Dealer’s Choice

Featured in Florida Design Magazine, this Palm Beach landmark residence, originally built in 1925, was reimagined as a modern sanctuary for our partner and co-founder, Jim Hoffman—reflecting our approach to rethinking historic homes through a refined, contemporary lens.

As one of the principals of SBP Homes, developer Jim Hoffman deals in beautiful properties on a daily basis, but even he is quick to admit that a 1925 renovated landmark in West Palm Beach’s Prospect Park is rather special. It’s his own house after all. “I approached this property as I do all our projects, as a place we would eventually sell,” says Hoffman. “But by the time it was complete, I realized it was exactly the kind of home I wanted to live in.” Much of that realization had to do with the work of Gengler Architects, Nievera Williams Landscape Architecture, Armstrong Landscape & Design, and interior designer Doron Sabag, Hoffman’s partner at SBP, all of whom tackled the renovation in their respective categories. The project was an arduous one to say the least. As with all historic renovations, this one had to follow endless rules as to what the design team could or couldn’t do. “Although the Landmark Commission did allow us to introduce more glass and add a double decker porch on the back of the house, changing the style of the exterior in any major way was out of the question,” says Hoffman. “What we did was honor the classic Mediterranean aesthetic of the house and restored the shell as much as possible.”
The interior was a completely different story. A complete gutting was performed to install all-new systems and finishes, address structural issues, and make way for a clean, transitional look. The kitchen, laundry room, staircase, and entire second floor felt choppy and outdated, so their layouts were reconfigured. Once the changes were addressed, Sabag and his team got to work. A palette was established: blue, gray, and white for a timeless and calming effect. Flooring was selected: terrazzo-style porcelain on the first level and white oak on the second.

Outside, the landscaping approach by Nievera Williams Landscape Architecture and Armstrong Landscape & Design is Palm Beach proper with hedges, palms, vines, planting beds, and ornamental trees. Beyond the main residence, a two-story guest house that serves as guest quarters and an art studio for Hoffman’s life partner, Rick Treimanis, stays honest to Sabag’s transitional design aesthetic. “As I tell the story of how this place came to be, the series of events fits nicely into a few sentences, but I assure you the construction process was not tidy at all,” says Hoffman. “But all that is behind us. Today, it’s our home, a place where Rick and I can relax and enjoy the connection between the house, the gardens, and the surrounding landscape.”

Text:Luis R. Rigual
Photography: Amy Vischio