I’m so excited to finally share with you this gorgeous mid-century modern beach house in Jacksonville, Florida that I had the honor to work on!

You can also check out this remodel and other favorites in my project gallery on Fernway and Avalon.

When my friend Judy reached out to me about an adorable beach house she had just purchased in Florida that was in need of renovation I couldn’t have been happier to help her! Getting to visit a friend I hadn’t seen in years…who happens to live just a block from the beach was definitely icing on the cake.

Judy was excited to fully commit to the beachfront life after she relocated from the Bay Area in California to Jacksonville, Florida – she bought a run-down duplex just a block and a half from the beach as a home and income property and renovated one half for herself while renting out the other half. We managed to get her two brand new updated bathrooms, a brand new updated kitchen, and a more efficient and partially reconfigured first floor plan with a new beach access door and mudroom, all on a super tight budget! The transformation was magical incorporating bold colors and textures in both the architecture and the furniture and accessories in a feminine but not overly girly way using lots of ocean inspired blues!

But let’s start by taking a look at what it looked like when she purchased it…a little long in the tooth!

And here’s what it looks like today!

The building she purchased is a front/back duplex. The exterior got a fresh coat of paint and a bright new front door among other touch ups. and she intended to renovate only the street-side unit for herself, leaving the other half as a rental property.

Her unit is a two bedroom, two bathroom unit – with an open plan living room / dining room / kitchen. There was also an underutilized laundry / storage area off the kitchen, which we took full advantage of! We were working with some budget constraints, so we had to be smart about what walls got moved, but opening up the laundry area to become a more useful part of the floor plan was very important. As you can see, we were able to turn that into a super useful back entrance (with a soon to be outdoor shower to wash off those sandy beach feet) with laundry right inside the door to toss those sandy beach towels and swim suits right in! The rest of the space now includes a drop area and cabinets galore for both pantry and general storage.

The bones of the house are amazing, so all she needed to turn this old beach house into a modern beach house were some beautiful finishes. The natural concrete mudroom floor and zellige kitchen backsplash tiles from Cle Tile were a special splurge paired with economical cabinetry from IKEA. The tile floor throughout the rest of the first floor had to stay to keep things within budget, but some new rugs from Safavieh and The Citizenry have made a huge improvement. In the kitchen we used cabinet doors from SemiHandmade for the lower cabinets for a great custom look.

For the decor we used both vintage and new finds with a special focus on the mid-century vintage pieces that the client loves, and that so well suited the architecture. Special new furniture pieces were found from The Citizenry with lots of accessories from West Elm.

Here’s a few fun before and afters for you!

Downstairs: An Ocean Blue Color Palette

One reason Judy was an awesome client is because she’s a patient collector of things she loves! She’s had this this amazing vintage coffee table for years, and since when we shot the house she hadn’t found the perfect vintage sofa for the space, I brought in this adorable vintage sofa from local furniture rental company Velvet Crush and Co. and come on, is it not PERFECT for this space?! We tried to buy it off of Jennifer at Velvet Crush but no dice. Fortunately, since this photoshoot Judy has found the perfect sofa, and of course, got it unholstered in teal blue. 💙

Judy already had some great keepsakes, and we filled her entertainment center with a mix of neutral and ocean blue decor items, keeping the space feeling modern and fresh.

Judy also has some phenomenal talented friends, one of whom painted her the two beautiful pieces in her dining room. The colors are literally perfection and tie in with her banquette and kitchen flawlessly.

Master Suite: A Quiet Retreat

Upstairs the ocean blue palette continues, but quiets things down with grey undertones.

Exterior: Mid Century Modern Beach House

The outside is adorable! In a community where property prices are on the rise and many smaller beach houses are getting overtaken by new and bigger vacation homes, this mid century modern beach house stands out with its modest size and modern updates. It truly feels like a classic!

Modern Beach House Product Roundup

Living Room…

Midcentury Modern Teal Sofa (vintage, similar here) | Mid Century Modern Coffee Table (vintage, similar here) | Entertainment Center (middle and sides) | Butterfly Chair | Side Tables | Beni Ourain Rug |Green Velvet Floor Pillows | Green, Black, and White Floor Pillow | Black and White Floor Pillow | Set of Two Rattan Floor Baskets | White Velvet Throw Pillows | White Lumbar Pillows | Beige Throw Blanket | Weighted Blanket in Floor Basket | Firewood Caddy | Watering Can | Set of Four Beige and White Vases | Set of Three Teal Blue Vases | Blue Bud Vase

Dining Room…

Dining Table | Dining Chairs | Jute Rug | Bar Cart | Blue Throw Blanket

Kitchen…

Blacksplash Tile (color has been discontinued) | Cabinets | Lower Cabinet Doors (custom painted) | Upper Cabinet Doors | Rug

Mudroom:

Floor Tile | Cabinets | Cabinet Doors | Stool

Master Bedroom…

Linen Bedding | Weighted Blanket | Set of Three Floor Baskets | Desk (vintage, similar here) | Desk Chair | White Velvet Throw Pillows | White Lumbar Pillows | Large White Throw Pillows from Target

Master Bathroom…

Cabinets | Cabinet Doors | Countertop, Wall Tiles, and Floor Tiles are marble | Hand Towels | Bath Mats