Before I get into the heart of this story, a little background might help. I met a talented designer back in 2019. Beverly lives year-round in the state of Wisconsin, where the climate is characterized by long, cold winters and warm, relatively short summers. As of this writing it got down to negative 9 degrees in her neighborhood. Tomorrow night it’s supposed to drop into the negative double digits. My story today, however, takes us to the home Bev inherited from her late mother. Though bittersweet, Bev decided to keep the house. It will always hold a special meaning to her. The home is located in Emerald Lake. This well-maintained age-restricted (55+) manufactured home community is located in beautiful Punta Gorda, Florida. It’s just a stone’s throw from the best amenities in Punta Gorda. There really is nothing Bev will need that she won’t find just minutes away: local recreation, shopping, and plenty of entertainment. All the glamour and convenience of the inner city life but with the peace and serenity of quiet community living. The day I arrived to take “after” pictures the sun shone brightly and the weather was 87 degrees. The residential streets lined with modest mobile homes. There were many people leisurely riding around in golf carts. The drivers looked very — how do I put this? — white-haired and wore flip flops.
But back to my story.
The “before” photos feature not only dreadful cabinets, but dated wallpaper, and old-fashioned floor tiles. Little had changed since the home had been built, which was decades ago. This was proof that the projects were waaayyyy overdue.
As anyone can see, the previous master bath was ugly. Everything was old and stained and no amount of cleaning made it look presentable or current.
So, when it came time to remodel the primary en suite bathroom, Bev’s immediate priorities were practical. She wanted someone who could complete the project in a reasonable amount of time and without sacrificing the quality of materials or workmanship. Beverly wanted to create something that would feel like a sanctuary. With that vision in mind, she hired a licensed handyman, Fernando. I had known Fernando for a few years. He had asked me to do some design work for some of his other clients.
Whenever Bev could make it back to Florida, she asked me to collaborate with her on three other rooms in her home. Like I said earlier, Bev definitely had a clear vision of what she wanted all four rooms to look like. Did I mention that Bev is a talented kitchen and bath designer? Her ultimate goal was to create a modern and chic home.
Older mobile home walls have vinyl panels with a glossy wallpaper-look coating. There are batten strips to cover the seams where two panels meet. These battens are notorious within the mobile home world. And like Beverly, most homeowners disliked them immensely. So, Fernando removed all the vinyl walls as well as the dated flooring.
The tall and narrow closet with minimal storage space presented a challenge (or should I say an opportunity?) to designer Beverly. As a team Bev and Fernando decided to remove the bi-fold door and closet header. Bev wanted open shelves and frameless cabinets. So, we used Eclipse Cabinetry. She picked the Lancaster door which is a classic Shaker style. She also decided on select poplar wood with the gorgeous Heatherstone stain. She found a beautiful slab of Fantasy Brown granite. I love her choice of hardware, faucet, and light fixture, mixing black and brushed nickel. Fernando installed the new wood-look flooring and all of the cabinets. He also installed a chic new barn door with frosted glass at the entrance to the bathroom. I don’t think there’s anything that Fernando can’t fix or do related to handyman work or remodeling.
The updated master en suite gives Beverly reason to smile. “Whenever I go in there now, I just feel a little bit of joy,” Bev said. “It’s peaceful and modern but cozy and comfortable all at the same time.”
Next up was the China hutch in the dining room. The dated and worn built-in suffered from a serious case of the outdated blahs. To create the light, bright, modern, and clean-lined look Beverly was seeking, Fernando removed the disrepair built-in cabinetry and vinyl wall panels with the dated wallpaper. He used his talented carpentry skills to frame the two vertical windows with crisp white trim. Beverly, once again, selected Eclipse Cabinetry. This time she picked floating cabinets with the Metropolitan slab door style using Takase Teak horizontal finish. The star of this room is the striking honed Fantasy Brown countertop!
I ran out of room to post before and after pictures of the guest bath and laundry room. Both rooms turned out great! Just take my word for it. I was absolutely astonished to see all the transformations, from outdated blah to modern and chic!
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