Seamless Symmetry

When new owners purchased this waterfront site in The Moorings, they approached MHK Architecture & Planning about remodeling the lot’s existing home. “The size and angular configuration of the existing home was going to severely limit their vision,” recalls Stephen Jallad, MHK Architecture & Planning’s director of residential design. “They were clear about their wish list and what floor should have what space. The driving factors were getting as many key spaces on the water view as possible, having a seamless indoor-outdoor living experience, and making sure there was lots of light.” Once Jallad showed the homeowners sketches of what could be done, and they saw the site’s full potential, they never looked back. “We flooded the home with light by creating as many expanses of glass as we could,” Jallad continues.

While light and openness was the goal, privacy was also important. The onyx-stained solid sapele wood (African mahogany) custom front doors are inset with large single panes of glass. The Design West interior design team of Caroline Ficquette and Raquel Bloam provided the perfect privacy solution with electrochromic glass which changes to opaque at the touch of a switch.

Because the home was for a family “in the thick of life,” as Ficquette describes, “We knew it needed to be warm and welcoming. We used a lot of natural materials and neutral backgrounds with high contrast reserved for the accents. The resulting soft, contemporary style is refined and tailored, very fresh for this area.”

To balance the openness with the need for privacy, landscape architect Christian Andrea of Architectural Land Design selected plantings designed to provide natural screening. For example, privacy outside the master bath window was a concern and Andrea answered it by adding traveler’s palms. “They are a wonderful screen and lend a tropical effect. They were a great solution.”

“These clients had a great sense of what they wanted,” adds Bloam. “They brought a lot of their own inspiration to the project. They used a lot of visuals to illustrate details, which was super helpful.”

For the fun-loving family enthusiastic about waterfront living, T. Jerulle Construction crafted the stunning new home focused on functionality. Customized with seldom-seen features like a dog wash in the garage, skylights in the kitchen, and a second laundry room situated upstairs, Terry Jerulle, president of T. Jerulle Construction, says the home epitomizes his building philosophy, “Whatever the question, the answer is ‘yes.’ We strive to give the client whatever they need.”

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A gas fireplace clad in Devon Cambria quartz from Set In Stone Countertops is topped with Realstone Systems’ honed limestone panel in white birch. A waterfall console backs a Vanguard Furniture sofa from Design West. The custom-made handrail and stairs were stained to match the flooring, and loose river rock and polished stones are recessed in the floor to add dimension and interest.

Landscape architect Christian Andrea of Architectural Land Design created an illusion of symmetry for the front elevation with an architectural circular driveway that mirrors the home’s footprint and balanced plantings framing the entrance. “Layering alternate textures and colors creates a sense of extra depth,” says Andrea, illustrating the principle with colorful bromeliads in the foreground and variegated gingers around the twin palms. A darkly colored standing seam aluminum roof provides a stark contrast to the white stucco, which is finished to resemble siding.

Because the owners “wanted the home to connect to the outdoors and embrace the water, we brought the water right up to the outdoor living area,” adds Jallad. “The lack of steps between the house and the pool further reinforced that concept.” Andrea concludes, “The heart and soul of the home is the pool area, every room looks at it and is impacted by that view.”