A Vero Beach Ocean Front Contemporary Home
The homeowners of this oceanfront Sanctuary to Sea in the Seagrove Development of Vero Beach, FL meticulously remodeled a 1980’s home to create an oasis on the ocean. We asked them to share some thoughts on the process of remodeling.
What is the age of the house?
The house was originally built in 1987.
When did you begin renovations?
We started in January of 2012 and the renovations were completed by the end of July 2012.
How extensive were the renovations?
Originally we planned to replace all the doors and windows, to renovate all bathrooms and the kitchen, to replace the flooring and plumbing fixtures, to add French doors and a balcony to the second-floor master bedroom, and to knock down the walls that separated the living room, dining room, and kitchen. Once the renovations began many discoveries were made, such as faulty wiring, exterior wood rot, some roof leaks, and some piping problems. We replaced it all. The renovation included a new roof and hearty plank siding just to name a few. We also renovated the pool and ended up virtually rebuilding the house, aside from the basic structure, very little of the original remains.
What was the most difficult part of renovating?
The most difficult aspects were some of the delays and the expensive surprises.
What was the easiest decision to make with regard to renovation and/or material selections?
The easiest decisions were to knock down the living room and dining room walls to create a large open space and to move the main master bedroom upstairs where the views are spectacular. All of the other needs were fairly self-evident. The house was outdated and desperate for a major facelift.
We looked at many beautiful homes in Vero Beach but one of my main requirements was to have a view of the ocean from the front door. We were fortunate to have found a house with not only that but with ocean views from nearly every room. We wanted a manageable size as well and it had to have at least four bedrooms. This house fits the bill in every way.
What is your favorite room in the house?
It is difficult to say which is my favorite room but can say I will never tire of the view from the loft at the top of the stairs and from our upstairs master bedroom.
There are so many great details which would you say is your favorite?
The clean colors and the glass tiles that we used throughout the home are some of my favorites as well as the open feeling of it all.
What was your design inspiration?
I knew that we did not want a stereotypical beach home, and much of the inspiration came from an app call HOUZZ. I studied it for months and created my own “look book”. I found great resources both locally and online which we incorporated into the home.
Your art collection is amazing and fits so beautifully in the home. Do you purchase items with a spot in mind or do you buy what you love and find a home for it?
The art began with our color scheme and surprisingly our first purchase was at a gallery in St. Petersburg, Russia before we had even finalized the purchase of the home. We also fell in love with the work of a Miami artist named Ian Fichman whose paintings work beautifully throughout the house. We brought some pieces in from our home in Miami and others from art shows and Miami galleries.
Is there anything you would change or do differently?
I am sure as time goes on I will find things that I might have done differently, but for now, we are just thrilled with how it all came together and how well our new home works for us and for our family.
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