Author: — Photographer: / January 22, 2026
Palm Beach Gardens, FL
This Palm Beach Gardens residence marks the sixth collaboration between Furze Design Associates and a longtime client—an ongoing relationship built on trust, clarity, and a shared preference for sophisticated contemporary living. Purchased as an interim home while the owners evaluated their next move, the brief called for a fresh point of view without the kind of heavy construction that can overcomplicate a short-term chapter. The existing interior architecture leaned traditional—raised-panel cabinetry, layered millwork, and extensive wainscoting. Instead of erasing that language, the strategy was to refine it: simplify the envelope, brighten the architecture, then introduce modern elements with precision. Wainscoting was retained and repainted a crisp white, becoming a calm, tailored backdrop. Traditional fixtures were replaced with sculptural contemporary lighting—pieces that immediately reset the energy of each room and sharpen the home’s silhouette.
A crisp contemporary refresh—modern lighting and tailored furnishings layered over brightened classic architecture
You can’t judge a book by its cover—and that proved true for the client of architect Paul Bates and designer Liz Hand Woods, who had her eye on a Nashville home. In this case, however, the cover was compelling, but the interiors left something to be desired. The charm-laden 1930s façade, with its stonework and peaked, gabled entryway, looks like it could have been plucked from the Cotswolds countryside of England. “It was well crafted, but plain on the inside with minimal detailing,” Bates says. “The house had been tinkered with over the decades through a series of less-than-ideal additions, which meant the floor plan was not intuitive—it felt like a maze.”
Home Details
Architecture:
Paul Bates, Paul Bates Architects
Interior Design:
Liz Hand Woods, Liz Hand Woods Associates
Home Builder:
Mark Poe, Mark Poe Builders
Furnishings follow the same logic: classic modern and transitional forms in soft, neutral materials—inviting, durable, and quietly elevated.
The result is a study in contrast and restraint: contemporary clarity set against simplified tradition, where the intervention feels effortless, intentional, and exactly right for the way the clients live now.
