Networking with professionals in your field can open you up to new opportunities. I was introduced to this client by a local real estate agent. The new property owner had just purchased a two-bedroom condo with a fantastic location and view. It was also amazingly well preserved since 1986, and it was high time for an update. The owner intended to use the home as a vacation rental property to enjoy it part of the time himself.
The ultimate goal being to eventually resell the property in a few years to realize some profits! This project was about ROI from the start, and we knew we needed to find creative ways to get the most bang for our client’s buck. Since this space required a lot of updating, we knew we needed to make some careful decisions.
All The Right Places
Many homeowners are in this exact situation. They look forward to creating a great space for their family to spend time in while also trying to keep costs under control and be sure it turns out to be a good investment. It may seem counterintuitive to hire a designer when you are trying to maximize every dollar, but this is the exact time you need a professional. A fresh set of eyes without the emotional attachment will help you to sort through the choices so you can put the money in the right places.
Observing the house, we know the view and beachside location are the best attributes for the property, and we wanted to be sure we took full advantage of these luxuries. The original layout of the property had an entrance into a foyer that blocked the view entirely and was dark and closed in. We removed the wall that separated the foyer and kitchen and expanded the reach of the kitchen to give it a larger footprint for entertaining and preparation.
Change the Point of View
Here you will see that the original kitchen was small and outdated.
Incorporating space from the foyer allowed us to open up that real estate to make way for the view and create a spacious kitchen anyone would love!
This is the view from just inside the front door!
The floors were replaced throughout with porcelain plank tile in a weathered wood finish. It’s super easy to clean and nonslip under wet sandy feet! The client also had an amazing collection of local art for us to work with. To highlight these beautiful works, we went with a museum aesthetic. The walls are a light cream color, that pairs perfectly with neutral floors and white cabinets. All of these elements create a subtle cascading backdrop for the vibrant colors within each piece. We also had a little fun with the countertops. This quartz material is a cream and turquoise swirl with a little sparkle. It’s probably not something you would do if you lived here 365 days a year but it’s a fun touch in a vacation home.
Here is another view of the refreshed living and kitchen space that opens up to the gorgeous view outside. We selected upholstery and accent pillows in vibrant colors straight out of the artwork featured on the walls.
Natural Highlights
This bedroom faces the ocean and has a cozy porch attached to it. These features are the perfect natural touches a prospective vacationer would love. It is time for an update here for sure!
To update this room, we used another beautiful piece of art as a jumping-off point for the fabric, bedding, and rug choices. To keep the costs under control we opted for simple rattan furnishings and a durable wool flat weave rug on the floor. We were very strategic in our selections for furnishings in the bedrooms because we wanted to put more of the budget into the overhead lighting and refreshing the bathrooms.
The second bedroom we configured to accommodate four guests if needed with the double bed and daybed with a trundle. This is a great setup for kids or even a couple with a small child or two. Flexible sleeping spaces can really help maximize rental bookings.
For this bedroom, we wanted to keep the furniture costs down so we could stretch the budget to include a bathroom refresh. One of my favorite ways to do this is with a wall mount upholstered headboard. They are inexpensive and they really do the trick to bring the whole room together. When paired with fresh white bedding and big colorful pillows it can pull off an upscale look.
A New Wave of Living
Remodeling with intention can help you get an excellent finish and spend your money on things that will pay dividends when it comes time to resell. A well-thought-out design plan will save you not only money but time!
If you’re contemplating a remodel or redesign of a space and trying to put together a realistic budget, check out our renovation workbook planner. It’s prefilled with the actual numbers from past projects like this one to help you make intelligent decisions.
The view point of those who don’t live here day in and day out is an important one to remember! Now that the filming is done, and by the time this posts the show will have aired, I thought it was time to share some of the background of our project, when the episode was filmed we were part way through a big remodel project. As a designer, I help guide clients through their projects and often share the before and after pictures of those projects. Over the next few posts I will share the before and after’s from my own project step by step!
Out with the old! We hired longtime friend and colleague Bill Tynan as our contractor. Since we’ve worked together on a number of projects He pretty much already knew what I had in mind for the place. Lose the popcorn ceiling, nice open kitchen, modern lighting… my favorite blend of clean modern and comfy beach cottage. But there was a long way to go.
