving an old mantle, decorative ceiling, exterior arches etc. There is so much history here and we love playing into that. If we are working on a renovation with French or Spanish architecture and influence, we try to pay homage to that in the interior and respect the intention the original owners had for the space.

Photo Credit: Cozy Salazar Interiors

We do this in several ways by adding millwork that correlates with the style of the home, sourcing specific wallpapers for that space, leaning into furniture and decor that feels relevant, or, when working on the exterior, adding natural stone, updating front doors and windows, redesigning the pool, and/or investing in great landscaping. It saddens me a little to see a charming Coral Gables home renovated either too modern or in a contradicting style to its bones. Paying respect to what is already in place during a renovation is important in maintaining the “City Beautiful’s” rich history and charm.

Photo Credit: Cozy Salazar Interiors

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Taylor Swift

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

The extravagant estate known as Winfield Hall or the Woolworth Estate serves as the opulent centerpiece location of Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” music video. The famed video was released in November of 2014 and has since amassed more than 2.8 billion views on YouTube. In the video, Swift is pictured living in the lavish home while some of the exterior scenes were filmed at the nearby Oheka castle. In the 1960s, the property served as a modeling and airline stewardess school for women. The estate was later added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 to protect it from future demolishing as one of the few remaining privately owned mansions of the Gilded Age. The residence currently belongs to Denise Bettencourt, an architect and specialist in preservation and restoration of Gilded Age mansions. On July 12, the historic property is set to be auctioned with a substantial price cut. Initially asking $20 million, the property is now asking for an immensely reduced starting bid of $7 million.

Located in Glen Cove, Winfield Hall spans 32,000 square feet and sits on 16 acres of scenic landscape. Designed by renowned American architect C.P.H. Gilbert, the luxurious estate was built for entrepreneur Frank Winfield Woolworth between 1915 and 1916. At the time of construction, the home was considered the largest in the United States. The lush mansion includes 56 rooms, 10 bedrooms, and a 15,000 square foot clock tower with space to store 11 cars. Entering the residence, the space opens up to a white marble butterfly staircase as pictured in the opening scenes of the “Blank Space” video. The grand staircase was reportedly built as the focal point of the home and its construction is estimated to cost $2 million. Further into the estate presents the formal dining room also as shown in Swift’s music video. However, the opulent furnishings adorning the estate, including a Versace dining set, will be auctioned separately. Other luxury amenities include an entertainment area, chess room, ballroom, grand foyer, sunroom, and 16 fireplaces throughout the property.

The mansion is set to be auctioned on July 12 by Max Spann Real Estate & Auction Co.

For more on the latest in luxury real estate, visit dev.hauteresidence.com.

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However, historic homes can also have their drawbacks. Smaller rooms, a lack of storage space, and outdated floorplans are factors that must be accounted for--and sometimes altered, in order to bring a historic home up to today's standards.

For everyone who loves the style of historic homes, but still wants to protect their investment, here are some contemporary considerations when remodeling an older home.

Give Rooms A Modern Twist With Contemporary Art

Many art museum buildings have classical architecture, but the art inside may be abstract and modern. Don't be afraid of the juxtaposition of hanging nuevo canvases in a classic-looking room.

This four-story Victorian house in San Francisco livens things up a bit with a frenetic black and yellow abstract canvas over the mantle and a modern sculpture on the dining table. The waves in the contemporary rug also complement the grains of the old planks, while giving the floor a fresh update.

The right modern touches will actually make handsome period details like crown molding and intricate baseboards stand out more. The home doesn't feel old despite being built-in 1830. The high ceilings and wood-burning fireplace are touches of the past anyone would welcome today.

Use Trendy Hues To Accent Older Walls In Historic Homes

One of the easiest ways to update the inside of a historic home is to use contemporary paint colors on interior walls. Just because a home's build is traditional, doesn't mean that white and gray are the only acceptable paint choices.

One of this year's hottest colors, "nightwatch" (a warmer take on Hunter green) looks magnificent on this traditionally paneled wall. Accenting moldings in slightly lighter or darker shades than the wall is another way of showing off fine craftmanship.

For other fun color ideas, try moody mustards to give rooms a pop of color, or pastel blues and purples to hide wall imperfections and to make older rooms ready for a more minimalist chic aesthetic.

Natural Light Is Timeless

It doesn't matter what time period a house was built. Flooding common rooms with natural light never goes out of style.

Convert exterior walls containing small windows into folding or sliding doors to invite the outside in. The large doors in this historic Houston home's stunning room make for a smooth transition into the well-manicured courtyard garden.

Painting doors and trim with a favorite accent color is another great way to give older wood a facelift. Windows and doors often need updating in a historic home--not only for safety but to be more energy efficient as well.

The Kitchen Is The One Room To Not Leave As Is

Homes built over a hundred years ago are often filled with craftsman touches worth keeping, but hundred-year-old kitchens are not one of them.

Update old kitchens with modern appliances and countertops, like this beautiful kitchen inside a historic Coral Rock, Miami home. This newly remodeled kitchen offers all of the functionality and storage required for today's lifestyles, while not clashing with the well-earned warmth of this classic home's style.

Leave The Exterior Intact, But Add Some New Amenities

This historic Greek Revival home in Madison is just an hour from Atlanta and looks very stately with its twin chimneys and tall white columns. Yet, tradition never has to take a backseat to luxury as witnessed by this massive pool.

The old garage to the left was smartly renovated to become a contemporary guest cottage.

Swimming in this backyard will make anyone feel like they are staying at a brand-new resort, but the view of the estate is still mid-1800's.

With a good color palette and some modern touches, any historic home can remain full of character while being fully livable.

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637 S. Lucerne Boulevard is rare architectural wonder located in historic Hancock Park, Los Angeles. Originally conceived in 1902 by famed architect John C Austin, known for his work on the Griffith Observatory and the Shrine Auditorium, it has been extensively reimagined by celebrity designer Xorin Balbes, combining authentic turn-of-the-century Victorian architecture with contemporary design and modern convenience. With 7 fireplaces, 8 beds, 10 baths, and over 12,147 square feet of space there is endless room to entertain. In vogue with the turn-of-the-century style are the massive vaulted ceilings, grand entry hall, beautifully intricate woodworking, graceful formal dining room and breakfast nook. John Austin was a prolific architect, and the house’s gothic Victorian exterior offers an elegant contrast to the modernist, art-deco designs Los Angeles is known for.

Entertaining guests should be no problem at all, between the 10 car motor court, fully furnished guest house, gourmet kitchen and butler’s pantry, billiards room/TV lounge, games room and full bar. If that wasn’t enough, the lower level includes a screening room and a wine cellar that leads directly to the landscaped garden, pool, and spa. For the quieter, introspective, days, the home also boasts a full library, yoga and meditation room, home office and den, a laundry room with extensive built-ins, and additional storage rooms.

Walk up the grand staircase and discover the extraordinary master suite, complete with a sunlit master bath and a voluminous walk-in closet. Enjoy any day by yourself or with your guests, and appreciate the open entry hall and rich, natural lighting. This space offers something rare in a city as modern and busy as Los Angeles – History. Built at a time when Hancock Park was nothing but farm land and tar pits, it is a rare precursor to the industrial future Los Angeles was destined to follow. The listing comes in at just under 9 Million and is even qualified for the Mills Act, a tax incentive for the restoration and preservation of qualified historic buildings. In addition, the property qualifies for a charitable conservation easement for additional federal tax benefits.

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With Labor Day about to close out the summer season, people are leaving the vacation homes behind and flocking back to New York in droves. For Hamptonites, this means performing the ancient ritual of Tumbleweed Tuesday, in which you sit in your car in traffic so long, by the time you get home it’s almost Memorial Day again.

Before the Hamptons became the go-to destination though for New York’s high society, Newport, Rhode Island was the place to be. In gilded-age New York, New York’s biggest bold faced names summered further north, in the seaside town, constructed their own mansions that today remain historically preserved on the waterfront, and offer museum-styled tours of several properties.

The Breakers

This mansion, originally constructed for Cornelius Vanderbilt II, was built in an Italian Renaissance design, and covers nearly 125,000 square feet. The 70-room house is five stories tall and covers one acre roughly with the building. The yard also runs down toward the cliff walk, with views over the Atlantic Ocean.

Beechwood

First owned by Daniel Parrish, a wealthy businessman in New York, the Parrish mansion was sold in 1881 to William Backhouse Astor, Jr. The Astor Family name is also the reference behind Astor Place, the Waldorf Astoria, and the Queens neighborhood of Astoria. Beechwood was remodeled by architect Richard Morris Hunt, and outfitted for the Astors’ love of entertaining. The building has a ballroom, library, and wallpaper imported from Paris. The mansion is rumored to be haunted by the spirits of those who loved attending parties and social gatherings at the mansion.

Chateau-sur-Mer

This palatial estate was the original grandest home in the area until the Vanderbilt family constructed The Breakers mansion. It was build for William Shepard Wetmore, a wealthy businessman from the China Trade. At his death, Wetmore bestowed much of his fortunate, including the estate, to his son Geroge Peabody Wetmore, who would go on to become the governor of Rhode Island. He remodeled the building, using now-reknowned architect Richard Morris Hunt, who had gone on to create the New York Tribune Building, and the pedestal for the Statue of Liberty.

Miramar

This 30,000 swuare foot, French neoclassical mansion was built in 1915 for George Widener. Widener was a business man in Philadelphia who would later go on to pass away in the sinking of the RMS Titanic. When Widener had passed, the building was still in the early design stages. His widow, Eleanor Elkins Widener, was rescued from the shipwreck in a lifeboat, and took on the project to its completion in 1915.

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