The designer and architect honored the Mid-century modern design by preserving the front elevation and roofline while building an addition that doubled the size of the house. (Jeffrey A. Davis Photography)
A Mid-century modern bungalow on Lakeshore Drive overlooking Lake Sue sold for $3.75 million after a renovation that was so comprehensive it was featured by the National Association of Homebuilders as The New American Remodel in this year’s International Builders’ Show.
Eric Gray, founder of Designer Trade Services, had purchased the home in 2006 for just over $800,000. At the time, it was a two-bedroom, two-bath bungalow with a den and large great room with soaring windows facing the lake. He teamed up with architect Phil Kean for the renovation of the original 1963 structure and expansion that nearly doubled the home’s square footage of total living space to 6,993 and added a three-car garage.
The design team preserved the original great room, but added energy-efficient windows and doors, spray foam insulation and modern technology upgrades. (Jeffrey A. Davis Photography)
The remodeled home now features four bedrooms, three and one-half bathrooms, an exercise room in the main house and a detached, 1,000-square-foot guest house with its own kitchenette and living space. Despite the size increase, the renovated home boasts net-zero energy status. The team documented the renovation for the NAHB in a series of videos.
“My vision for the 2022 remodel was to really capture the essence of this mid-century modern home, without taking away from its original beauty and charm,” Kean said. “The original home had so many fantastic features we could work with and incorporate into the new design—creating that seamless transition.”
Kean said they kept the original great room and stone fireplace, as well as the front porch and one of the bedrooms and bathrooms. They kept the roofline but added enough solar panels to reach National Green Building Standard Emerald Status. The homes feature spray-foam insulation, all new windows and doors, automated LED lighting and a full array of energy-efficient appliances.
The kitchen was expanded and modernized to create an entertaining space. An outdoor kitchen and pool were also added. (Jeffrey A. Davis Photography)
“All the bells and whistles,” Gray said. “I’m trying to give it a zero-footprint.”
Kean said a focus of the project was to expand the entertaining space. “Designing in 2021, you think about things differently,” he said. “So in this case, part of the design here was about entertaining. So a pool’s being added.”
The new built-in salt pool and spa is lighted, heated and controlled by the latest Pentair energy star technology. All bathrooms and kitchens feature Kohler smart technology plumbing fixtures, Welborn Cabinetry and Kohler Lighting and cabinetry. The main house kitchen features all Thermador brand appliances, including a freezer, refrigerator, six-burner cooktop with griddle and custom hood, double oven, coffee machine and two full-size dishwashers.
Across the family room, there is a stand-alone wine cellar capable of holding 275 bottles and a bar with its own automatic ice machine, Thermador beverage cooler and a Bosch dishwasher.
The house was open for tours during the IBS in February, and Justin Dalrymple with Mainframe Real Estate listed it in March at just under $4 million. The sale closed in late May.
Rick Martin with Coldwell Banker Realty represented the buyers, high-level Disney executives based in California. They are Michael Hundgen, a creative executive with Walt Disney Imagineering, and his spouse, Hollywood writer/producer John Kazlauskas. Kelly Novitski, a producer at Walt Disney Imagineering, is also one of the new owners.
Have a tip about Central Florida development? Contact me at lkinsler@GrowthSpotter.com or (407) 420-6261, or tweet me at @byLauraKinsler. Follow GrowthSpotter on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.