This waterfront home renovation was a special project—it was for us! Steve and I rescued this mid-80s ranch home on the Emerald Coast about 2.5 years ago.

I say “rescued,” because the house took a beating during Hurricane Ivan in 2004. The roof was replaced, wet drywall cut out, and flooring pulled up, but the owners did not make any other repairs, and the damage was extensive. The house sat in disrepair until we found it in November of 2017.

We have since renovated the entire home and will be sharing more about this project here and in future posts. For now, let me say that it has been an adventure, with lots of ups and downs, and a LOT of work required. And along the way, we fell in love with the area and the house!

We have friends and family nearby, and once we got through the deep renovation, we started enjoying the house as our home, which has been as magical as you could imagine and has certainly made the journey worthwhile.

But enough about our happy ending, let’s talk about this new space!

The previous kitchen… What’s a great transformation without haunting before photos?

Creating a New, Functional Floor Plan

We believe that the kitchen is the heart of the home, and we love to have family and friends over for dinner parties. With Steve’s expert cooking skills (I am not exaggerating, he has a gift), we also wanted a kitchen that would operate efficiently.

But… the existing floor plan was not conducive to this vision.

Floor plan: Before

The former kitchen, shown above, was located at the front of the house, small and dark. We envisioned creating a fresh and functional kitchen, adding a the beverage center feature you know we love, and making room for entertaining.

The former owner had also added a garage on the front of the house and took the former garage space and made a larger master bathroom. They also added the room across the front of the house and included a fireplace. Rare for this part of the world. This made for a lot of “living” areas while the kitchen and dining areas were still small and not taking advantage of the view.

Safe to say that a new floor plan was in store!

Floor Plan: After

The entry hall and front door were relocated. We took the former dining room and made a wide entry. (Who wants a small dining room?) The new one is on the back of the house and has lots of views of the water from the table. SO beautiful and relaxing.

New Wide Entry Hall

The narrow former entry hall space (seriously, go look at the original floor plan again!) was put into the closet space of the front bedroom. When our friends arrive through the new front door, they have a clear view through the house to the bay. The reaction is always “WOW.”

Guest Bedrooms & Shared bathroom

We also took the original closet space of the front bedroom and incorporated into the hall bathroom, which is now accessible from either of the two guest bedrooms.

Master suite & Storage

On the other side of the home, we decided that we didn’t need such a large bathroom but we DID need more storage. We redesigned the master bathroom, taking some space from the original design and from the garage to make a storage room. Steve also created two really nice closets in the bedroom.

NEW Office Space

Last but no least, there is now an office where the kitchen used to be. The new kitchen is centrally located in an open concept plan including the family room and dining room for easy flow and socializing.

I can’t wait to show you what it looks like in person! But first…

Renovation Details

Every renovation comes with its paint points, and this house was no exception. In fact, as a home with a lot of pre-existing damage, we have even more challenges to solve than we usually see with our clients’ homes.

1. Moving Plumbing

To move the kitchen to another wall, moving the plumbing was necessary. And the house is on a slab, which meant that the slab had to be trenched. (If this terminology sounds unfamiliar to you, let’s just say it is a TON of work.)

2. Electrical Damage

The house was built in the 80s, and aside from the damage that Hurricane Ivan left behind, the entire electrical system needed to be upgraded to handle the appliances. If you’re renovating a damaged home (or an older one), this will likely be something you’ll have to take into consideration.

Demolition is rarely pretty, but it makes the transformation all the more impressive! This view faces the front door (opposite the bay). The new kitchen will be built on the right-hand wall, there will be an island in center-right, and of course, a beverage and entertainment center is going on the left.

This is the opposite side of the home, facing the bay. The beverage center will be added on the right, and get ready because we’re about to magnify our bay view with glorious windows!

After: A Kitchen Layout that Works for Everyone

Let’s look at the final result...

SO. MUCH. BETTER.

As promised, this kitchen has found new residence between the front and back of the home. We love that the open concept allows us (and guests) to pass through the front door, into the kitchen, and entertaining area, and into the living room and dining area beyond.

I’ll share more about the design features we love (like 4-person island seating) in my next post!

Across from the kitchen and island is a built-in beverage center and seating for guests to be entertained and help themselves while the chef (Steve) remains the uncontested king of his domain. You can see the living room and dining area beyond, which makes transitioning to these spaces effortless.

And not to be left out is… THAT VIEW!

Above all, we wanted the home to highlight the gorgeous bay view out the window. We accomplished this with design elements like natural cabinets, wood grain that seems to lead right into the ocean, and a layout that keeps the view completely clear.

But I’m getting ahead of myself! Instead of spilling all the details at once, I’ll have another two posts for you. The next one will be about the features we chose and how they create a lifestyle, followed by a dive into the materials we chose and why.

You can also see more of this project: Waterfront Reno Kitchen Features & Waterfront Reno Timeless Finishes.

Enjoy!
Sarah

The Waterfront Renovation: Before & After Story