Tera Williams
The complete reconstruction on “This Old House” that started in January is now FINISHED! I guess you can say Christmas came a little early for us this year! We couldn’t be more excited to share the finished pictures with you! 164 Laurel Lane has been a labor of love from the beginning and it is now what Bill and Elaine Caldwell’s call their “dream home”. It has three big bedrooms, five bathroom and boasts more than 4200 square feet of living space. This home has been on the block in this part of The Plantation in Ponte Vedra for 26 years and the Caldwell’s truly took it from studs to stunning!
Since January, Rich and Nancy Morrison of Benchmark Homes have been the brains behind this project. In the last issue you saw the finishing touches were being put on the remodel with the floors finally being installed. There were six different floor coverings all in different rooms to having the continuity of one beautiful stone floor throughout is just beautiful and ties everything in together.
The kitchen was also the final piece of the puzzle and took the longest since this is where the Caldwell’s will spend most of their time. It’s an open floor plan that flows perfectly into their cozy TV/living room. Elaine wanted to have flow and an open floor plan where she can cook and entertain easily for one or one-hundred.
Elaine’s specialty is the decor. She has traveled all over the world and really wanted to bring in different pieces from her travels. You can see that love throughout the house as each room, each sitting area, each bedroom has its own “theme”. She has carefully taken the time to think out every inch of space all the way down to the door knobs. She saw some in a magazine she just HAD to have and now they are on every door in the house. It’s the little touches like that you definitely can’t miss in this luxury love nest. Elaine wanted every room to be a special place she and Bill can spend quality time together.
One of the most prominent features of the home are the expansive views into the backyard and across the lake from all of the rooms in the house. New doors, floors and now windows were installed across the back to bring the outside in, specifically from the kitchen area. Elaine and Bill want to be able to walk from the kitchen to the outside... into a spacious and inviting space to enjoy summer afternoons or cool winter evenings. Outdoor lighting has been added to create a dramatic after dark look.
The massive entrance way gives and new meaning to a “grand entrance” with custom wood, custom doors, custom door knobs. It’s all in the details for Elaine who loves recycling old furniture and turning it into new. The chandelier inside was given a new lease on life by one of Elaine’s favorite local artists, David Walker. Elaine and Bill’s new home definitely has that WOW factor from the moment you walk up to the front door.
The master bathroom and bedroom is now fit for a King... and was designed by a Queen, of course. It is simple yet elegant and organized - exactly what Elaine envisioned.
Elaine Caldwell owns and runs Luxury For Less in Ponte Vedra. The part consignment, part new furniture store recently opened in a more prominent location on A1A in Ponte Vedra. Elaine spends much of her time refurbishing, re-designing and re-decorating homes all around the area. She’s known for her simple yet chic style as well as her impeccable taste for finding finer furnishings - for less. Elaine hand-picked pieces consigned in her store and ordered new, modern beach chic decor from some of her favorite vendors to complete her dream home. She shares monthly updates with her fans on Facebook and on her blog.
Oh wait! One more thing we almost forgot to mention. The jewel of the house, literally. No home could be complete without the perfect pet. Jules Caldwell II just recently joined the family and is loving his new home!
Thank you for following along on the journey of THIS OLD HOUSE with us! Elaine needs a new project to work on now... Who’s next!?
