WALTON COUNTY, FL 2015
This home was originally a shed, which was obtained by a contractor as payment for construction of the home across the street in the 1950s. The contractor added a second story to the home from scrap and found materials, and continued to make modifications to the home throughout the 70s, 80s, and 90s. The current owners acquired the property in the late 1990s, and continued the tradition of modifying the home to suit their needs over time.
In keeping with the history of this home, we opted to make our addition and modifications a feature, rather than masking them. Use of color is perhaps the most visible way this was achieved: the existing structure is a muted green with the addition being a bright orange.
Many changes were made to the interior of the home to create more useable spaces for the client. A new master suite was added in the addition at the front of the home, creating a space at the first level for a screened porch and summer kitchen area. The existing exterior stair was reversed and made into the main interior stair, making the existing first level guest bedroom a larger and more useable space. Moving the stair also brought more light into the home by acting as a light well. This was achieved by retaining the existing window configuration and mimicking it in the new exterior wall. A 2nd floor porch, which had been enclosed by a previous owner to create two separate living spaces, was modified by removing a wall. This created a more useable and cohesive living space. The kitchen was also slightly modified and freshened for better use.
It was important to the client that the addition and building modifications suit the site and create minimal disturbance. One of the client’s main concerns was that a large tree to the east of the home not be disturbed by any of the construction. This was achieved by use of piles rather than a slab and footing foundation. The new swimming pool was also placed in an existing clearing to further reduce impact on the site. The existing home was not placed parallel to the property lines. To accentuate this unusual relationship, we opted to have the addition follow the lines of the site. One side of the swimming pool retains this relationship as well.
This design used accessible and durable materials such as plywood floors, hardie siding at the exterior, and vinyl windows and doors.
Photos by Jack Gardner
Services
- Site Analysis
- Site Planning
- Building Design
- Construction Documentation
McWhorter Vallee Design, Inc.
37 S 10th Street, Suite 2B
DeFuniak Springs, Florida 32435
+1 850.660.6675
