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Location: Avondale, Jacksonville, Florida

Architect/Interior Designer: Julia Sanford

Construction: McAneny Builders

Photography: Nathaniel Ebert

Located along the St. Johns River in the heart of Historic Avondale, Jacksonville, Florida, this residential project by Starr Sanford Design exemplifies a thoughtful dialogue between contemporary innovation and traditional architectural language. The design approach sought to identify common ground between these two aesthetics, elevating residential design beyond convention while reinvigorating classical expectations through modern forms and materials.

The home’s setting played a critical role in shaping the design. Mature tree coverage and expansive river views were intentionally leveraged to support a casually elegant lifestyle with a strong emphasis on indoor, outdoor living. Large expanses of glass and steel-framed windows, integral to the original design concept, create powerful visual connections to the river, including axial views extending down the driveway and through the interior spaces. These transparent elements reinforce a sense of openness and continuity with the surrounding landscape.

To balance the strength of steel and glass, the interiors incorporate soft white marble and Venetian plaster, providing a refined and timeless backdrop for the client’s avant-garde art collection. This careful material juxtaposition underscores the project’s central theme: the harmonious marriage of enduring architecture with progressive, forward-thinking elements.

Despite its contemporary sensibility, the residence integrates seamlessly into the historic neighborhood context. Its scale, massing, and detailing are precise and respectful, offering a dignified presence that enriches the streetscape. Environmental responsiveness further defines the design, reflecting the Caribbean rim climate through robust masonry construction, extensive foundations, deep overhangs, shaded outdoor living areas, and sheltered courtyards.

Ultimately, the project embodies an ethos of working with nature rather than against it, embracing climate, geography, and landscape to create a home that nurtures both its occupants and its environment.