When interior designer Ashley Martin first purchased her family home in Winter Park, FL, she knew it needed a major renovation. Though the house was relatively new (built in 2003), it had been vacant for 2 years and was quite dated. She embarked on her most personal project yet, transforming every inch of the 4000 square-foot space over the course of 3+ months. Design-wise, her goal was to create a cohesive feel throughout the home by balancing modern and traditional elements using a transitional aesthetic. In a recent interview, Ashley told us more about the project and what she loves most about her home:
As you created the initial design plan, what was your vision for the space?
My main goal was to lighten and brighten the space while also updating everything. There was not one area of the home that didn’t undergo some type of transformation. The house has a super traditional aesthetic from the outside, so my goal was to carry that style throughout the house in a more updated way, making the interior of the home more of a transitional style.
The kitchen had the biggest transformation. Could you tell us more about the design of that space and what you love about it?
The kitchen was the largest undertaking in terms of renovation. We wanted to give the home a more open layout, so we decided to take down the wall separating the kitchen and family room. This turned out to be quite the challenge as we soon discovered the wall was load-bearing. However, with all said and done, I could not be happier with the way things turned out! The kitchen maintains the transitional style of the home with a mixture of traditional and modern elements. Some of my favorite features are the dark green cabinets paired with the wood tone island, the slide in stainless steel range, and the matte black faucet, fixtures, and hardware.
Discovering that the wall was load-bearing must have been a major hurdle! How did you overcome that?
Initially, due to some miscommunication between myself and the architect, we thought the wall was not load-bearing and would be relatively simple to remove. However, upon discovering that the wall was in fact load-bearing, things became much more complicated. In order to mitigate this issue, we had to get several permits and undertake a much more complex construction process to stabilize the home once the wall was removed.
When it comes to the rest of the home, specifically furnishings, what direction did you take? Are there any elements you feel were especially transformative?
The rest of the home follows a transitional style while maintaining a more neutral color palette featuring muted blue and deep green accent colors. I chose to use woven elements and wood tones throughout the home to add warmth and dimension. Some of the most transformative areas of the home include the kitchen, master bathroom, family room and laundry room, all of which are practically unrecognizable as the same original spaces.
Some of my favorite furnishings in the home are the Palecek barstools at the island, Four Hands chairs at the kitchen nook, and Rowe sofa in the family room.
What do you love most about your finished home?
My favorite spot in the finished home is the kitchen nook! We took an empty, previously unusable space in the home and created a cozy dining nook, which has served as the perfect place to gather and spend time together as a family.
