The Eastern Shore of Maryland is not often associated with contemporary architectural achievement. Most who know the region are often just passing through, anticipating a beach vacation or, upon return, depressed about said outing’s ending. It might appear as a blur of farm stands and chicken houses before hitting Ocean City—but look closer and more flavors emerge: There are quiet country churches and plenty of marsh lands to explore. Perhaps the area’s creative potential was best put to use by artist Anne Truitt, who was shaped by her childhood in the town of Easton.

Closer to where the Bay Bridge lands after spanning the Chesapeake, Colleen Healey of Colleen Healey Architecture and Kate Ballou of Hendrick Interiors have picked up a similar minimal aesthetic when renovating a 1980s home in Wye River for clients Josh Soven and Renata Hesse and their two children. (Paul Rudolph’s Tuttle Residence, now for sale for $5 million, is not far away in nearby Rock Hall.) Soven and Hesse are both lawyers in Washington, D.C., and collect vintage Danish midcentury modern furniture. The couple previously renovated a D.C. rowhouse with Ballou and architect Lauren Wegel.

The task at Wye River was practical and conceptual: How to rework a bland, 5,000-square-foot residence into a tasteful retreat without moving any walls or plumbing? The results show there is hope out there for every McMansion in America.

Healey and Ballou focused on four key areas: stair hall, living room, kitchen, and primary bath and closet suite. Throughout, the task included stripping away unnecessary elements. Trim was simplified throughout, bathrooms were upgraded, the existing cherry floors were refinished with a more matte look, and fake decorative beams in the living room were removed to focus attention on the view. The room’s fireplace was reworked from being clad in a thin-stone veneer to being a rectangular prism of dark stone slabs with a bronze firebox and surround set flush with the floor.

Elsewhere, a rectangular opening was sculpted into a low arch, an entry vault was reworked into a single curving ceiling, and an ornate metal balustrade was replaced by simpler bronze supports with glass panels and a wooden handrail.

The kitchen was transformed. With its bulkhead removed, its space now visually flows into adjacent areas. Instead of its builder-grade millwork and finishes, the metallic cabinets and range hood are a welcome contrast to the white walls and wood floors. Upper cabinets were reduced or are finished in white to blend with the wall, and a stone backsplash runs up to the ceiling behind the blue-knobbed range.

Contrary to the work in other areas, the library was maintained in its existing state. Its wood paneling, which arches above bookshelves, serves as a foil against the rest of the home, which largely has white walls.

The primary bathroom received some envelope attention, as the designers dropped the sill on a trio of windows in an existing opening above the freestanding tub, bringing in more light. Now the vanities are floating and edged in bronze, concealing internal drawers. Smaller touches like a custom towel bar and thin, cantilevered lights extend the metallic theme into this private room. Matte and reflective glass surfaces, framed in bronze, conceal cork-lined toilet rooms and a shower. Aging in place was considered, so spaces like the shower are sized appropriately and have no curb for wheelchair access.

These thoughtful changes are a fitting backdrop for the couple’s furniture collection, with help from Ballou. In the breakfast room, the desirable PP75 Stayed Table designed by Hans Wegner is set with more everyday Series 7 chairs by Fritz Hansen. In the dining room, Finn Juhl’s Silver Table is surrounded by the familiar white Wishbone chairs from Carl Hansen & Søn. In other vignettes, the Grasshopper floor lamp, designed by Greta Magnusson-Grossman in 1947, is paired with a Chandigarh-era lounger by Pierre Jeanneret or a cozy-looking shearling lounger.

Here, Healey and Ballou transformed a real clunker into a crisp, sharp interior that amplifies both the experience of the strong Shore light as it glints off the water and the thoughtful collection of design objects assembled by their clients. The results are understated, quietly luxurious, and easily livable.