When a Historic District home was renovated in Fort Myers, a dream kitchen was created: open plan enough for gathering, with clearly delineated areas for cooking, reading and entertaining.

Challenge

Bill and Alison’s existing kitchen was small and dysfunctional. Each room seemed independent, and there was no flow through the house. The house felt small, with one entry and exit point.

As a planning consultant, Bill was no stranger to construction. He was a general contractor himself and had built several custom homes in years past. As a gardening enthusiast and professional educator, Alison also had an eye for design. They started with design, layout and planning on their own, but soon realized they needed help. After interviewing several contractors who seemed overwhelmed and unenthused by their project, they reached out to Progressive Design Build.

Solution

Mike was not only enthused about the project, but he established trust with Bill and Alison. Within a few short weeks he was hired to begin the planning phase, conducting thorough research on the project, meeting key subcontractors and establishing a realistic budget.

When the project began, internal walls were removed to open up the kitchen/dining areas and an island was built, giving the space an open and modern functionality. The eating area was enlarged, and a visual connection to the outside was established using Marvin insulated glass windows with Low E coatings—which rejects solar heat gain without reducing visible light passing through the glass.

In order to allow for the open concept layout that Bill and Alison desired, we built new structural beams to transfer the live load. The sliding patio doors opened onto a small terrace with a wrought iron handrail creating access to the private courtyard and garden area.

Finishing details included custom cherry cabinets and wood trimming, 16” x 32” natural stone flooring, granite countertops and historically correct plaster finishes.

Result

The project was completed within budget and two weeks ahead of schedule.

“That planning phase was the best money we spent on the project,” exclaimed Bill. “It was incredibly gratifying being able to watch the subcontractors and suppliers come and go with shared leadership and attention to details.”

Before Photos