Homefront

This Old (New) House

This Winter Garden home is the perfect downsize—now all it needs is a little love.

Text: Marilou Stones / PART 1 OF A 3 PART SERIES

Karen and her family have lived in Windermere for the last two decades. They have always enjoyed the West Orange Trail and love spending time in Winter Garden. The family bought a home in Winter Garden years ago as an investment and have used it for rental income up to now.

Karen recently entered a new season in her life, and the timing was perfect for her to make a move. She decided to sell their larger home in Windermere and downsize to the Winter Garden rental. She has been an empty nester for a number of years, but she would like to be done with taking care of a large home and yard.

Before making the move, the home was evaluated carefully. The two-story craftsman has a great location and an appealing oor plan, but its interior is in need of some TLC.

Her friends recommended bringing in an interior designer to help give the home a refresh with new nishes and materials. Karen enlisted my help, and now we’re working together to create a new look for her new old house.

The Design Plan

Karen’s sense of style is clean-line traditional, preferring low-maintenance materials. We will eventually redesign the entire home, but rst we’re tackling the kitchen and dining area.

The current layout of the kitchen

Our plan is to replace the dark tile flooring and cabinets. The new floor will be a wide faux wood vinyl plank, which is lighter and easier to maintain. White shaker-style cabinets, light countertops, and modern, stainless steel appliances will further brighten the space. We’ll also be adding a charcoal-colored island with an overhang to make room for casual dining.

The current layout of the bonus room behind the kitchen, which will become a dining room

For a more formal dining space, we are repurposing an adjacent bonus room as a dining room. In the current floor plan, the dining space is part of the front family room; separating the dining room out will open things up and allow the front room to be a more focused living space.

Karen is looking forward to the new improvements to her home, but also to having the close proximity to biking, the market, hometown shops, and friends are now high on her priority list.

In December, we will be well underway with the remodel. Look for next month’s Homefront to see how it’s coming along!

Marilou Stones, ASID is the owner of Stones Design. She has been a licensed interior designer for 35 years, with 8 of those years spent working in and around Winter Garden. She designs her own home in a transitional traditional style.