Blog Archives
1999 Idea House
Homebuilder Carillon Beach
Modern Lands’ End
Coastal Home in Destin Pointe
This house was built in Destin Pointe and was designed for a family from Atlanta Georgia. The client was a second generation manufactured home dealership, and was very knowledgeable about construction and materials. He understood the gestalt of quality, with craftsmanship and materials.
This couple was one of the most generous and kindest we have ever worked with. They had season tickets to the Atlanta Hawks games and invited us to see the Chicago Bulls play in Atlanta. They put us up in a beautiful hotel for the weekend and even left his wife at home so our son could attend the sold out game. We were awed by their hospitality and generosity and our son still talks about this game! It was one of Michael Jordan’s last games before he retired from basketball!
Design Challenges
The lot selected in Destin Pointe was out on the end of a barrier peninsula with shifting sands. The project needed to be a design with breakaway walls, in the basement level, in case of tidal surges during a hurricane. The clients wanted a contemporary design, with a coastal twist. Many of the materials used in the project, were marine grade materials such as stainless steel, nautical canvas and upholstery.
Building Challenges
The location of the project was probably the most difficult. It was 50 miles away from our office and required driving through the Destin traffic during season. I would visit the job every day and some days, twice a day. Needless to say, I spent a lot of time on the road. I listened to lots of books on tape during this project.
Finding a cabinet maker and welder to build the staircases and cabinets was the most challenging. Of course, we received bids from the large commercial cabinetmakers and welding companies but they were extremely pricey and out of the budget. We eventually found two local companies that worked on these projects for over 6 months to complete the fabrication and installation. I spent many days and nights visiting the welder and cabinet maker in their back yard shop to check on progress and encourage them to completion.
It was well worth it, they both were true artists!
Description
The modern design and finish materials may look simple to the untrained eye, but the execution of this contemporary design, require detailed precision in the millwork and installation. For example, the poplar baseboard, was milled with an eased edge on top and 3/8 by 3/8 plowed riglet on the bottom and was placed on top of the travertine floor. The wall and floor surfaces had to be perfectly plumb and level, so the reveals would be precise and balanced. The cabinets were flush panels with flat panel doors of rift cut Ashwood. This clean finish look with minimal embellishments allow the natural materials to speak for themselves. The vertical grains in the Ashwood had to be lined up perfectly with special 10 foot lengths.
Shane’s Favorite Feature
The stainless steel railing and floating staircase that was self-supporting on all three stories.
It took over 6 months to build. It required each tubular piece of stainless steel railing to be fusion welded together and then hand polished to a brushed finish.
When the staircase was completed and installed it looked like a piece of jewelry, a very large piece of jewelry, fit for a King!
Lisa’s Favorite Feature
The powder bath glass bowl sink was one of the first vessel sinks, that in later years has become so popular and the absolute black granite countertop placed on top of the curved cabinet unit. It was such a statement piece.
Tooth Fairy
Home Building 30A FL
Shan-gri-la
New Home Construction Carillon Beach
Clients: This Coastal Cottage in Carillon Beach was built for a family from Birmingham, Alabama. An executive of Southern Progress, a media company that publishes popular magazines like, Southern Living and Coastal Living Magazine, wanted to enjoy the same beautiful destinations its magazines featured and helped to make famous along the coast of Northwest Florida. Anxious to start making the weekend trek to the beach, we built them a “get me by” house first, so they could enjoy frequent trips to the beach while we built their dream gulf front home.
Design Challenges: The building site was a long and skinny lot sandwiched between a dune walkover and another home with limited setbacks. It required special attention and creativity to design a family friendly floorplan that emphasized the unobstructed view of the gulf and limited the side windows to maintain a cheery yet private interior. This was one of the first designed to go through permitting after hurricane Opal and required a DEP special permit that took almost 18 months to obtain.
Technical Stuff: Wood frame 3 story structure built on wood pilings, driven to 12 feet below sea level, to resist wind and wave action during harsh storm conditions.
Description: This gulf front cottage has lots of custom finishes inside and custom woodworking details in almost every nook and cranny in the house. The entry stairs are on the exterior and they open up to the elevated first story living room, kitchen and dining room. This area features custom wood working from the floor to ceiling, painted in bright coastal colors, giving the room a bright compliment to the beautiful view of the gulf. The center of the room showcases an interior tower that reaches up to the 3rd floor vaulted ceilings with platform bridged walkways, connecting each story of living. Numerous lighted niches were built in the wood working to showcase great artwork and coastal sea treasures found while strolling on the beach. As you climb the 3 flights of stairs, the windows are conveniently placed for peek a boo views of the gulf. The large circular interior window located between the flight of stairs and open to the center tower area, encouraging you to take a moment to rest, and ponder the feeling of climbing to the top of a lighthouse. The second story consist of a master bedroom with a built in headboard that conveniently hides two wardrobe cabinets for the owner’s personal items. Two French doors open up to an exterior porch with grand views of Carillon’s beautiful beaches. The third floor, loft area has been designed for a large play room connected to two more bedrooms.
Shane’s favorite feature: the planked open walkways between each floor. The architect originally designed these to be done with glass block walks to give the illusion of walking on air. On one of our first walk throughs during the building phase of construction, the owner’s wife and daughters, standing in the middle tower section of the house, looking up, decided it would be better to have the walkways using wood planks instead of glass, for concerns of privacy and walking across the walks in a dress. Great example of where function ruled over form!
Lisa’s favorite feature: the third story loft windows. Lofts have great space but are usually dark because they are positioned in the roof space and have no windows. To give more ceiling height the architect created side walls and placed two window facing the gulf. You can sit on the floor of the loft and look out at the gulf!