Yet another trip to the former home of an early 20th century wealthy industrialist, James Deering! Vizcaya may just be my favorite, it is so magical. While attending and teaching at the Faux Event last October, a friend and I took a day to visit this little jewel just south of Miami and were treated to a house tour by a delightful volunteer docent, a Frenchwoman who kept quizzing us on decorative arts history. They only allow you to photograph outside so these interior shots are directly off their website.

The house was conceived and built to look as if a wealthy Italian family had lived there over 400 years, adding on slowly, so each room is decorated in a different style and period: Napoleonic, Adams, Renaissance, Rococco, etc.

Located right on Biscayne Bay, it has been miraculously preserved with all the furnishings just as when Deering died in 1925 and is now a Decorative Arts Museum.

The gardens are equally gorgeous and all the structures were built from the local limestone that has now aged to the perfect state of distress.

It does not seem to be that well publicized. I was told about by a friend who kind of stumbled upon it and our hotel concierge had barely heard of it. It is easy to find though! If you live anywhere on the East coast, just get on I-95 and go south to the end, then look for the signs.