Key West Residence by General Assembly

Sitting at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys – an archipelago dotting the brilliant blue waters between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico – is Key West. Known for its conch-style architectural vernacular, subtropical clime and laid-back atmosphere, it’s both a permanent home for many Floridians and a popular escape for East Coast city-dwellers.

General Assembly’s long-term clients, a New York-based family of four, engaged the firm to transform their 1970s-era house, and the result is a vacation home that’s as light and breezy as its coastal context. Working with the existing architectural framework, designers Sarah Zames and Colin Stief’s scope focused on reworking the internal layout, bringing character and warmth to the interiors and making minor adjustments to the facade. They looked to various contextual references including the island’s earliest houses handcrafted by ship makers in the 1800s, the interiors of the iconic Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum in Key West’s historic district and 1980s advertisements from Florida. They also took cues from the vintage car – a wood panelled Chrysler LeBaron – that the owners purchased for the home.

Working with the existing architectural framework, designers Sarah Zames and Colin Stief’s scope focused on reworking the internal layout, bringing character and warmth to the interiors and making minor adjustments to the facade.

These varied yet coherent influences emerge throughout, unifying the spaces in their detailing and materiality. Large sliding doors and skylights act as conduits to the outdoors, framing the palm fronds and catching reflections from the pool, and details like timber wall panelling and a spherical brise soleil at the front nod to the tropical clime and 20th-century design.

Though the interiors are ultimately calming, there are punchy, colourful moments that create a vivacious atmosphere. Integral to this is the fine balance Zames and Stief have achieved between the contrasting materials and finishes. For example, natural jute, bamboo and rattan coalesce with vintage-inspired drapes, eccentric floral wallpaper, lime green accents and pastel blue linen upholstery.

The exterior expresses its original 1970s character but with a fresh coat of paint and timber elements, which help to both modernise and soften the home’s street presence.

The exterior expresses its original 1970s character but with a fresh coat of paint and timber elements, which help to both modernise and soften the home’s street presence. Tall palm trees engulf the home’s edges, and low plants and hardscaping at the front create an inviting and dynamic condition. Lastly, small yet impactful details like the Art Deco-style lettering denoting the house’s street number and subtle geometric motifs across the facade contribute greatly to the indisputable charm, and at the rear, the original concrete pool is the perfect final flourish to this artful Florida Keys home.

There’s an utterly refreshing sense that although this house has been conceived with purpose and ingenuity, it doesn’t take itself too seriously, facilitating a swift and easy switch to vacation mode, no matter the season.

Architecture by Bender & Associates Architects. Interior design by General Assembly.