House Updates

Happy June! Things are moving very slowly over here. Destruction is always fast, while reassembling this mess home into a livable structure can feel impossible and endless. But there is progress.....

I'm sticking with my plan for an open white kitchen. The cabinets are in my garage and waiting for the floors to be installed. Not wanting to hold up the renovation process, I went quartzite shopping for kitchen countertops. 

White quartzite is not easy to find. I needed three slabs. I thought this one was beautiful, and I should have reserved it for my bathroom. 

Too dark for my kitchen.

This group was considered damaged, and would have required a few more slabs. The price was reasonable, but it would have resulted in several more seams. 

And then I fell in love. This is called 'White Marble', but it's quartzite. You may have seen it on my IG feed?

There were five slabs, and I needed to pick three. This was not easy, but a good problem to have. 

I can't wait to see it on my white cabinets. 

Clean Design Donna Dotan Photography

Matt Bolt

Luxe Interiors

Elle Decor

I can't want to tell you about the wood tile I selected. It looks so pretty. 

 

House Update

Happy May! By now, everyone should be having spectacular weather. May is a great time to be in Naples. All of the snowbirds are heading home, traffic is light, and you don't need restaurant reservations on a Saturday night.

Things are moving very slowly on my home renovation project. I need to have our window replacement plan approved by an engineer before we can move forward. Florida has a law about replacing more than 25% of your windows....don't quote me...but they need to have impact resistant glass, or hurricane shutters installed over them. I will be installing impact resistant glass windows. I weighted the convenience of not having to apply the shutters ever time there was a need with the fact that nobody in this house would actually do it. Decision made.

Another decision that needs to be made is the wall tile combination for the kids bathroom. I can't decide between beveled subway or flat subway?

Thoughts?

I think this will be my new (to me) kitchen/dining table. I found it in Palm Beach and am smitten with it. 

I need permission from the homeowners' association that resides over the furniture in this soon-to-be renovated party room. I hope they say yes. 

I'm off to hunt for countertops. I think I'm leaning toward quartzite. Of course that's subject to change like everything else around here. 

 

House Update

My

future home

looks like a bomb hit it. Construction is moving along, and important decisions are being made somewhat on the fly. Let me walk you through it. 

When you first walked in the door, you were looking at a wall that was the kitchen (behind it) on the left, and living room on the right. 

One structural engineer consultation, and the wall was removed. So much better.

Scaffolding to reroute a/c and electrical.

This is were the important decisions need to made. My architect recommended that we reframe the ceiling so that there will be symmetry in the new living room (on the left). That would require the ceiling near the front door (skylight) to be lowered to an eight foot height, and made flat. I love the feeling of vaulted ceilings when I enter the front door. 

The temporary sink is approximately the center of my new kitchen. As you can see, the highest point in the existing ceiling won't be centered.....do I care? Will it bother me? Do I really want to lower it?

Like most design decisions, I turned to the internet for inspiration. All I needed were a few great images with off-centered ceilings to confirm keeping it this way. You cannot believe how difficult it was to find rooms....of any kind.....as in.....impossible. And then, I realized I was spelling asymmetrical wrong. Two 'M's' in symmetrical? Since when? 

Source

Kim E. Courtney

Via

Feldman Architects

I think I'm going to keep the taller ceiling and live with the asymmetry. What would you do?

House Tour - Before - Kitchen & Baths

Hello! I am happy to report that demolition is in full swing at my future home. I wanted to share the before shots with you. During the home inspection, I tried to document the 80's interior.

Let's start with the master bath.

The second bathroom

The kitchen

Here's a refresher of the plan. Next time, I'll share the bedrooms. Hang onto your vintage hats, it get's better....or I should say, more dated. 

 

Here's the Plan

I just received the revised floorplan my architect created, and I can't wait to share it with you.

First, here is the before. You can see how the current kitchen location blocks the flow of the home. The study has an awkward entrance through the master bedroom, few strange angular walls, and no powder room. 

Here is the plan. The laundry room moved, and made way for the kitchen. The dining room was eliminated, completely. A powder room was added, and the entrance to the study was reconfigured. The angles were squared off, and the master bedroom square footage was evenly distributed into something that made more sense. 

I love this plan. It's exactly how I envisioned living in this home....only, I didn't know it. I wonder what will change when the reality of cost comes into play?

 

My Next Project....Our Home

Hello, and happy 2015! I love the start of a new year, and it helps when the weather is 80 degrees. When we last parted, I told you that we purchased a home....and here it is. 

There are windows behind those overgrown hedges, on the right. These are the images that came with the home. I have plenty more to

bore

entertain you with, as this project unfolds. 

There are tall ceilings in most of the rooms. Of course the carpeting will not be staying. There is also a shutter theme throughout the house. 

I'm not sure what will become of the dining room?...more shutters.

The current family room opens to the kitchen and breakfast area. You can't tell from this picture, but there is a pretty yard area beyond that solid wall?!

The home was built in the 80's, and I don't think it was updated since that time. 

I am in the process of confirming a contract with an architect, and we both agree that the kitchen needs to move....or at least be reconfigured. Do you like the tile? That layer was applied on top of the original tile. No extra charge for the second layer :).

More carpeting....bye, bye. 

I would love to have the ceilings in the kids rooms raised. 

High ceilings and plenty of room in the master bedroom. Shutters, shutters, shutters???

No words....sledge hammer, stat.

Even the pool needs some TLC. I do love the shape of it. 

Are you familiar with a pool cage? It's the screen system that encloses the pool. There are pros and cons to the enclosure.....I'm not sure how this area will unfold. 

There are plans that need to be drawn, permits to be filed, and lots of work to be done. I'm excited and a little bit nervous about this huge undertaking. Naples, is in a hurricane zone, and this home has no protection. Yikes! I'll be sharing the entire process with you. I hope you stick around for the next chapter in my life. 

I would love to hear your thoughts on what you would do with this home.