When Libby Drew Carver first saw her future home in a historic Pensacola, Fla., neighborhood, it was the worst house on the best block. It was also down to the studs thanks to flippers who had stopped mid-renovation. There was no sheetrock, and there were holes in the floor.
The enormity of the project would have alienated most potential buyers, but for an experienced designer, the blank slate was a bonus.
“There was a sort of kitchen design, but I was not in agreement with whatever had been planned,” said Carver, lead designer at Pensacola-based In Detail Interiors. “I didn’t have to rip out anything, and I was able to customize every aspect of the house.”
Without making structural changes, Carver, aided by her father and now-husband, took on some of the work herself, renovating the kitchen, two bathrooms and three bedrooms. About eight months after buying the home, she moved in.
Personal Taste in the Kitchen
The cottage-style house had only a small living room that opened to the kitchen and no space for a dining table. Carver chose to forgo the long island that had been planned in the kitchen in favor of a square island where seating allows diners to face each other.
Another constraint she faced was her budget, and she worked to keep material and installation costs low when possible. While the island features a pricey marble, the perimeter countertops are a leathered black granite that looks like soapstone but was less expensive. Carver laid the zellige-look backsplash tile herself.
Knowing she wanted a dramatic range, she prioritized that and waited for sales to purchase other appliances. Above the range, a plaster hood was transformed by a faux finisher In Detail Interiors works with often.
Carver’s industry knowledge helped her complete the project, and because it was her own home, she enjoyed the freedom to design a space that was atypical of the white and blue kitchens indicative of the coastal area.
“We don’t always get to do a moody look,” she said. “The darker cabinets with darker countertops and a bold marble – those materials were something I wanted to try.”
Meant to Be
In the guest bathroom, Carver again achieved a detailed, intentional look by leveraging her design expertise to enhance cost-effective product and material selections. To begin, she purchased the vanity at The Home Depot, but she changed the pulls, topped it with a basic Carrara marble countertop and had the fabricator add a shaped backsplash with scallops on the sides.
“It was not much more expensive, but the impact is significant,” said the designer.
The shower features the same zellige-look tile used in the kitchen in another color, offering a handmade feel with an interesting glaze. The floor tile is one that had come up as an option on multiple projects but was never selected by a client, and Carver was excited to use it in her own home. In fact, the style is such a perfect fit that she was asked whether it was original to the house more than once.
Her Own Client
Completing a renovation of her own home gave Carver a new appreciation for what clients go through when they face decision overload.
“As a designer, you see so many things, and you get excited about so many things,” she said. “It’s hard to narrow it down. It’s hard to commit when there are so many ways you can go.”
But her knowledge allowed her to balance her budget while executing a project that looks purposeful, not inexpensive. She has since sold the house – she took the range with her – and was pleased that it sold fast despite, or perhaps because of, its dramatic kitchen.
Sources
Designer: Libby Drew Carver, Lead Designer, In Detail Interiors Photographer: Steven Gray KITCHEN Backsplash: TileBar Bar Stools: Four Hands Countertops: Black Mist Antiqued & Calacatta Vagli Cabinet Paint: Benjamin Moore Cabinet Hardware & Pot Rail: Pepe & Carols Cabinets: Paulk Woodworking Dishwasher: Whirlpool Faucets: Rohl Flooring: original red oak Hood: Paulk Woodworking with Big Finish Plaster Application Lighting: Regina Andrew Range: Hallman Roman Shade: Fabricut Refrigerator: LG Sink: Lowes Ventilation: Kobe BATHROOM Countertop: Carrara Marble Faucets: Delta & Kingston Brass Flooring: Bedrosians Lighting: Hudson Valley Lighting Mirror: Gabby Home Paint: Benjamin Moore Shower Tile: TileBar Showerhead: Delta Sink: Kraus Vanity: The Home Depot
