Inside a Miami Beach Penthouse by Celebrity Designer Ferris Rafauli

One of the penthouses is taking shape at Aman Miami Beach, the luxury hospitality brand’s forthcoming oceanfront development in the city’s Faena District. Expected to open in 2028, the project will combine 56 hotel rooms and suites with 22 branded residences, all of which sold out at launch. The development occupies the site of the former Versailles Hotel on Collins Avenue, with architect Jean-Michel Gathy reimagining the historic Art Deco property and Japanese architect Kengo Kuma designing the new residential building.

The 11,000-square-foot penthouse in question is being designed by Ferris Rafauli for its current owner, who wishes to remain anonymous. They bought the residence as a shell, then enlisted the celebrity designer to build out the interiors from scratch. Though still under construction, the apartment will eventually offer four bedrooms and the scale of a private home, complete with a grand gathering room, a library, a den, and a series of smaller lounge areas. Rather than leaning into Miami’s more maximalist side, Rafauli is taking a more organic approach.

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aman miami beach residences super penthouse ferris rafauli — A private elevator opens onto a lobby finished in veined stone and bronze accents.

“I wanted to move beyond traditional coastal design,” he explains. “I was inspired by the natural movement of the ocean, the sculptural formations of sand shaped by wind, and the constantly changing qualities of natural light.”

Those influences show up in the residence’s curved architectural details, natural stone, and custom furnishings. Rafauli also drew on wabi-sabi, the Japanese philosophy that finds beauty in natural forms and imperfection, interpreting it through his own sculptural style. The lighting is integrated into the architecture, tracing its curves and bringing out the texture of the materials.

The floor plan is designed to feel less like a series of rooms connected by hallways and more like a continuous space that shifts between entertaining and private living. The main gathering room includes integrated entertainment bars, while the library, den, and smaller lounges offer quieter places to retreat. Art was also a consideration from the outset, with the architecture intended to complement and showcase significant works.

“Rather than conventional rooms connected by corridors, the architecture unfolds organically, revealing moments of grandeur, intimacy, and discovery,” Rafauli says.

The designer is also known for highly customized homes for high-profile clients, and he has a connection to South Florida real estate beyond the Aman project. He’s designed homes in the area for Wayne Gretzky and Dustin Johnson, as well as the Indian Creek megamansion that Mark Zuckerberg purchased earlier this year for a record $170 million while it was still under construction. Rafauli’s approach to bespoke design extends beyond residential interiors. His collaborations with brands include Rolls-Royce, Hästens, and La Cornue.

Rafauli describes the penthouse at Aman Miami Beach as an evolution of his design approach, placing more emphasis on bringing together architecture, furnishings, lighting, and art rather than treating them as separate elements. “It’s an expression of luxury where restraint and complexity coexist,” he says.

Click here to see more photos of this home.