It’s a lesson that beauty YouTuber-turned-mogul, Susan Yara—known for her prolific YouTube channel Mixed Makeup, recently-acquired podcast Glowlab and haircare brand Playa—learned when she purchased a historic home in Florida’s exclusive enclave of Coral Gables. The city just outside of Miami is home to charming Mediterranean Revival architecture and historic homes designed by Coral Gables’ first chief architect, H.G Fink—one of which Yara purchased with the hope of transforming it into an oasis for her young family.
For that, she engaged Missouri-based interior design firm, Kobel + Co., led by partners Elizabeth Bennett and Mallory Robins. “The goal was to bring this beautiful, historic home to life for this young family,” the pair said. “It was a complete renovation—we moved the kitchen, gutted all the bathrooms, and replaced the floors and trim details throughout.” The three bedroom, three and a half bathroom home is one of few remaining original coral rock homes in the area, which meant the Historic Preservation Association of Coral Gables was fastidious about maintaining as much of the original home as possible.