The “Flower Bandit” is has listed his West Palm Beach home for $2.9 million.
Celebrated society florist Lewis Miller, who also been called “the Banksy of flowers” for his guerilla-style flash floral art installations, transformed this home into a work of art — replete with jewel tones and highly tasteful decorations.
And the 1926-built Spanish mission home at 333 Pilgrim Road comes fully furnished.
Miller bought the Florida property sight unseen in 2021 for $1.14 million, but still splits his time between New York and the Sunshine State.
“I took a chance and gambled correctly — and I was also working with amazing realtors and I trusted them,” Miller told Gimme Shelter.
And yet, Miller added, “As much as I tried to move to Florida, I can’t leave New York. Florida seems titillating at first, but there’s nothing like New York.”
“I don’t need a house and extra work and chaos. Maybe later. I will probably rent for a while,” said Miller, who also has a residence in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan.
Miller’s client list runs from institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art to charities, luxury brands and wealthy individuals. He launched his flash flower installations in 2016, before the presidential election, but they took on new meaning after the election as a way to unify the masses.
“I wanted to find a way to give back, and to push myself creatively,” Miller added. “I do all these fancy projects in ballrooms and it’s a love affair with New York and flowers. The random pop-up floral installations are very ephemeral but dramatic. I got so used to living and working with flowers, but I realized that what New Yorkers hunger for the most is nature, and so it is gratifying to see people who are so appreciative and it sort of spreads the love of what I love to do.”
Those installations, which are often made from flowers left over from events or at the end of their lives, took on an even deeper meaning during the pandemic, when they became a symbol of hope. In the midst of despair and isolation, flowers transformed mundane objects into giant works of art, tumbling out of giant city garbage bins, in front of boarded-up buildings, spilling out of bus shelters and left outside hospitals as a thank you to the first responders who were truly the city’s heroes.
There were literally thousands of flowers — roses, asters, delphiniums, sugar maples, daisies, sunflowers, anemones and more; sometimes 6,000 blooms — in a single installation, he told Gimme.
Miller also created limited-edition prints and a candle, with a portion of the proceeds going to charity. In Florida, Lewis is very involved with a charity that helps families on the verge of homelessness.
What makes the house stand out? “Lewis makes it special,” said Sotheby’s International Realty listing broker John Cregan who shares the listing with his wife, Lisa. “He made it really beautiful.”
The home had been renovated by the previous owner. Then Miller renovated again. “He opened up the flow and it comes fully furnished. His level of taste is insanely good. People who walk in are wowed by it,” Cregan said.
Instead of Palm Beach bubble-gum pink and mint green, think West Palm Beach dark leafy green and tobacco for color. The furniture, Miller said, runs from a sofa he had handmade in London, to vintage French rattan wall sconces, to local West Palm antiques.
“I wanted the house to feel like Hemingway’s old Florida — what Florida looked like before air-conditioning, with sepia tobacco tones and a masculine undertone to the home,” Miller said.
“I love the location, and I’ve always loved a little Spanish Mediterranean,” he continued.
“The proportions were great and so is the overall vibe of the house. I really lucked out on the timing. I bought it in the nick of time. Anything of interest was being snapped up or was priced so high that it wasn’t attainable — and I love a project.”
The main house comes with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a fireplace. Design details include hardwood floors and plenty of built-ins like bookcases. Interior colors echo the lush outdoor greenery, including a green-tiled chef’s kitchen.
There’s also a Spanish-tiled, second-floor veranda that wraps around the back of the home for entertaining.
The grounds also include a guest house with two additional rooms that both have kitchens and full baths.
And yes, despite parting ways with this dwelling, his flash installations won’t stop.