We enjoyed last year’s Southern Ideal Home Show in Charlotte and looking forward to the next one on August 26-28th. It’s great to meet so many new friends and to greet past clients. We appreciate everyone who stops by to say hello!

I was telling Doug that this brings back memories of the day we met Tammy and Bill Baylog at this same show a few years back. They were looking to expand their three-bedroom home because they knew that when Tammy had their third child (who was on the way), they would need to convert their two girls’ playroom back into a bedroom and then add a new space for the children to play. They also figured that as long as they were hiring a remodeling contractor, it would be a great time to add a pool and a pool house. They stopped by our booth, and we hit it off right away.

Before long, we were visiting the Baylog home and reviewing their pre-drawn architectural plans. Mostly, we listened to them and answered their questions. We used our structured process to determine what they wanted and why.  Our goal was to uncover  the underlying needs for the project, the desired features the family wanted and any constraints restricting the project. We believe everyone needs to fully understand these elements before potential design solutions can be developed and reviewed. This would be the case whether we at Lighthouse Construction designed their plans or they worked with an outside architect, as was the case with the Baylogs.

Our initial estimates were a little above the family’s budget, so we worked with Bill and Tammy to value-engineer non-critical aspects of the design. We were able to say, “If we alter this or change that slightly, we can bring costs down while still achieving what you want.” Most of what we suggested were minor changes in finishes, differences in columns, flooring materials and cabinet configurations. Those changes enabled the family to get everything they envisioned without detracting from the design intent, beginning with a nautical-themed playroom that is every child’s dream. There is an entire wall of built-in cabinets for toys and two large triple windows. Underneath those are window seats made from eight hinged bins that double as a place to stash toys. There’s also a wall that is half chalkboard and half bulletin board. Tammy says the girls enjoy having a space they can make their own.

Now the children have plenty of room to play and stash their toys.

Tammy and Bill also wanted to make their guests feel at home with a new pool and adjoining pool/guest house. At first we thought their lot would be quite a challenge. The yard slopes so much that the first floor of the existing house would be on the same level as the second floor of the pool house, so we built a covered porte cochere (bridge) from the playroom to the second floor of the pool house. That second floor houses a guest suite, while the main level has a living area with a sleeper sofa to accommodate additional guests, as well as a kitchenette. On the pool itself, our team worked closely with the pool contractor, coordinating schedules throughout the building process. Our ability to manage the flow of construction was essential to the family. There were a few subcontractors with whom the Baylogs had a personal relationship, so we were flexible about working with them. We also used utmost care to be considerate of Tammy, both during the last part of her pregnancy and after the birth of her newborn, by keeping construction debris to a minimum and disrupting the family as little as possible.

A two-story guest house connects to the main house via a bridge and overlooks the new pool.

A handy kitchenette in the guest/pool house leads to the pool area.

Guests can relax in this second story pool/guest house bedroom.

An important goal of the project was to make the new addition look as if it had always been part of the house. Today,  the entire cedar shake and stone residence and its ancillary building look like they have always shared the site. We are glad when we can help clients reach their goals and improve their quality of life with a home makeover. It’s the best part of what we do!