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Spring 2022
LIVING MODERNISM REMODEL TRANSFORMS HOME INTO MODERN COMFORTABLE LIVING WITH RESALE VALUE 140
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Modern and comfortable — two words that are often at odds inside homes. But, a near-complete remodel of a traditional home inside the Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club east of Sarasota, Florida cohesively binds the two concepts into one harmonious vision. Cabex Construction, which oversaw the entire project from design to completion, literally changed the entire design of the house to turn it into a modern, upscale, and desired house. “We removed quite a few walls in the home to open it up,” recounts Joe Menna, Owner and CEO of Cabex Construction. “There was one wall that didn’t have a door at all. We completely opened up the block to add in a bifold door leading out to the lanai to allow for more natural light.”
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Family Room: Naturally aged white oak wood flooring — with black contemporary 7-inch baseboards and 4-inch casings to match — replaces ceramic tile throughout the main floor to ground the home’s modern feel. Tearing down the wall between the kitchen and family room creates an open, inviting concept consistent with contemporary homes. Throw blankets and pillows provide pops of color, offsetting the otherwise neutral tone. The blue hues are a consistent color both inside and outside the home.
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Opening up the space from the inside out brings continuity to the home. “The purpose of opening up the two living areas was to create one large living space,” details Jeremey Strong, Senior Designer at Cabex Construction. “Bringing that exterior inside creates an overall larger floor plan and a better space for entertaining.” Strong also uses textures to combat the stereotypical sterile modern feel, calling it “living modernism.” He expands, “Modern can be cold and sterile, so we liven it up with movements, and wood and stone textures. It all really adds a huge element into the spaces.” u
Family Room & Outside Patio (Right): Wasted space transforms into practical functionality. What used to be an exterior wall separating the family room from the outside patio is now a bifold door that “brings the outside in, which is great for entertaining,” describes Menna. Removing screens from the original lanai allows for an open concept feel in the back area to coincide with the same vibe inside the house. The home now flows from the kitchen directly into the back living space without obstruction.
Front Elevation: Like much of the inside, a neutral color on the exterior provides a timeless look. A few trees are the only additions to the landscaping on the front exterior. The discriminating use of landscaping on the outside is in line with the modern, sleek feel inside the home.
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Living Room: Venetian plaster upgrades the look of the original fireplace. New bookshelves flanking the fireplace, in addition to a new mantle and recess area for a flatscreen television, work to turn this space into a functional television room. Bifold doors that match the surrounding aesthetic create a seamless flow from the living room to the outside lanai. “The furniture and rugs were chosen to create a cozy, contemporary feel,” recounts Menna.
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Kitchen: The Galley 4-foot Workstation accompanied by the Grohe K7 Semi-Pro Faucet and the Water, Inc. Hot/Cold Filter Faucet — all from The Plumbing Place — anchor the multi-level quartz center island. Elmwood contemporary high-gloss cabinetry from Cabinets Extraordinaire amp up the luxury and feature a hidden gem — motorized Servo Drive Hinges. “With the Servos, you touch the cabinets and they open on their own,” explains Menna. “They’re very high end.” The under-cabinet and toe-kick lighting adds an inviting touch to this luxurious space.
Dining Room: A newly built recess makes way for custom channel cabinetry from Cabinets Extraordinaire. “There’s a space on the top of the drawer so your hand can go in and open the drawer,” describes Menna. “It is a modern design that allows the ability to not use hardware, for a sleek contemporary look.” The quartz countertop has a laminate 6-centimeter edge “to make it feel a lot heavier, more substantial,” explains Strong. The stacked-stone backdrop is accompanied by chrome wine bottle hardware.
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Master Bedroom: Hand-crafted Vahallan designer wall coverings adorn one wall in the master bedroom. “It’s very popular today to do wall coverings on one accent wall which gives a little pop to the room,” describes Strong. “When you add a nice tone of color for paint, it really brings out the wall and the complementary furniture.” Recessed lighting in the ceiling and a seating area overlooking the golf course give the room that comfortable feeling to balance out the contemporary elements.
Master Bathroom Vanity & Tub: Modest yet functional describes the master bathroom. The use of Electric Mirror Silhouette lighted mirrors provide a shadow effect on the split-face stone on the wall, while the three pendant lights bring optimal light to the face. Grohe Allure Lavatory Faucets adorn the top of the floating vanity, while inside the drawers are power banks to hide everyday items. The Victoria & Albert Vetralla Freestanding Tub with the Brizo Siderna Freestanding Tub Filler faucet complete the polished look.
Small touches throughout the house work to deliberately counteract the typical modern aesthetic, creating a cozier atmosphere. A painted accent wall in the master bedroom, the use of blue pillows and blankets, and the hand-picked art are all deliberate choices to create an inviting and luxurious space to live and entertain. “You’re not in a space where you feel like you can’t sit down. We wanted a relaxed, inviting, entertaining feel,” conveys Strong. u
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Master Bathroom Shower: Floor-to-ceiling tile highlights the dual shower, while a linear shower drain backlit with waterproof LED lighting covered by glass stone catches the light on the bottom. The Grohe F-Digital Electronic Shower System with Kartners London Collection 24” back-to-back pulls on the door — both from The Plumbing Place — provide luxury meant for resale value. The layout of the bathroom shifted from its original plan, creating the need to frost the window inside the shower.
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While transition from traditional to modern was the main goal, the overarching theme was to become timeless. “We didn’t want to timestamp this home,” explains Strong. “We wanted to use colors that were in, like grays, but we toned them down with a lot of taupe and brown-like grays to give it a more subtle feel.” Menna expands on this by saying that “for a lot of this project, resale value was a main element.” n
Guest Bedroom (Below): Simplicity reigns in the second guest room. The neutral colors of the bed frame and two side tables are a deliberate choice to create a timeless feel and high resale value. The table pulls, mirror, and ceiling fan are contemporary in nature, whereas the option of carpet serves to create that comfortable feeling for guests and works to offset those modern furnishings.
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Guest Bedroom: Similar to the master bedroom, this guest space features Vahallan designer wall coverings to accentuate one wall, while the rest of the walls don a neutral hue. The silver ceiling fan and glass side tables round out the room’s contemporary look. Blue hues in the bed linens and art provide a spirited contrast to the achromatic walls and furniture and are consistent with the overall color scheme throughout the home. Guest Bathroom This jack-and-jill bathroom serves both the guest room and the main house. Along with floating channel cabinets, this bathroom also features a Graff Sento Widespread Lavatory Faucet and an Electric Mirror Silhouette Lighted Mirror, both from The Plumbing Place. A zero-transition shower with a frameless glass enclosure and chrome hardware replaces an old tub, and a TOTO Carlyle 1-Piece Skirted toilet from The Plumbing Place upgrades the room to a modern level. homeanddesign.net
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Written by Amy Sward Photography by Cabex Construction Remodeling Contractor: Cabex Construction 5682 Fruitville Road Sarasota, FL 34232 941.780.7800 www.cabexconstruction.com Resources: Cabinets Extraordinaire 5686 Fruitville Road Sarasota, FL 34232 941.342.3443 www.cabinetsextra.com The Plumbing Place 5678 Fruitville Road Sarasota, FL 34232 941.378.5678 www.theplumbingplace.com
Outdoor Living: An infinity screen surrounds the plumbed-in firepit seating area. “There is only one support in the middle of the screening in the back,” explains Menna. “This is called a clear view pool cage. It allows a full unobstructed view using larger than typical spans of uninterrupted screen panels. This requires a heavy aluminum support to hold the larger panel. Blue accents in the form of throw pillows work cohesively to tie the inside of the home with the outdoors.
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Pool: “The entire pool is brand new; it used to be just grass,” recounts Menna. Shellstone pavers surround the pool and jacuzzi, and they deliberately correspond to the split-face coral stone inside the house. “It keeps the flow and ties the whole house together.” The water next to the jacuzzi is only three inches deep creating a sunbathing deck. Screens overhead are held up by bronze metal beams that encompass the entire backyard living area, creating a cohesive feel throughout.
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