We were originally contacted by the client to look at the kitchen and master bath for a remodel. The home was only a two-to-three year old custom home and we were wondering what we could possibly remodel. The home owner walked us to the kitchen and said, “We bought the house because we liked the waterfront lot and we thought it looked well done. However, having lived in it, we feel a lot of things were done inexpensively; after using the spaces we also did not care for the layout”. Once we presented designs for the new spaces, they were so thrilled we discussed doing more rooms. This soon turned into remodeling the entire house inside and out. When asked what style they liked and he said, “All I want is to be wowed!” The project included a full remodel of all 9000 sq ft, inside and out. There was a complete redesign of the kitchen, pantry, mudroom, master bath, bath 4, theater, pool, dock area, driveway and outdoor kitchen. All other spaces were updated with modern finishes and fixtures. We updated the staircase, new flooring, paint, lighting, and fans throughout. The biggest challenge was a load bearing point in the kitchen area where we removed a powder bath, but with a little ingenuity and slight alteration on the tall cabinet and coffee bar we were able to create the same look by adding a return wall. Pantry/mudroom: these two were a challenge because they were originally two separate spaces and the first design we had already ordered custom cabinetry for were based on the separate spaces. With the clients question “do you think we could make this one room?” we saw yet another chance to wow them. We sat down and drew the new single room, then instead of wasting all the new custom cabinets ordered, we worked out a plan to redesign using every piece we could and we only ended up needing one more base and a few finished panels. Redesigning the driveway brought along its own challenges as well. The street has tight access, water lines, etc. We were able to come up with a curved driveway that fit more vehicles but also provided easy access to get in and out. The home sits right on a curve, so this helped them be able to pull out onto the street from two access points. It also dressed up the front of the house by adding more curb appeal with the pavers and landscaping. In the master bath, the client wanted a steam shower and second toilet. Moving the shower toward the existing water closet made it center stage and created space for the second toilet. In the kitchen, the triangle was over nine feet! We relocated the refrigerator and sink nearer the range. We replaced the mid-range appliances with high-end counterparts. They now have a coffee station equipped with a sink and refrigerator drawers. The new pantry turned into a full pantry, mudroom, pet center and small laundry to service the downstairs bedroom and pool areas. The home theater had no personality. We lowered the ceiling and added reclaimed painted teak to give a relaxed, warm coastal vibe and added richer colors, plush carpet, acoustic panels, wall sconces and a full bar to truly create a world of its own. The wrap-around bar has phone charging stations, quartz counters for delicious snacking and cozy seating. The original pool sat at the ground level and it took two sets of stairs to get to it; the three different levels inhibited natural flow for entertaining. We reconfigured the pool itself by raising the level to meet with the lower deck where the original outdoor kitchen was. Then we began adding features: the firepit area under the pergola, which has a waterfall feature that drops into the new beach-access entrance to the pool. The firepit is mirrored by fire bowls on the opposite end of the pool. The outdoor kitchen was completely redesigned by removing a center column that prevented a good seating arrangement and adding a new island and the best outdoor appliances. The decking matched the interior wood flooring to create a continuous flow inside and out. We also installed a new dock, landscaping to include beautiful planters, AstroTurf yard and a putting green.
