The journey to our new Florida home has been nothing short of exhilarating, a dream meticulously pursued for months. As we prepare to finally move into this charming property, a new chapter unfolds, promising coastal living and a fresh canvas for our renovation passions. This initial tour captures the house exactly as it appeared when we first laid eyes on it in February – a moment that, coincidentally, was also our last in-person visit before global events necessitated remote management. The past few months have brought significant changes, both universally and within the walls of this house, thanks to the dedicated efforts of our contractor and his socially distanced team.
Upon acquisition, the house presented numerous challenges: gaping holes in the floor, a non-functional HVAC system, and a bathroom entirely devoid of a proper vanity, with a dislodged sink casually resting in the tub. Despite these hurdles, this home, nestled in a super charming neighborhood just blocks from the beach, captivated us. It had languished on the market for over eight and a half months, its condition daunting to many, but for us, it felt like it was patiently waiting. We immediately fell in love with its inherent character, the enchanting outdoor spaces, and the majestic old trees that grace the property. There’s an undeniable allure that resonates deeply with our vision for a smaller, more intentional living space.
While overseeing renovations remotely has presented its own set of challenges, we eagerly anticipate the first week of May when the house will be sufficiently livable for us to move in and take the reins. This timeline perfectly aligns with the arrival of our packed Pod, shipped all the way from Richmond, signifying the culmination of a long-held ambition: owning and living in a single, smaller home. The process of downsizing everything we own into one Pod was a colossal undertaking, a giant game of Tetris expertly orchestrated over four days. It wasn’t easy, but the sense of liberation and purpose it brought already feels immensely rewarding. For a deeper dive into our decision-making process on what to keep and what to part with, you can listen to our detailed discussion in this podcast episode. This triumphant picture, captured by our daughter, perfectly encapsulates our excitement and achievement.
Our renovation journey, much like our previous projects, will be a long-term endeavor, with countless projects planned for after we settle in. We’ll be sharing extensive details about the process, including progress photos, in upcoming podcast episodes and blog posts. So, prepare for a steady stream of renovation updates over the coming weeks, months, and even years. But for now, let’s embark on the initial “before” tour.
Stepping through the front door, one of the immediate visual challenges was a conspicuous hole in the floor, indicative of the pervasive water damage that characterized much of the house during our initial viewing.
This expansive main living area on the first floor is destined to become a versatile kitchen and dining zone, complemented by a cozy seating area. While the existing soffit and mauve counters might initially distract, the centered window above the sink promises abundant natural light. Our vision for this space extends beyond mere cooking and eating; its generous size, measuring approximately 25 feet deep, allows for a flexible layout accommodating a dining table and a casual seating area for games, puzzles, or relaxing while someone cooks. It will serve as the primary downstairs hub for cooking, dining, and socializing, with the television being relocated to a different part of the house. For more on our specific style ideas and how we plan to utilize these spaces, you can explore this inspirational post.
Many inquiries have surfaced regarding the door on the left side of the room. This leads to a discreet closet housing the water heater and HVAC system, with ample space for practical storage of items like a broom or vacuum. Turning from the kitchen window to face the front door, we were captivated by the house’s original wall paneling, which exudes a delightful charm and character we intend to preserve. Another striking feature is the abundance of large glass doors overlooking the serene, wooded lot. In total, this six-room house boasts twelve such doors, inviting an incredible amount of natural light and seamlessly blending indoor and outdoor living.
Despite touring the house on a rainy, gloomy day, the multitude of windows and glass doors allowed natural light to flood the interiors, offering picturesque views of the magnolias and ancient oaks outside. It’s a curious pattern, but every house we’ve ever purchased seems to have been first viewed on a rainy day. This observation prompted John to declare, “We’re going to buy a house today, aren’t we?!” on that fateful Florida morning, and indeed, the rest is history.
Moving past the existing peninsula (which, despite appearing cream in some photos, is actually mauve) and turning left, we entered what was then a formal living room. We quickly realized this space was ideally suited to become our master bedroom, given the presence of another large living room upstairs, which we’ll explore shortly. This decision eliminates the need for two formal living areas downstairs.
Within this prospective bedroom, six more beautiful glass doors beckoned. Our plan involves closing off the wider opening seen in the photo (and removing the unusual triangular post with a mirror), creating a solid wall for our bed. This thoughtful reconfiguration means we will wake up each morning to the stunning vista offered by these six glass doors, a prospect that fills us with immense excitement. Looking back towards the kitchen from within the bedroom, with our backs to the French doors, one can envision the transformation. Once the wider doorway is drywalled, our bed’s headboard and nightstands will occupy that space, and the smaller doorway on the left will serve as the sole entry point into our private sanctuary.
This view, every morning, will be a constant source of joy. We envision bamboo privacy shades that can be lowered for sleep and effortlessly drawn open each day, perhaps softened by breezy white curtains to enhance the room’s serene ambiance. The removal of the awkward ledges above the doors will further streamline the space, allowing the lush green trees outside to become the focal point. We also have exciting plans for a small, private patio just outside these doors, offering a secluded outdoor retreat. More details on this can be found in our inspirational post from last week.
Directly outside those six bedroom doors stands our magnificent tree, one of many that grace our exceptional lot. Its grandeur captivated us instantly, a testament to the natural beauty that surrounds this property. These trees, and the overall landscape, are a huge part of what drew us to this specific home.
Further into the bedroom, spinning around reveals a charming fireplace wall, brimming with potential. We envision cozy Saturday mornings, snuggled in bed with our children, enjoying the warmth of a fire while gazing out at the verdant landscape. Even in a warm climate, the allure of a fireplace during the cooler months (typically November through February in Florida) is something we deeply appreciate and intend to incorporate into our lifestyle.
The fireplace will likely feature an electric or gas insert, with the specific details to be determined once we are living in the house and can thoroughly evaluate the options. Returning to the view previously discussed, it’s worth noting the presence of two additional large glass doors on the right side of the picture. This brings the total count to eight glass doors within this single room, a remarkable feature that underscores the house’s connection to its surroundings.
These two doors currently open onto a small side deck, a space approximately 10 by 10 feet. This size is absolutely perfect for an attached bathroom and closet, a realization that brought an angelic chorus to our ears! We almost overlooked this house because the listing indicated fewer bedrooms and only one bathroom (two being our ideal number), but this side porch instantly solved our dilemma. This addition will be a post-move-in project; until then, we’ll all be sharing the main hall bathroom. Surrounding us are these magnificent trees, creating a natural, picturesque setting. The absence of turf to mow is another significant lifestyle upgrade, so much so that we enthusiastically gave our lawnmower to John’s dad. Goodbye grass, hello natural landscape!
Exiting our future bedroom, we re-enter the kitchen/dining space, which offers a clearer perspective on the layout of the other side of the house. The missing flooring spot is more apparent from this vantage point. A peculiar feature of this home is a deeply recessed closet that leads directly into what was, upon our tour, the only actual private bedroom. Most other rooms lacked doors or had extra-wide openings, making them less suitable as private sleeping quarters. This sole “proper” bedroom had a closet that, rather unusually, opened into the kitchen/dining room like a secret passageway—a truly strange design.
However, this unconventional closet surprisingly offers a solution to a significant design challenge, which we will elaborate on in a future floor plan post. For now, let’s maintain our focus on this initial tour. A similar shot, taken after renovations commenced, reveals the extent of the water damage. As detailed in a podcast episode a few weeks ago, we discovered far more extensive water damage than initially believed, necessitating not only floor repairs but also the complete removal and replacement of all first-floor drywall. This extensive work, however, proved to be a blessing in disguise; during demolition, a hidden leak in the bathroom was uncovered, averting what would have been a major headache had we moved in prior to its discovery.
Proceeding down the hallway, towards more of that charming original wall trim, a turn to the right revealed a linen closet and access to the aforementioned bathroom, where a major leak had been secretly festering behind the walls. This was the only bathroom in the house at the time of purchase, and it was entirely non-functional. The water had been shut off due to the pervasive water damage throughout the property. A few more steps into the bathroom from the initial viewpoint quickly made it clear that the entire vanity had been removed, further underscoring the water issues. To add to the bizarre staging, the sink, presumably ripped from the missing vanity, was placed inside the bathtub.
The only true bedroom the house came with is destined to become our daughter’s room. Since this photo was taken, the formerly standard 8-foot ceiling has been vaulted and planked, a transformation that dramatically alters the room’s entire feel. We are incredibly eager to share the progress photos of this space soon!
For those keeping count, this room also features two large glass doors leading out to a sweet side porch. While this space is more logically accessed from the front of the house, where it’s also connected, we may eventually replace these doors with a large picture window or simply keep them locked, enjoying the abundant light they provide. Notably, this room currently displays three distinct wall colors: light blue, pink, and green.
Adjacent to the bathroom is the former large laundry room, which will be transformed into our son’s bedroom. Here, too, we’ve vaulted and planked the ceiling, a change that has had an equally profound impact on the room’s perceived size and openness. Before diving into more progress updates, we must share a fascinating detail about the small drawings on the wall. We were absolutely captivated by them, and the seller’s agent revealed that a renowned local artist, Nancy Swan Drew, lived here decades ago and created these very sketches. How incredible is that?! We’ve taken high-resolution images of these drawings so we can print and frame them, as the original drywall was too water-damaged to salvage. This unique piece of history adds such a special layer to our little house!
This wider shot provides a better sense of the full room, though it truly pales in comparison to the transformation brought about by vaulting the ceiling. To explore our ideas for maximizing this small room with functional bed and storage systems, refer to this post. Regarding the new laundry location, we’ll share comprehensive details in an upcoming floor planning post, once we have more illustrative progress photos.
Now, let’s ascend to the second floor to discover a truly spectacular, light-filled living space.
This is the expansive flex space upstairs, arguably the airiest and most sun-drenched room in the entire house, and by far the largest. We anticipate spending a significant amount of time here, both indoors and on the generously sized deck just outside. It’s ideal for our primary living and working functions, offering a welcome separation from the downstairs bedrooms. This allows us to enjoy television or other activities at night without disturbing the children. While certain work tasks might occasionally require the privacy and quiet of our bedroom, our current office setup, located downstairs off the kitchen and front door, has served us well for years, even when shared with our children for their art and homework activities until recently.
Notice the large glass door in the image above that opens onto the aforementioned deck. This outdoor extension significantly amplifies our overall living space. Downstairs, we also have an outdoor dining area and a shower that will eventually lead to our future pool. However, the prospect of taking conference calls, reading, or working on laptops up here, nestled among the trees, is incredibly appealing. Incidentally, the chimney visible poking through the deck in this picture has already been removed due to leaks—a recurring theme of water damage that we are determined to conquer. This house, despite its initial challenges, is destined for a grand rescue.
The other side of this enormous room, while difficult to convey its true scale through photographs, offers ample space for a dedicated art area for the children, a comfortable TV/living room zone, and a functional work spot for us. Many have inquired whether we considered making this upstairs room our bedroom. While tempting, its sheer size (it could easily accommodate two 8×10-foot rugs without them touching, making unfurnished rooms particularly deceiving) would result in a disproportionately large bedroom for a smaller house. Furthermore, we prioritize having all bedrooms on the same floor to ensure our children are easily accessible should they need us in the middle of the night, which still happens occasionally. Lastly, we envision the large upstairs deck as a shared family amenity, rather than being solely accessible from a single bedroom. Conceptually, think of this house as a ranch-style home with all essential functions on one level, but with this upstairs flex space acting like a reversed basement—offering an elevated, really cool outdoor hangout area for everyone to enjoy.
Throughout the house, the flooring consists of beautiful old pine, reminiscent of the cherished floors in our beloved pink house. We are incredibly excited to refinish all of it and apply a clear seal. Parts of it have already been sanded, and the results are stunning. We rejoice in the absence of holes in the floor!
Downstairs, we also have a roofed outdoor area that we’ve affectionately named the side porch. Beyond that lies an outdoor shower, which will ultimately lead to our future pool. Here’s a somewhat unflattering picture of me and our wonderful realtor standing in the side porch area. Our plans include redesigning this space to minimize the visual clutter of numerous vertical posts. Further beyond is our quirky, and predictably water-damaged, outdoor shower. The sight of that light fixture, precariously dangling by a single thread, never fails to amuse me. I know it’s odd, but I literally laugh every time I think about it.
Before concluding this tour, I must share a truly remarkable story. Recall how we learned that a famous local artist once resided in this house decades ago? Well, after our initial tour, and following extensive discussions with a contractor (found through our realtor) to ensure we could manage the renovation remotely, we headed to a local lunch spot with our realtor to sign the offer papers. It was a charming establishment, where I savored a fantastic shrimp salad. The spot also featured a small gift shop selling t-shirts, keychains, and a single book. And guess who the illustrator of that book was? None other than NANCY SWAN DREW! If that isn’t a sign from the universe, I don’t know what is.
Inspired by this incredible synchronicity, we signed those papers with eager anticipation, I finished my shrimp, and as our plane touched down on the tarmac back home, we received the joyous news that our offer had been accepted. This entire experience has been a wild and unforgettable ride, and we are beyond excited for the future that awaits us in our new Florida home.
P.S. Interested in more “before” tours? Explore the duplex before tour and the before tour of our current house.