Jewel
On The Bay
Not unlike a fairytale where the bedraggled
princess has a fairy godmother to watch over her and is then swept off
her feet by her knight in shining armor, the historic Sullivan Home had
it’s own Prince Charming – builder Scott Bill of Scott Bill
Homes, Inc. of Sarasota. The home’s fairy godmothers and godfathers
– all members of the local American Society of Interior Designers
(ASID) – lovingly dressed the princess for the entire kingdom to
admire.
In June of 2006, Bill, asked Jeff Hart, ASID and Joyce Hart, Allied ASID,
both designers with Robb & Stucky Interiors, a simple question: “Do
you think I should buy the old Sullivan House?” The Harts, who had
worked with Bill in the past and were also the co-chairpersons of the
12th annual ASID Showhouse in Sarasota, didn’t hesitate a second
before announcing that if Bill bought the house, they would use if for
the 2007 Showhouse.
And so the fairytale began. Tearing the beautiful home down was never
an option as Bill, a passionate preservationist, envisioned modernizing
the home to meet the technological and functional demands of the 21st
century, while carefully preserving the architectural integrity, or ‘bones,’
of the historic residence.
The most amazing part of the project was the fact that from the time the
home was purchased to the date of the grand opening of the 12th Annual
Jewels on the Bay ASID Designer Showhouse, the complete renovation of
the home and installation of the Showhouse took only six months to complete.
Bill, a licensed contractor in Connecticut and Massachusetts since 1972,
who hung his shingle in Sarasota in 1995, had the proven expertise to
endeavor a restoration project of this magnitude. The project required
a builder and team of experienced subcontractors who were experienced
in all the intricacies of structural framing, plumbing, electric and detailed
finishing to accomplish the task.
The renovation, which increased the size of the home from 3,000 to 5,100
square feet under air, included the addition of a private master wing,
complete with master bedroom, bath and exercise room.
A detached three-car garage, with an upstairs guest suite, was also added.
The garage also serves to enclose and privatize the pool and surrounding,
paved courtyard, both which were added to the home during the renovation
project.
In an effort to increase the home’s curb appeal, and at the same
time increase the parking capacity, Bill added the curved brick driveway.
The original front door with its old brass hardware was restored and all
of the windows were replaced with impact-resistant windows that look surprisingly
like the original pane windows.
The existing structure and newly-constructed portions of the home were
sheathed with new siding and painted a crisp shade of white to reflect
the harsh Florida sun. The existing roof was replaced with a textured
and dimensional shingle roof, which was also used to cover the newly constructed
master wing and garage.
Inside the home, the original heart pine floors were lovingly stripped,
sanded and refinished in a rich walnut stain. Since the family room and
kitchen were drastically reconfigured and the master suite added during
the renovation, specially milled flooring was ordered to match the original
pine floors in those rooms.
Throughout the home, unique architectural elements were either added or
restored to sustain the character of the original home. French doors leading
to the front sun porch were restored, while a pair of similar doors was
added to the space dividing the family room from the artist’s retreat.
Wood beams line the family room and kitchen ceilings while traditional
“cove” moulding, rather than crown, was applied to the plaster
walls, because of its surface compatibility.
In the kitchen, marble counters, typical of an older home, were incorporated
into the design. A real butler’s pantry was reproduced, complete
with silver and linen drawers and glass-fronted cabinetry, in one corner
of the kitchen.
Central air and heat, CAT 5 wiring, new plumbing and electric and a host
of other upgrades were added, but to the passerby, the Sullivan Home still
has the look and feel of one of Sarasota’s “older” downtown
homes.
From the start, the Harts and Bill were in total agreement that it was
imperative that the décor conform to the period and that the furnishings
and interior decoration complement the historic sensibilities of the beautiful
home. As co-chairpersons of the project, which supported the Boys and
Girls Clubs of Manatee and Sarasota Counties, it was up to the Harts to
assemble a team of 25 talented designers to design 26 different spaces
in a fashion fitting the 1920’s Sullivan Home.
The Harts, both graduates of the prestigious Ringling School of Art &
Design, and both exceptionally proficient in the nuances of project management,
headed up the design end of the project and acted as the liaison between
the talented and community-minded designers of the local ASID and the
builder.
From start to finish, it was the perfect collaboration, resulting in a
collection of unique, cottage-themed vignettes, each a reflection of the
individual designer’s forte, but when strung together like a string
of pearls, they form a beautiful piece of jewelry, resulting in what is
literally and figuratively, a “jewel on the bay.”
Courtesy of Scott Bill Homes, Inc.
1907 Oleander St. , Sarasota, FL 34239
941 954-5549
www.scottbillhomessarasota.com
and
Jeff & Joyce Hart,
Chairpersons – 2007 ASID Showhouse
941 922-2274 (Robb & Stucky, Sarasota)
Written
by Marla J. Ottenstein
Photography by Mark Borosch Photography
