This holiday season, our clients – the Lawhorns – were able to ring in the new year in their newly renovated home. And a long-awaited gift it was. While this project did not originally start with our team, we were able to come on board mid-stream and ensure the renovation not only got across the finish line but that it met our clients’ vision – one they had been planning for years, in fact. 

Like many homeowners do once they become empty nesters, the Lawhorns were finally ready to pour some love back into their house and look towards expanding their home’s footprint with a small addition for a new primary bath. Easy, right?

Not so fast. 

After a number of setbacks, holdouts, and a whole lot of going nowhere with their prior team, we were brought on board to see if we could turn a stalled project into a finished reality. 

A Reworking of Plans

Upon taking up the project, we were able to review the existing plans for the project and quickly realized they needed a good deal of reworking. We also knew that we needed a full team including an engineer and a quality contractor. 

Even the smallest of projects are big projects. With lots of interior works in the plans and walls being moved, there were plenty of in-depth conversations about big ticket items like vertical beam placement and seemingly smaller ones like the ideal placement for electrical switches. 

The plan was always to tackle the kitchen as the same time as the bathroom addition, but now with DDG, it became more of a reality.

In Their Own Words

We sat down with the Lawhorns recently and talked a bit more about the project. We figured rather than hearing us talk about our experience on site, you’d be more interested to hear what they had to say. So, without further ado…

Tell us about the project?

We originally thought it was going to be a small primary bath addition onto the back of the house and it wouldn’t be that big of a deal. We started the project in the middle of covid and the project definitely got shelved in Gables permitting. After two years of being stuck and nothing happening, we called a new contractor who only worked in Coral Gables. They were a godsend. They took us on mid project and it was evident immediately we needed additional architectural help. 

We met with Stuart from Debowsky Design Group and loved him. They picked up our project without hesitation. Our plans needed a lot of work and real expertise. Working with Caroline Silva from Debowsky Design Group on the interior design was amazing. She helped us with all the details, each decision was so much more complex than I realized. 

DDG got us through a long process, and we have an amazing house now. Not really something I would have done on my own. 

What were your goals for your kitchen?

We wanted to enlarge the space, have a nicer entertaining area and accommodate a large island. We had the kitchen sketched out in an idea and it turned out it needed a lot of refining to get to where it was.

Being naive, we had to move a wall just three feet to bring our vision to life – but if you are moving it three or 13 feet, you are doing a lot of work. Moving the wall made the whole project; it opened the kitchen to make a huge entertainment area with a large statement island with beautiful granite. 

What was the turning point for you in the project?

One of the more interesting things that happened was in the beginning stages. I took some painters tape and taped off where the island was going to be and honestly, I hated it. It was too small from what I really wanted. The contractor showed up and we were staring at the tape mapped out on the floor. Stuart happened to be in the area and stopped by. I a asked what could be done because I really had my heart set on a bigger island.  In that serendipitous moment, we reviewed our options and the placement of a vertical beam earlier and we realized we were able to accommodate a large island complete with a beverage fridge, while still not detracting from the other spaces. It made everything look larger. 

Having an unscheduled meeting when everyone showed up on the fly and we talked about how we could get a larger island – it was a very good day. 

What was your favorite part of the project?

My shower. The shower is so luxurious. The natural light in that room is just amazing; I think overall that was the biggest surprise. I hadn’t thought about the sight lines and where the sunlight would come in. The large windows bring in gorgeous western light. Early morning and late afternoon, the light in the primary bath is just gorgeous. And that marble is fabulous. 

What drove you to start the project in the first place?

We did our exterior about 15 or 16 years ago. It was very disruptive, and we still had kids in the house. As our kids were out of the house, we had more time and the budget to do it. We planned it and thought about it for years and years and had a good idea about what we wanted. 

What advice do you have for those considering a kitchen or home renovation?

Start with your architect. Get a very good architect and do as much planning as you can. That said, know that it is all going to change.