Eclectic, But Mediterranean

European homes set along the Mediterranean are often rich in history. Their exteriors are beautifully detailed and their interiors are filled with a mixture of old and new furnishings and treasured personal collections. Many new homes in Jacksonville pay homage to the Mediterranean style – but they don’t quite capture the authenticity.

Such was the case with the circa-1990s home that John Nelson and his wife Murren Hill bought when they relocated from London to Jacksonville.

The location – it overlooks Doctors Lake in Orange Park – was spectacular but the structure was saddled with an awkward floorplan. “The inside didn’t match the front façade,” Hill says.

But the couple, who had lived through residential rehab projects before, knew that if the “bones” of a home were solid and the location desirable, it could be an excellent candidate for remodeling.

Enter Chuck Horn of Horn Builders. Nelson and Hill wanted Horn to enhance the home’s Old World elegance and patina while making it more suitable for their needs. “And I wanted it to really flow well,” Hill says.

The project added a relatively modest 500 square feet, but it was enough to allow each of the three bedrooms to have its own bathroom. Other interior changes were aesthetic. Taking cues from their travels, the couple interjected their own sensibilities, keeping existing elements they deemed worthy and adding new touches.

“I love Italy but we also really like Turkey and Israel,” Hill says. “We’ve been to over 40 countries. We traveled a lot in Europe so we collected a lot of ideas.”

Implementing those ideas meant that floors, ceilings, windows and doors were all replaced. “We didn’t scrimp anywhere, “Hill adds. “We made some practical choices in some places but it had to really blend.”

Details such as Italian stone flooring, stone columns and a stone courtyard as well as decorative ironwork contribute to the authentic Mediterranean feel the couple longed for. The front door, lintels, trusses and wall niches are pecky cypress while the fireplace is limestone. A powder room sink was fashioned from an Italian marble outdoor fountain.

“We wanted something that would feel very much like coastal Spain, Majorca or Italy’s Amalfi coast,” Hill says. “In Mediterranean style, it’s the little things that matter. The floors are all the same Italian stone – except for the bedrooms – but the pattern changes as you walk through the house.” Also dressing the floors are Persian, silk and wool rugs that the couple has collected over the years.

The kitchen, which previously had white cabinets, got a makeover with new wood cabinets, two islands, stainless steel appliances and a hammered nickel sink. Split-face travertine graces the wall behind the cook top, which is topped by a massive stone hood.

“The kitchen redo was key because John loves to cook and entertain,” says the project’s Certified Kitchen Designer, Kristi Wyndham of Kristi Wyndham Designs. “The kitchen was already large and open so we didn’t need to remove walls.”

But the space, which is the heart of the home, took on a classic Italian farmhouse look with knotty alder and knotty cherry cabinets in tones of buckskin, toffee and black.

“I wanted everything to look old,” Hill says. “All of our lighting fixtures give the feeling of being old. The cabinetry looks like furniture rather than cabinetry. We used three different types of wood and coloring. We put in niches beside the stove to hold the glass pieces we have.”

Horn says the whole-house remodeling project presented a bit of a challenge because “a lot of stuff was not level or square and we had to make decisions on what to do about that.” Of course, he adds, “in every big remodel, you have to scratch your head over something – but we did a few unique things and it was fun. It’s just not your typical home.”

A hidden room behind the kitchen functions as a control center for security cameras and computers – and everything can be controlled by one keypad. “The hidden room has all the electrical panels and security, the wireless stuff,” Hill says. “It’s big enough that we use it for storage for cookware too.”

Walls are dressed with faux painting, an elegant effect that made a great backdrop for the couple’s treasured collection of art. “I wanted it to feel genuine,” Hill says. “I didn’t want it to feel like faux painting. I wanted it to be very subdued and I wanted everything to feel old. I didn’t want it to feel like I bought everything at the same time.”

It doesn’t. The home feels new, yet old; time-worn, yet fresh. It emanates warmth with natural materials and furnishings that have been collected over time. “It feels like you’re walking into something that’s been around for a while,” Hill says.

The outdoors got a makeover as well. A courtyard was created, the pool was screened and a pergola was built around the outdoor fireplace. The boat shed, with a tiled roof, looks like an extension of the home. The pool bath has an Old World look with tumbled glass tile and a marble countertop.

The couple moved into the home last year and Hill says they couldn’t be more pleased with the results. “We had planned on building a home,” she says. “Actually, we thought we’d buy and live on the beach. John wanted deep navigable water, I wanted a pool and we both wanted a Mediterranean style.”

But after looking at several properties, they settled on the Orange Park home and hired Horn to redo it. “It’s the best builder relationship we’ve ever had and part of it was, he got our vision,” Hill says. “Now I pull in the driveway every night and I absolutely love my house.”