Residential SERIES  •  Project FEATURE

There’s a certain serenity in spaces that know when to pause. In this Delray Beach home, Maca Carrera of Maca Interiors orchestrates stillness through form, texture, and restraint—an eight-month transformation that breathes calm modernity into every corner without losing its human warmth.

This 6,000-square-foot residence, once dominated by dark woods and heavy furniture, has been reimagined as a light-filled coastal retreat. Carrera’s clients—a retired couple who split their time between Florida winters and Chicago summers—envisioned a home that would feel like an exhale: peaceful, uncluttered, and deeply livable. The renovation, completed in just eight months with contractor Sivan from Complete Home Improvement, demanded precision and sensitivity, balancing speed with craftsmanship. In contrast to their Chicago home’s more traditional aesthetic, Carrera infused this Florida dwelling with a transitional modern language: pale wood tones, soft whites, and tactile layers that gently diffuse the abundant natural light. The kitchen, a focal point for the homeowner who loves to cook, was custom-designed with meticulous storage solutions and a warm, natural palette. A wood veneer wraps the cabinetry, while the quartzite stone hood and countertops add quiet grandeur. Nickel and matte black metals thread through the interiors—from window frames to statement lighting—offering subtle rhythm and visual cohesion.

"A dialogue between clarity and comfort, where restraint becomes the language of elegance"

The design’s brilliance lies not in grand gestures, but in nuance—the way Carrera translates her clients’ life stage and temperament into space. This is a home for unhurried mornings, for shared routines, for light that moves softly across the day. The spatial planning encourages connection: the family room, open to the kitchen and dining area, invites children and grandchildren into the heart of the home without sacrificing its serene aesthetic.

The master suite embodies Carrera’s instinct for emotional architecture. “The goal,” she explains, “was to make it feel like a spa—warm, calm, and personal.” Walnut tones and travertine surfaces bring tactile depth, while dual vanities and individually designed closets provide harmony between partners. Each detail—down to the understated headboard framed in black—whispers quiet luxury rather than shouting style.

"Where minimalism stretches beyond design, becoming a meditation on rhythm, patience, and light"

One of the project’s unique challenges was integrating existing designer furniture—pieces rich in quality but rooted in an older aesthetic—while introducing a lighter, more contemporary sensibility. Rather than discarding these elements, select pieces were reupholstered and subtly reimagined to maintain warmth and continuity throughout the home. Most spaces were thoughtfully refreshed, while the office was conceived entirely anew, defined by custom millwork in white and pale oak that establishes a clean, contemporary balance. Even the dining area reflects this ethos of adaptability: two square tables can be joined for large gatherings or separated for more intimate moments, reinforcing the home’s flexible approach to living.

Throughout the home, the black accents act as punctuation marks in a sentence written in white and wood: the coffee table grounding the living room, the pendant lamps articulating thresholds, the window frames subtly defining transitions between inside and out. The palette, almost monochromatic, gains its richness through material tactility—smooth stone, open-grain veneer, and the soft weave of textiles sourced through Wassers Furniture. These elements merge into a quiet rhythm, inviting touch as much as vision. Beyond its technical finesse, the project captures a broader shift in contemporary Florida interiors: a movement away from overt coastal motifs toward a subtler, more soulful modernism. Carrera’s interpretation of “transitional” design moves beyond style—it becomes a mindset, one that embraces evolution, calm, and personal continuity.

In its completeness, this renovation exemplifies how interior design can mirror life transitions. For Carrera’s clients, who have lived through decades of changing styles, the new home represents a distillation of everything essential—peace, clarity, and togetherness. “At this stage,” she reflects, “they wanted very little—just simplicity, but with soul.” The collaborative spirit of the project also shaped its success. Working hand in hand with Sivan from Complete Home Improvement and her trusted partners at Wassers, Carrera completed the transformation—including permitting—in just eight months, an impressive feat for a project of this scale. That efficiency stemmed not only from expertise, but from trust. “They made decisions quickly,” she notes with warmth. “It was one of the smoothest, happiest projects I’ve ever done.”

Walking through the completed home, one senses that every element—every texture, every beam of filtered light—has been chosen with intention. This is not a showpiece; it is a lived-in sanctuary. It holds laughter, quiet, and renewal. And in that way, it stands as a meditation on design itself: when we strip away the excess, what remains is essence.