A Florida Home Reflects A Family’s Laid-Back Style

When Kristen and Brian Ray found a ’70s ranch for sale on a quiet street in West Palm Beach, Florida, they began to imagine their dream home for their young family.

But they would need a little help to make their vision come to life.

Interior designer Ellen Kavanaugh and builder Chip Valle worked closely together to customize the home. They raised the foundation about 3 feet — as a flooding precaution and for a better view — and installed beautiful cypress beams and built-ins, plus subtle nautical touches like shiplap siding.

Today, curvy coconut palms and show-stopping bushy foxtails are planted along a large expanse of zoysia grass outside the Florida vernacular home, which is outfitted with an old-fashioned loggia. With its comfy teak seating and a swing, the building looks as if it has been there for decades.

Inside, the home has traditional roots with a modern, open feel. An ocean-inspired palette of blue and white with tangerine accents makes it fun and bright. A Florida room with a fireplace and flat-screen, sitting and dining areas as well as a grill/kitchen — where hog snapper is a favorite dish — plus a pool in a palm-screened backyard, round out the features.

“Nothing is fussy,” says Kavanaugh. “It’s classic and designed for comfort.”

Kristen says the home mirrors the couple’s personalities. “We each have a serious side and a more playful side. That reflects in our home. We can all hang out with friends watching Gator games in the Florida room or sit on the foyer floor with the girls playing Twister. We all have fun.”