When the couple who live in this newly built waterfront home in Boca Raton’s Spanish River neighborhood pulled together a stellar team to create it, they came to the table with one goal: Modern, well-crafted environs that would cater to the art of living simply. While the mandate was straightforward, fulfilling this vision meant considerable upfront effort and collaboration among all the parties involved from inception. Fortunately, although none had worked together in the past, everyone—architect, interior designer, and builder—readily stepped up to the task and delivered a stunning structure with sumptuous materials and refined details that ease care-free living, yet are anything but simple.
“The clients wanted a very large house so a challenge was making it look like an important property without imposing on some of its more traditional neighbors,” says architect Jose Sanchez, principal of Praxis Architecture, who designed the broad strokes of the 8,100-square-foot home to meet his clients’ demand for high-quality, low-maintenance materials, including wood and natural stone. “We responded by articulating the main volumes with different heights.”
Sanchez also brought in the landscape architect, who worked with him to develop the long F-shaped pool, covered patios, and grounds to indulge the occupants’ love of the outdoors. “Since the home is on the Intracoastal with plenty of boats passing by, we wanted to provide privacy while still offering clear sight lines to the water,” explains Sanchez. “So we set back the main living area from the water and created a courtyard with a sunken sitting area by the pool, which offers some seclusion as well as a place to enjoy the views.”
Inside, interior designer Charlotte Dunagan worked hand-in-hand with the architect as well as builder Terry Paterson on materials choices that finesse the transition between indoors and out. “The man who lives in this home had very strong opinions about the architecture,” says Dunagan. “He’s a guy’s guy who wanted modern lines, very masculine, industrial materials, and dark tones,” explains the designer, who, like the owner, hails from France but now lives and works full-time in southeast Florida. That meant certain materials, such as the concrete patios and floors throughout most of the main living level and concrete walls in the primary bedroom and kitchen, were non-negotiable.
Refined walnut paneling with a seamlessly integrated door balance monolithic concrete walls next to the floating staircase in the double-height living/dining area.
A diverse mix of materials—picketed wood paneling, a marble fireplace surround, and a dramatic flue coated with liquid metal—bring layers of rich texture and warmth to the opposite side of the living area.
Windows in the one-and-a-half height kitchen open onto an interior courtyard and overlook one of the home’s his and-hers offices where views to the outdoors support a sense of work/life balance.
Picketed paneling conceals the door of the adjacent powder room.
Builder Terry Paterson and his team coordinated the precise installation of custom elements in the bedroom, including floor-to-ceiling windows, concrete and walnut wall panels, and wide-plank oak flooring inserted between two bands of polished concrete.
In the shared master bathing area, a white freestanding tub contrasts with the honed stone vanity and warm walnut paneling.
Sliding doors open onto an outdoor shower area surrounded by a Zen-inspired garden.
Covered patios allow for secluded al fresco dining near the pool.
An F-shaped pool echoes the irregular ins and outs of a natural water body and allows for the integration of a spa pool. The builder crafted a zero edge all around. A freestanding glass-enclosed gym allows workouts to remain separate yet connected.
Still, Dunagan, who is known for her skill in bringing warmth and texture to modern spaces, was able to convince the clients that mixing in some warmer materials and layered finishes would temper the home’s harder edges with softer, more refined touches. The walnut millwork in the double-height living area and the picketed wood paneling near the kitchen, for example, serve as warm, tactile counterpoints to the cool polished concrete floors. At the same time, these elements were immaculately detailed with concealed doors to honor the clients’ minimalist taste and preserve the visual simplicity of the vertical planes without interruption. Similarly, a bronzy metallic panel around the chimney flue in the living room reinforces crisp lines yet engages the eye like a work of art with painterly layers. “It’s truly a statement piece,” notes Dunagan.
The lively play of materials runs throughout the home—from stamped concrete walls and leathered quartzite counters in the kitchen to oak treads on the sculptural floating staircase to the Vulcan marble vanity and louvered screen in a shared bathing area overlooking an enclosed open shower area surrounded by oolite limestone in the Zen garden outside. “The couple are very unfussy and wanted the furniture and art—much of which they already owned—to be very simple,” says Dunagan. “But the architecture was extremely important to them, so the contrast between the materials of strong interior elements was essential in adding dimension.”
In the end, the home took shape as an artful study in contrasts—pure lines and diverse materials, warm wood and cool stone, grandeur and restraint merge in a balanced tableau. It’s also a compelling case study on the high level of artistry, complex engineering, and thoughtful effort needed to make a beautifully crafted home that embodies easy living at its best.