From Mundane to Marvelous

Although its Ponte Vedra Beach location was fabulous, the home itself could hardly have been less remarkable. It was a 2,000-square-foot, stucco-coated, circa-1980s yawner on which the elevation was domi-nated by the garage. The owners asked Jeff Brecko of Aurora Custom Homes to make the structure larger, more functional and more aesthetically pleasing.

“This started out as a more modest project,” says Brecko. “But it grew and grew. We ended up really transforming the home.”

And it’s a good thing it grew. During construction, the family grew by two when the wife gave birth to twins. The couple already had a daughter.

There were plenty of challenges, Brecko says. First, the garage was so dominant that there seemed no way to improve the home’s curb appeal without moving it altogether. Second, the ground floor was limited by claustrophobic eight-foot ceilings.

Ultimately the home was demolished down to the concrete slab and the garage foundation was entirely removed. Then the footprint was enlarged slightly with a repositioned three-car garage. Finally, an entirely new two-story frame was constructed.

Despite the fact that the remodeled home bears virtually no resemblance to the original home, Brecko’s ability to construct it over the existing foundation allowed the property tax basis to remain intact.

The born-again beauty is 3,724 square feet of air-conditioned space with a 774-square-foot garage. There’s a 997-square-foot bonus space above the garage that won’t be fully built out right away. Aside from the foundation and a few existing under-slab plumbing lines, the owners enjoy an entirely new home incorporating the latest materials and technologies for longevity, structural stability and energy efficiency.

“They were building for the future,” says Brecko. “We even provided plans showing different ways the bonus space can be finished.”

Jacksonville architect Dennis Williams’ design might be described as coastal traditional. Particularly noteworthy is the beautiful cedar shake siding, decorative brackets, classic shutters, a pergola motif and metal roof accents. 

“This home will stand the test of time,” Brecko says. “Some homes look dated after a number of years. This one won’t.”

Key trade partners included Florida Custom Marble, Traditions in Tile, Ferguson Enterprises, First Coast Supply, Setzer’s, Tri-County Electric and Architectural Glass of North Florida.

Brecko says such total transformations have become more commonplace as homes have become more difficult to sell.

“It’s not about remodeling to make a quick profit any more,” he notes. “Those days are probably over. People are opting to invest money in their own homes with the intention of staying put for a while.”