While driving around Coral Gables I stopped by the Colonnade Building along the
'miracle mile', a half a mile stretch of road that is the shopping strip of the planned community.
Coral Gables was a planned community developed by George Merrick in the 1920s, spawned out of the City Beautiful movement. The public buildings in Merrick's scheme were all done in a magnificent
Beaux Arts style which incorporated a lot of Floridian motifs.
Merrick hired architect Phineas Paist, who was involved with the local estate Vizcaya, to complete his own fantasy town. Below is a photograph of a lost painting of Paist, allegedly painted by Sargent, who was a friend of his.
The Colonnade, completed in November of 1926, was originally designed as Merrick's sales center, and as such, was the centerpiece of the shopping area. It certainly stands out!
Since the area experienced a real estate bust shortly after it was built, the building has undergone a series of purposes: a movie studio, pilot training facility, bank and even a parachute factory!
The building is now a part of the
Colonnade hotel, operated by Westin. You can see the hulk of the hotel behind the original building. The main foyer operates as a ballroom and contains the original Spanish fountain and plaster detailing that you'll see in a bit.
The exterior doors house a number of restaurants with the shaded loggias providing outdoor seating.
As with most good architecture, you know where you are, despite a classical design. The pink stucco and turquoise window frames with beachside motifs couldn't be anywhere but Florida!
The interior foyer, as I said, now operates as a ballroom for the hotel; imagine having your wedding here!
It reminded me vaguely of Rome's Pantheon, don't you think?
The Oculus is even painted with clouds to resemble the open one at the Pantheon. Here it is more practically enclosed.
Now, notice those pretty corinthian columns -what is that in the center?
The capitals have birds; Pelicans and Parrots!
I instantly fell in love with this room -those birds!
The niches at the ground level (empty for some reason?) continue the seaside motif with shells. Ignore those hideous 1980's marble floors. I'm not sure what the original floors were, tile or perhaps a more appropriate terrazzo (marble chips in cement)?
At the rear of this atrium begins the hotel with this 2 story entry hallway. I think it melds in pretty well with the original building. This area was originally an alley between buildings I think, based on original photos I found online.
After a maddening day driving around Coral Gables looking for Merrick's buildings (harder than I thought!) and an unexpected and stressful phonecall, I needed a drink. I grabbed a delightful lunch at Le Boudoir in the Colonnade - one of the best Salad Nicoise I've had in a long time, I would highly recommend this cafe!
The bedrooms are located in what is known as the Gothic suite on the 3rd floor of the building. The ceiling of Hearst's bedroom is one of the many treasures in the castle and dates to the 14th century. It was removed from the 'House of the Jews' at Teruel in Aragon, Spain.
Recently the painting was restored and the colors are vivid and bright, making the scenes they depict clear. 
The artwork in the bedroom is fittingly personal to Hearst and includes a lot of family photographs as well as religious iconography, much of it dating to the Renaissance. One of the most valuable pieces of artwork in the estate is the small “Madonna and Child” by Duccio di Buoninsegna seen below, which was a gift to Hearst from one of his publishers.
Hearst's bath, while marble filled and ornate, is shockingly small. I love the 2 toned marble paneling. Notice the numerous gold taps at the sink, I was told some operate fresh water while others salt water.
The suite runs the length of the Casa Grande and is comprised of 2 master bedroom suites joined by a sitting room atop the 
Despite their long relationship of 30 odd years, Hearst never divorced his first wife but was devoted to Marion until his Death, in fact leaving the bulk of his estate to her (which she refused). Marion claimed upon her death bed that her niece, Patricia, was actually their love child, born in secrecy in Paris in 1923 (read more about Marion's fascinating story 
Marion was an accomplished actress and entrepreneur in her own right. Despite their significant age difference, she claimed they were the perfect pair. Her life pretty much fell to shambles after his death but you can read more about that at the 
The sitting room, below, was where they would spend the most time together, often with Marion sewing her own clothing and mending Hearst's. Domestic bliss in a small apartment high above the grand estate; I think there's something to that! I loved the arched paneled ceiling which lends a further aire of intimacy, like an ancient galleon.
The ceiling in Marion's bedroom was an intricate design of stars done in gold and blue. The lanterns were uplights, which explains the washed out patch, no camera flash was used!
Marion probably had very little to do with the decoration of her bedroom, as the only feminine touch appears to be the pink jade lamps. Hearst's love of the heavy Renaissance Spanish style shines through.
Read more about the art of the estate at 
