BOSTON HOUSE: Wilton Manors Designer Retreat
This Wilton Manors home originally built in 1947 tested Janie & JP in applying their full set of skills on fixing the VERY funky floor plan to create a stellar Interior Design. This Designer Rebuilt Spec Home designed for Restore 818 began literally as a half demolished house with a six-car garage attached and ended as a tropical designer oasis in the heart of Wilton Manors, FL.
BEFORE
The original structure of this 2-bedroom 1-bath house had been gutted by the previous owner in his attempt to rebuild the home. Perhaps it was the challenge of what to do with the strange six-car attached garage that caused him to give up and sell the property, but Janie & JP saw tremendous potential. Located in the heart of the rapidly gentrifying and in-demand Wilton Manors, FL on nearly a quarter-acre lot they were confident they could fix this ‘funkiest of floor plans.’
As you’ll see below even the original home wasn’t a simple 2-bed 1-bath home. Previous owners had completed three haphazard additions to the structure that needed to come down for the Interior Design to work. First the original back porch was enclosed, then an illegal bathroom was added off that ares, and finally a larger block addition was added to the back of those additions. What a mess!
Joined to the original home’s North side was a huge 6-car garage. Two overhead doors in front and one in the rear and nearly equal in square footage to the original home, it was the strangest structure Janie & JP ever encountered on a residence. The way the garage space was accessed from the home was awkward as well. But the steel frame construction and sheer size of the space was a positive that they knew they could use to their advantage in creating a killer Interior Design.
AFTER
The haphazard additions off the rear of the original home were demolished along with most interior walls that chopped the house into little rooms. The truss structure of the home allowed Janie & JP to vault the ceilings to 15-foot in the new living area and to 11-feet in the ceilings in the new dining room. A new addition was added to rear of the home to more than double the square footage of the open concept living area.
Working with an existing structure is always a challenge when it comes to creating a great Interior Design, especially because figuring out the floor plan is so difficult. In the case of this home Janie had to think outside the box with the location of the new kitchen.
As with every Designer Spec Home Janie & JP always begin with a theme and specific type of buyer in mind. In the case of this project it was a home built for someone who loves entertaining and possibly a buyer who would use the property as a killer Airbnb rental. With that focus in mind, Janie chose to place the kitchen in the actual heart of the new home so that it was passed through continuously. A design aspect that caused the new owners of the home to fall in love with it as soon as they saw it.
The 6-car garage became a huge new master suite, a fourth guest bedroom and a two-car garage. A third common bath for the main areas of the home was created in the new addition and also made accessible from the pool. Oh, and making use of that nearly quarter-acre lot — Janie & JP designed a private covered porch as an eating area overlooking the 15′ x 30′ pool surrounded by lush tropical landscape. Truly a private retreat in the heart of downtown Wilton Manors.
* Note: Furnishings as shown are a collaboration between Restore 818 and a third party stager.
TO VIEW BEFORE IMAGES ‘MOUSE-OVER’ PHOTOS or TAP PHOTOS ON A TOUCH SCREEN / SMART PHONE
