In May 2021, just 5 months before our daughter was due to be born, we purchased a major fixer upper for our family. The previous owners lived in the house since 1964. In the 70’s, they nearly double the house by adding a second wing onto the original modestly sized 4/2. With ocala block exterior, a rich wood paneled vestibule, and exposed wood beams, the house was a classic old Florida dream in need of a thoughtful refresh.

The process of renovating the house involved a lot of designing by subtraction. We removed dumpster loads of heavy curtains, carpets, wallpaper, fencing, etc. Once the old carpet and linoleum was out, we polished the original terrazzo and concrete floors. We even preserved the old jalousie windows and had some new glass cut for them where it was necessary.

Along with the house, we purchased two additional lots in the rear that were full of old growth trees: live oaks, magnolias, and 80’ palms. We combined all the lots, added an 8’ privacy fence, and constructed a 20 x 30’ in ground pool.