Planned, Patient Perfection

From 'shoebox of a house' to dream home

Story by Julia Moore

Exterior photos by Kevin G. Smith Photography; interior photos by Latonia Gaston

More than 20 years ago, Tom and Teresa Newins purchased their family home. “We loved the bones of the house. It was a little square shoebox of a house,” says Teresa with a smile. To keep from outgrowing their “shoebox,” the couple transformed it into their dream home – one project at a time.

A place for everything

One of the Newins’ favorite aspects of their home is their meticulously planned kitchen. “I literally wrote down everything that goes into a kitchen down to the aluminum foil and said, ‘I want a place for everything!’ ” recalls Teresa. The couple’s custom-designed cabinets at counter-level have space for each small appliance and an outlet for convenience. Other cabinets store their dry goods, coffee cache, and collection of hand-thrown mugs, bowls and jars. Its spaciousness makes for the perfect holiday family gathering place.

After many nights of washing dishes down the hall during renovations, their large concrete sink was a true luxury. The comfort of their new sink was short-lived, however, when it split in half on, of all days, Christmas Eve. Luckily, the craftsman righted the wrong as soon as possible, replacing it free of charge. The sink is now, once again, a beautiful focal point: Its dark copper tiling complements the warm brown marbling and creamy quartz of the countertops.

Unexpected turbulance (and company)

Following their large kitchen remodel, where they flipped the kitchen and dining room to create a larger space for cooking, the Newins had a realization. Their entertaining space was much too small. To get guests out of their beautifully designed kitchen, Teresa and Tom took on the task of expanding their living room and building a spacious deck.

During previous remodels, the Newins had been cut off from their kitchen and kicked out of their master bedroom. Their new living room expansion would take their experience to a whole new level. “We had to destroy a couple things and put them back together,” says Anne Severin, architect with Blue Sky Studios.
During the downstairs expansion, Gene Janigo, of Janigo Custom Homes, found one of the walls was not structurally sound. The entire wall, which included detailed crown molding from a former remodel (a feature Teresa loved), had to be torn down to install new safety features. Gene managed to recreate the entire wall upstairs, intricate crown molding and all. Teresa may have been anxious about removing the wall, but Gene says she handled the remodel like a champ. “I do a lot of these projects for people. Any time a client lives in the house through a remodel, it’s a challenging thing mentally. You walk into a gutted house.”

The Newins’ home even sat without a roof for about a week. Teresa, showing her good-spirited nature, laughs as she recalls some surprise company while walking to her morning shower – the crew was already up and working on the roof above her room. She waved good morning in her bathrobe before starting her day.
Living the good life – outdoors

Anne worked with Tom and Teresa to create a functional gathering space outside. Windows were added to the front of the house, and glass doors now open onto the new deck with built-in seating around the artfully designed fire pit. The new, mobile kitchen island is wheeled into the outdoor living space during parties to bridge the gap between deck and kitchen. For added guest comfort, music plays over the interconnected sound system and ambient outdoor lighting eases the flow and transition from indoors to out. Anne comments aptly on the house: “It has become very inviting – not just a house off the street like it was before.”

From the home’s exterior, with its refreshing contrast of yellow cedar and jet-black stone, to the interiors filled with rich deep colors, comfy leather furniture and cheerful artistic accents, the Newins' house exudes a warm welcome. “I’ve had a lot of people tell me that they feel comfortable here,” says Teresa.

An in-home ocean escape

One comfort of the home reserved solely for Tom and Teresa is their master bed and bath. A calming blue on the walls sets the stage, and a glass fireplace divides the two rooms, warming them both. Perched above the fireplace is a large piece of driftwood the couple found while on a boating trip. They spent three hours rolling it across an island in Prince William Sound – Teresa wincing as Tom tried to limit the pieces flying off – and it spent a year drying before the couple could add it to the room. On other boating adventures, Tom and Teresa collected sea glass and shells that would later be incorporated into their master bath mirrors.

Other seaside features were built into the bathroom, including "waves" of tile moving along the concrete on the tub's side, and a floating vanity mimicing a tide pool. Teresa was patient with Ben May, the contractor for their upstairs master suite remodel, and they’re both delighted with the integrity and appearance of the room.

Cohesive conclusion

Even though this whole-house project took more than 20 years and many hands to complete, it still has a sense of cohesion from Teresa’s designs. What many of the contractors commented on was her vision for it all. Says Gene, “She had her mind made up about what she wanted – she knew what she was looking for.”
The final completion of the project was a satisfying victory for Teresa.

“All the projects over the years cohesively came together to create an inviting and comfortable space that I look forward to coming home to each and every night!”

VISIT OUR PARTNER SITES: