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Paradise Key
Paradise Key South Beach holds a special place in the Glenn Layton Homes story. Located just a few blocks from the ocean in Jacksonville Beach, Paradise Key became our first fully custom community when construction began in 2009. The natural character of the land helped inspire a style known as Coastal Beach vernacular, drawing influence from traditional Key West architecture and adapting it to life along the Northeast Florida coast. The result was a neighborhood with a distinct sense of place, where individual custom homes shared a common architectural language. Paradise Key would later reach a national audience as the home of the HGTV Smart Home 2013, built by Glenn Layton Homes. Today, the community is sold out, but it remains an important part of our history and our approach to coastal custom homebuilding.
The Custom Experience
The philosophy behind Paradise Key continues to influence the way we build today. As a full-service design-build firm, Glenn Layton Homes brings architecture, interior design and construction together to create homes shaped around the people who live in them and the properties where they are built. Paradise Key demonstrated how custom homes can share a sense of architectural character while remaining individual to each homeowner. That same balance between place, design and personal expression remains central to our Custom Experience today.
Building a Custom Home in Jacksonville Beach?
Paradise Key helped establish a design philosophy that continues to shape our work more than 15 years later: create homes that belong to their surroundings and to the people who live in them. If you’re considering a custom home in Jacksonville Beach or elsewhere in Northeast Florida, contact Glenn Layton Homes to begin your Custom Experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Paradise Key South Beach?
Paradise Key South Beach is a sold-out custom home community near the ocean in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. Construction began in 2009, and it was the first fully custom community designed by Glenn Layton Homes.
Did Glenn Layton Homes design Paradise Key?
Yes. Paradise Key was the first fully custom community designed by Glenn Layton Homes.
Was the HGTV Smart Home 2013 built in Paradise Key?
Yes. Glenn Layton Homes built the HGTV Smart Home 2013 in Paradise Key South Beach.
Who built the HGTV Smart Home 2013?
Glenn Layton Homes was the builder of the HGTV Smart Home 2013 in Jacksonville Beach, Florida.
What style of homes are in Paradise Key?
Paradise Key is known for Coastal Beach vernacular architecture influenced by traditional Key West-style homes, including porches, metal roofs, deep overhangs, high ceilings, towers and observation decks.
Is Paradise Key South Beach sold out?
Yes. Paradise Key South Beach is sold out.
Does Glenn Layton Homes still build custom homes in Jacksonville Beach?
Yes. Glenn Layton Homes continues to design and build custom homes throughout Jacksonville Beach, the Jacksonville Beaches and Northeast Florida.
What is the history of Paradise Key?
Paradise Key gave Glenn Layton Homes the opportunity to think beyond an individual home and consider how an entire neighborhood could respond to its surroundings. Porches extended living spaces outdoors. Deep roof overhangs provided shade from the Florida sun and protection from afternoon rain. High ceilings and thoughtfully organized rooms encouraged natural ventilation, while towers and observation decks created places to take in the coastal surroundings. The Key West-inspired architecture found throughout Paradise Key includes:
- Porches designed for leisure and everyday living
- Significant roof and eave overhangs for shade and rain protection
- Metal roofs
- High ceilings and layouts designed to encourage cross ventilation
- Towers with roof heights reaching 42.5 feet
- Observation decks overlooking the surrounding area
Together, these details established an architectural identity rooted in the environment and the realities of living near the beach.
Was the HGTV Smart Home 2013 built in Paradise Key?
In 2013, Glenn Layton Homes was selected to build the HGTV Smart Home 2013 in Paradise Key. Just blocks from the Atlantic Ocean, the home paired the coastal architecture of the community with thoughtful design and technology for modern living. The project introduced Glenn Layton Homes to a national audience and became an important milestone in our history. More than a decade later, our relationship with HGTV reached another milestone when Glenn Layton Homes built the HGTV Dream Home 2024 on Anastasia Island in St. Augustine. Together, the two projects represent more than a decade of recognition for our work along the Northeast Florida coast.