Ralph Erickson was a member of the Sarasota School of Architecture back in the 1950s. He moved on to work on larger projects all over the world (including an air force base in Israel), but his own home on Siesta Key, where he and his wife Irene raised their five kids, has now come on the market. It’s a wonderful throwback to the era that defined our town’s role in architectural history.

From the outside it seems a little bland—a two-story structure with geometrical plantings and a covered walkway that leads to the oversized front door. But once inside, you step back into a great display of mid-century motifs. The foyer has a reflecting pool that intertwines with the stairway, and the original terrazzo floors are in perfect condition. Many of the rooms are paneled in African mahogany and the result can only be described as fabulous.

The home has been updated in a very sensitive way. The kitchen and baths suggest the home’s origins, with mosaic backsplashes and wooden cabinetry, and the clerestory windows are true to the Sarasota School style. But the 800-square-foot outdoor living area is absolutely contemporary. The location couldn’t be better—on a canal, and a block from the beach.

The Erickson home has 4 bedrooms and 3 baths in 3,180 square feet.

 5454 Avenida del Mare is priced at $1,345,000. For more information call Judie Berger of Premier Sotheby’s at (941) 928-3424.