Beach House Becomes Reality II

As you may remember, this couple had an entire house with dark, Colonial decor that they wanted to transform into a light and airy beach house. (View Part I.)

This was a fairly large project that would be best approached in phases. The challenge was to decide which changes would bring the majority of the property closest to the client’s vision while we considered cost and timeline. Although they had the fall and winter months to do a lot of the work, significant progress had to be made by late January to list the property on the vacation rental website for next season.

In the kitchen, we determined that the counter-tops and appliances were in good shape and expensive to replace so they were moved to phase two. The backsplash tile and sink replacement would involve the counters and also moved to phase two of the renovation. The flooring was fine and the cabinetry could be updated with paint. To increase the storage and calm the look of this small space, the decorative shelves on the left were replaced with stock cabinets and trimmed in crown molding to match the originals. Luckily the wood rails under the microwave shelf were simply decorative and easily removed to reveal a generous counter.

Paint is still the biggest bang for the buck!

It was no surprise that painting the cabinets provided the greatest visual impact for the money. We chose the same color for the kitchen cabinetry, Benjamin Moore HC-168 Chelsea Gray, that was used on the upper wall in the adjacent breezeway to help the color palette flow through this part of the interior. This color also reduced the contrast between the bright white counters and the cabinets and softened their appearance, calmed the space and brought attention to the warm floor and ceiling. The lighting was later updated with a simple track light.

The “Good – Better – Best” Approach

We used the “good, better, best” approach to make decisions for this renovation because of its size. This meant the owners could decide if the change would bring more of the property up to date while they considered the cost. Unlike a flip or updates for resale, they were not selling and could make changes over the next few years. It was, therefore, unnecessary to apply the highest standard of excellence to every change. They would be able to take time to research the more expensive items and not blow their budget!

Next, we face the challenge of adding a third bedroom!
This beach house transformation continues. Read Part III.

If you do not know where to begin or want to discuss and validate ideas to update your home, schedule a consultation with Allison today. Her approach will encourage your creative side and enable you to make decisions with confidence!