Sometimes paradise needs a helping hand: All the better for JKA, as we love to visit exotic spots. Recently, we jumped at the chance to head to San Marco, Florida – just steps from the sands of the Gulf – to transform a plain, mid-century, ranch-style house into a modern home fit for coastal living.

Faced with a simple white stucco box, we focused on accentuating its volumes and geometries in order to increase the floor space and amplify the natural light. We elevated the center roof to raise the ceilings in the living and kitchen area. Vast glass panels and high transom windows open the home up to the natural world, increasing exposure to the sunlight. Clean lines and modern amenities accent the new contemporary atmosphere.

We provided a concrete-like finish to the floors, while adding exposed plywood to the ceiling and exposed spiral ducts throughout. The result is a semi-industrial ambiance that also helps maintain a level of cleanliness in a home with inhabitants who partake in a variety of outdoor activities.

A black steel-framed canopy marks the entrance and is repeated at the rear, and black framed windows and doors puncture the otherwise pure-white box.Black steel balconies also sit front and rear, further providing a framing effect and bridging the separation between the interior and exterior worlds. What emerged from the dust is a modern yet modest structure that will provide a comfortable, stylish, coastal home where its inhabitants can get away.