Left: Long views capture live oaks. Below left:
Porcelain tile in the kitchen mimics weathered
wood. Below bottom: The garage's ramped
breezeway and bonus suite are future-proof.
do it again, if something isn't right.
They do a good job for a good price.
They really treat their subcontractors
well, and I think that's part of why
they can be so fast."
Already baked into the floor plan
was the idea of an accessible dwelling,
where the couple could age in place.
They were also on a tight budget,
which influenced the size of the house
and the choice of materials at Jane
and Michael's disposal. But some
amenities were non-negotiable. "They
wanted open, easy living," says Jane.
"And they wanted separate bath-
rooms." One of those bathrooms had
to have a no-threshold shower.
There's room for guests upstairs
in the main house and, across the
breezeway, in a suite over the garage.
Currently, one of the clients uses the
suite as a home office, but it could
accommodate a caretaker someday.
Access from the garage (which has
two stalls for cars and room for the
ubiquitous resort golf cart) is covered
and ramped.
The main house is rotated a few
degrees on its pie-shaped lot to catch
prevailing breezes, and to steer prin-
cipal rooms toward the long marsh
views and the water beyond. Live oaks
on the property were pruned and fed.
Budget and climate dictated the
exterior materials. "We used Har-
diePlank siding and trim, 5V metal
roofing, and stained yellow pine,"
says Michael. "A lot of decisions were
driven by budget. But often when you
have those restraints, the house is
better for it."
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