The Arguedas House . Lido Shores, Florida.

This mid-century modern house from the Twitchell office, located in Lido Shores, suffered years of modifications and neglect.  The house had become a patchwork of incompatible materials and unfinished ideas. Fortunately, the unique roof structure made of Pickett panels in a “V” formation, was still present and was in reasonable condition.

The goal for the renovations was to bring into focus the unique and interesting aspects of the original design and to bring a cohesive aesthetic and organization to the house, along with air-conditioning, still lacking after the many years of modifications to the house.

New windows and exterior doors were installed.  The pool enclosure was replaced with a taller enclosure that aligns with the walls of the main interior space.  Extraneous interior and exterior elements were removed, and new exterior hardscape added.  Bathrooms were reconfigured and skylights introduced above showers to bring natural light into these small dark rooms.

To achieve a consistent aesthetic, wall finishes were replaced or added as needed.  The patchwork of dissimilar flooring materials was covered with concrete topping.  Missing interior doors and door jambs were added, and others replaced, to achieve a consistent interior aesthetic.

While not true to the original design in every material and detail, the house recaptures the spirit of the original design, speaks clearly of the period to which it belongs and takes advantage of the elements that made the original house unique.

Photographer: Ryan Gamma