Tropical modernism gets a new look in this Floridian paradise home
A tropical modernist home in DelRay Beach, Florida, was revamped to perfection by Miami architecture studio Sanchez + Coleman

When Christopher Coleman of Miami based architecture studio Sanchez + Coleman stumbled upon a tropical modernist home for sale in DelRay Beach while on vacation, he jumped at the opportunity of a redesign. The midcentury house, originally built in 1956 in this popular Florida stretch, was tucked away in a qiuet tropical hamlet, ready to be snapped up – it soon became his project and second home.
The house spans some 2,400 sq ft and included a large garden, rich with mature trees and planting, as well as a paved lounge and dining terrace. Large windows in the open plan living space, two generous bedrooms and separate master siute with its own, private outdoors area meant that residents can connect with the green nature everywhere in the house.
The architects sought to highlight this with their design which favoures natural colours, shades of green, and settings that frame the views outside. Natural materials were used too. The original ash wood flooring was stripped down and left exposed, while clean, modernist white walls are enhanced by patterned tiles and wallpapers featuring tropical prints.
Focusing on the tropical modernist home's volumes, sense of space and relationship with the outdoors is key in this domestic experience. The team supported that by a pared down, minimalist approach when it came to detailing – opting, for example, for full height, frameless doors, monochromatic bathrooms and sleek fixtures and fittings.
‘The furnishings focus on simplicity and effortless carefree living,' says Coleman. Add Florida's warm, pleasant climate and seaside location to the equation, and you pretty much have the perfect holiday retreat. §
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
All-In is the Paris-based label making full-force fashion for main character dressing
Part of our monthly Uprising series, Wallpaper* meets Benjamin Barron and Bror August Vestbø of All-In, the LVMH Prize-nominated label which bases its collections on a riotous cast of characters – real and imagined
By Orla Brennan
-
Maserati joins forces with Giorgetti for a turbo-charged relationship
Announcing their marriage during Milan Design Week, the brands unveiled a collection, a car and a long term commitment
By Hugo Macdonald
-
Through an innovative new training program, Poltrona Frau aims to safeguard Italian craft
The heritage furniture manufacturer is training a new generation of leather artisans
By Cristina Kiran Piotti
-
This minimalist Wyoming retreat is the perfect place to unplug
This woodland home that espouses the virtues of simplicity, containing barely any furniture and having used only three materials in its construction
By Anna Solomon
-
Croismare school, Jean Prouvé’s largest demountable structure, could be yours
Jean Prouvé’s 1948 Croismare school, the largest demountable structure ever built by the self-taught architect, is up for sale
By Amy Serafin
-
Jump on our tour of modernist architecture in Tashkent, Uzbekistan
The legacy of modernist architecture in Uzbekistan and its capital, Tashkent, is explored through research, a new publication, and the country's upcoming pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025; here, we take a tour of its riches
By Will Jennings
-
We explore Franklin Israel’s lesser-known, progressive, deconstructivist architecture
Franklin Israel, a progressive Californian architect whose life was cut short in 1996 at the age of 50, is celebrated in a new book that examines his work and legacy
By Michael Webb
-
A new hilltop California home is rooted in the landscape and celebrates views of nature
WOJR's California home House of Horns is a meticulously planned modern villa that seeps into its surrounding landscape through a series of sculptural courtyards
By Jonathan Bell
-
The Frick Collection's expansion by Selldorf Architects is both surgical and delicate
The New York cultural institution gets a $220 million glow-up
By Stephanie Murg
-
Remembering architect David M Childs (1941-2025) and his New York skyline legacy
David M Childs, a former chairman of architectural powerhouse SOM, has passed away. We celebrate his professional achievements
By Jonathan Bell
-
At the Institute of Indology, a humble new addition makes all the difference
Continuing the late Balkrishna V Doshi’s legacy, Sangath studio design a new take on the toilet in Gujarat
By Ellie Stathaki