Elaine and David Levine's Gardens of River Oaks home was originally built by its previous owners for entertaining. Now 15 years later, after four months of planning, several adjustments and six months of construction, their recent renovation has unlocked the home's hidden potential and beckons family and friends to move throughout.
"This house has a great floor plan and always had plenty of rooms, just not the right kind,"said Elaine of the home the couple purchased when moving from Chicago with three young children. "Then we made minor adjustments, quick fixes. This time we finally decided to bite the bullet."
Until recently, the couple traveled frequently to their vacation homes. "Now that we have two grandchildren and one on the way, we don't want to be away as often,"explained Elaine.
With the help of their neighbor and builder Scott Pearce of Servco, they transformed the once 'nice' home into a WOW home.
"We love living in "the Gardens"and knew we weren't going anywhere soon,"said Elaine, who planned, shopped and made all of the decisions. Her impeccable touch and the quality of craftsmanship are apparent from the moment guests walk up to the new window-paneled double doors that bring sunshine to a once dark and unassuming hallway.
The major renovations included resurfacing the exterior with stone, a new formal and informal entrance, gutting the powder room, converting an upstairs guest room, a complete remodel of the existing kitchen and adjacent unused areas and some landscaping.
"Every room is affected by a renovation,"explained Elaine, who had gone through several major renovations and additions in Chicago. "We moved the refrigerator and microwave into the entry and furniture into the dining room where they walled it in to reduce dust. Even though things were wrapped in plastic, when we unwrapped them they were still dusty!"
The couple lived in their home throughout the construction process, sometimes walking planks to go from one area of the house to another. "So many things can go wrong,"said Elaine. "I think it is important to be there so that unexpected changes can be taken care of without delaying the project. For example, we had to eliminate a set of cabinets to keep the originally planned window sink overlooking the front yard. Because of exterior wall conditions, I had to make a quick decision about where to place plumbing."
Elaine searched the Internet to find items she liked and turned to Scott who knew where she could find them locally. She often found that online costs could be more expensive. "And if something was broken, would you want to have to ship it back?"she wondered. In the end she only ordered online a mirror for the upstairs guest bathroom at a considerable savings.
"Elaine had a clear picture in her mind of what she liked and I introduced her to the businesses that I felt would best serve her needs,"said Scott who likes working one-on-one with each of his clients. He enjoys learning about his clients' tastes and takes them to the vendors that he can trust to provide quality products and service. "We spent a lot of time in the car,"he said.
They searched for lighting, appliances, fixtures, tiles and accessory vendors to find the unique style Elaine was looking for.
"I didn't want anyone to walk into my home and think they had seen it somewhere else,"she said. The combination of stone and tile came from four different vendors. She looked in out-of-the way places and found some wonderfully unique pieces including her entry chandelier. The kitchen lighting and appliances were purchased at Ferguson's in Cordova.
The kitchen was gutted. They tore the foundation down to the ground to add an engineered steel beam, removed a wall, raised the ceiling, rerouted plumbing and electrical and added windows - where before there were none! Now, her warm and inviting kitchen is filled with the most modern conveniences and plenty of sunshine.
"I love my kitchen,"exclaims Elaine.
From the Miele coffee system to her Wolf oven with 12 racks for baking cookies, to her built in refrigerator and freezer and long granite isle with enough stools for the entire family, Elaine believes her kitchen will stand the test of time. "We blended modern and traditional elements that are ergonomic and functional,"explained Elaine. "We tried not to date the look, using the best of both worlds - not trendy but unique."
At a recent open house, guests mingled from the kitchen to the new wine room, through the new courtyard to the expansive outdoor areas. Caterers used the new butler's pantry that was once Elaine's office. The convenient room makes serving quite easy but keeps preparation away from the main kitchen.
David and Elaine integrated pieces from their Utah home and finally uncrated family heirlooms that had been out of place in their modern Chicago home. Several pieces of handmade furniture and artwork are scattered throughout. "We enjoy bringing home artwork and furniture that reflect the places we visit,"remarked Elaine.
The look is eclectic, unique and relaxing. "It is a great place to entertain,"said Elaine. "Everyone can be where they want to be and do what they want to do. The rooms just flow and it seems so much larger now. But it is really the same - just a better use of the space."
