Back in year 2018 Geoff and Terri were in the market for a home that came equipped with gorgeous Florida weather. It didn’t take long for the Indianapolis couple to find a beautiful home that was ready for a new homeowner. This 1979-built home has 1,818 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. It was built on a corner lot and it came with two additional vacant lots. From the patio doors there was a clear view of the backyard with a screened lanai and beautiful pool to enjoy year-round. It felt like home when they first set eyes on this place. So, after the husband and wife duo purchased the home, they rented it out to a relative until their retirement.
When I met with Geoff and Terri in November 2021 they wanted Just Counters & other stuff, inc. to create this take-your-breath-away moment right when you walk in the front door of their home. First and foremost, Geoff and Terri wanted to make the utmost of the chopped up floor plan and turn it into one large, cohesive space with an expansive great room. Every room in this house was divided by walls. The original kitchen, located in the back of the house, was dated, choppy, and claustrophobic. The homeowners dreamed of a remodeled Florida home that was cozy and sunlit with a clean and timeless classic vibe. Let’s take a journey together. Read on.
Wonderful things happen when talented people join together in a creative process. This was the case when Geoff, Terri, and I bounced ideas off on one another. A magical spark of inspiration was born and we re-imagined the small and confining typical galley-style kitchen transforming into a 21st century gem. Geoff and Terri wanted a bright kitchen. What they had was the opposite. Brown cabinets, faux butcher block countertops, boring floor tile, and lackluster walls gave their Port Charlotte kitchen a drab look even on the sunniest days. As anyone can see in the “before” photos, the before kitchen was ugly and unexciting.
Basically, Geoff and Terri wanted to open up the space. So, our first step was to determine if the existing walls were structural—or not—before we could feasibly combine all the spaces. We soon discovered we would need to install a beam. Once the beam was in place, we started the demo and removed the walls that we needed to. Doing this really opened everything up. By removing low-hanging kitchen soffits and multiple walls and thresholds throughout the heart of this home, the entire space was pretty much a large blank canvas.
While re-designing the space, I took into account our wonderful customer’s lifestyle. Terri is an avid cook and she wanted not only a functional, but a breathtaking kitchen with bountiful storage. She wanted a massive island so it would to be a gathering spot and serve as a central hub for prep, mealtime, serving, and gathering. With an island like this, the homeowners will have a hard time getting guests to leave.
The proportions of the new kitchen necessitated an oversized kitchen island countertop that was larger than the typical marble stone slab. So, instead of engineered quartz or granite, the kitchen countertops are solid surface: “Ice Queen” by LG Hi Macs. In order for Just Counters to ingeniously create a seamless island countertop of this massive size, non-porous solid surface was the best solution. Seamless, non-porous design eliminated crevices where harmful bacteria/mold can reside. To fulfill our client’s desire for a seating area where Geoff and Terri could enjoy a quick meal or that could serve as a place for a guest to sit while cooking, I added an extended overhang which seats up to 5 people perfectly.
On Geoff’s wish-list: he wanted a massive built-in entertainment center for a generous 75-inch TV, complete with a beverage refrigerator. He also wanted to take the tucked in narrow end off of the kitchen and create a cozy desk area.
They wanted all the cabinetry to match throughout. They selected Aspect Cabinetry with a Shaker-style door painted bright white. The same kitchen countertop material was cleverly used for the entertainment center, desk area, and laundry room. We ditched the dark features and created an uplifting color scheme with white cabinets and a decorative mosaic backsplash. The white countertops have medium-sized translucent particulates that resemble ice crystals resting upon a snowy white background. There’s reflective silver flakes peppered throughout which makes the countertops sparkle and glisten.
The indoor – outdoor connection was established by running easy care wood-look porcelain tiles from the front door to the patio doors and throughout all the public rooms.
There wasn’t any good lighting so dramatic LED lighting illuminates the toe kicks and the island overhang.
Just Counters received a handwritten card from our pleased homeowners:
Mark & The Team,
Hello to everyone. Geoff and I wanted to thank Michele Rose, Cindy Kohls-Brophy, Tyler Mowatt, Ben Hanson, Aaron Shaffer, and of course the team of Bill Daniels of Willy D’s Home Improvement and everyone who was also involved in ordering all the materials for our project. Mark— you have a remarkable team. So, thank you for all of your hard work. We are very happy with the end results.
All the best,
Geoff & Terri
My favorite part is the fact that our wonderful homeowners now love everything about their Florida home. The original kitchen was a far cry from the light, airy, and functional space of today. With open sight lines, the once-dark kitchen now feels bright and spacious. It’s beautiful and completely suits them.
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