Saltillo tile
Mexican saltillo in deep terracotta, sealed and polished.
3D Explore
Direction 07 of 09
Old Florida's true language. Modernized with discipline.
Spanish Transitional
Saltillo underfoot. Mahogany overhead. Palm shadows everywhere.
The Direction
Saltillo underfoot. Mahogany overhead. Palm shadows everywhere.
Spanish Transitional is the true vernacular of Palm Beach, Boca, and Coral Gables — the architecture that predates the McMansion era and still defines the most desirable estates. We build it the way Addison Mizner did, with hand-troweled plaster, saltillo tile, dark Spanish mahogany beams, and wrought iron sconces. But we update the proportions for how clients actually live today: wider rooms, taller ceilings, integrated technology, modern kitchens behind antique-looking doors.
Material Library
Signature Materials
White plaster
Hand-troweled lime plaster in warm white.
Mahogany beam
Dark Spanish mahogany ceiling beams with hand-cut joinery.
Navy ceramic
Hand-painted blue-and-white tile accents on hearths and risers.
Wrought iron
Hand-forged sconces, chandeliers, and balconies.
Aged leather
Spanish-style leather chairs with carved wood frames.
Inside the Direction
Rooms We Compose
01
Great room with carved corbel fireplace and palm-shadow play on plaster walls
02
Kitchen with hand-painted Spanish tile and copper hood
03
Courtyard with central tile fountain
04
Powder room with hand-painted Talavera and dark mahogany cabinetry
Considerations
Questions, Answered
Not when it's built on real precedent. This is Florida's native architecture. The danger is treating it as a costume rather than a language. We design from authentic 1920s Mizner-era drawings, then update for current living.
Only if proportions are wrong. We size beams to the room scale and balance them with bright plaster, generous windows, and lighter furniture. The contrast is the whole point — dark structure against luminous walls.
It's one of the best directions in Florida light. Palm fronds throw beautiful moving shadows on white plaster walls — it's almost a built-in art piece, free with every site that has mature landscaping.
Begin the Conversation
Build Spanish Transitional with us.
Our principal architect will review your project, your site, and your vision in a private consultation — and respond within one business day.