A Fresh Start
Renovations Lead to New Home
Article courtesy of Today's Custom Home Magazine - Download PDF version 
Photography by Michael LoBiondo
After working with homeowner Sharon Dye on several renovation projects for her existing home, Palmer Custom Builders built her a new residence – a striking Tuscan Country Manor of 5,640 square feet. Due to current drought conditions, the extensive landscaping plan has not yet been completed.
Like any other professional, Gary Palmer of Palmer Custom Builders loves repeat business. Yet when one of his remodeling clients came back to him time and again, he knew it was time for a change. "We had done four renovation projects for her. When she came back and wanted us to do even more work in their current home, I said, 'Let's build you a new custom home instead'."
That's exactly what this experienced design/build firm - that also handles custom renovation and repairs - did, creating a striking Tuscan Country Manor on a waterfront lot in a premier Union County neighborhood. The 5,640-square-foot residence was a welcome change for homeowner Sharon Dye, since it gave her the opportunity to start from scratch and build exactly what she wanted in a home. "It was truly a custom home. We helped her design and build it," Palmer says.
This functional kitchen features Dacor appliances and plentiful cabinet and counter space.
"I found the plan I wanted (a Living Concepts floor plan) and gave it to Gary and let him go with it. He handled everything, meeting with designers so I didn't have to always be there," she says, noting that Palmer had a firm grasp of what needed to be done from a design standpoint. After having spent considerable time with Dye as they went through those previous projects, Palmer also thoroughly understood his client's goals. "She wanted a new custom home that was well-appointed, well-built and energy-efficient," Palmer explains.
To achieve that, Palmer worked with Living Concepts' designers to incorporate the elements that were important to Dye. He changed the planned single door into a welcoming double door and carried the arches reflected in the new style throughout the home's lower level. A screened-in porch overlooking the pond evolved into an enclosed piano room that's open to the main living area and kitchen and provides scenic views of the pond beyond. Subtle touches are evident everywhere, from the way the fence follows the contours of the pond to the convenient built-in spice rack cabinets on either side of the cook top in the open, professional-style kitchen equipped with Dacor appliances.
Wide case openings and arches create a dramatic feel while leaving the floor plan open and flowing.
"First and foremost, we wanted this home to be livable," Palmer explains. "There were a lot of tricks that we learned through our years of remodeling that we applied in this home." One of those is apparent in the surprisingly bright interior staircase. "This would have been a dark staircase, so we added sun tunnels, which are circular skylights that bring natural light into the space," he says. Palmer also changed the doorways in the great room to cased openings, allowing light to flood the open area that satisfied the homeowner's needs for a spacious plan.
Palmer also made subtle changes to gain extra square footage wherever possible. Dye's daughter's room, for example, is the size of a secondary master suite. He borrowed unneeded space from an adjoining attic area to give her a spacious bath, and thanks to the slope of the roof, was able to bump out the wall to create an alcove sitting area ideal for a reading nook or a desk. Palmer also transformed excess attic space into a finished study room across the hall, complete with data and phone ports.
Next to the downstairs master suite is a versatile art studio that can easily be converted into a guest room for parents. The master bath was also designed with convenience in mind, with a spacious walk-in shower and a sunken tub.
Instead of a screened-in porch initially called for on the plans, Palmer suggested a music room. It opens the space to the kitchen and creates a cheery spot where family and friends can gather.
While the well-appointed interior speaks to its owner's lifestyle, the rear exterior fulfills her vision of a Tuscan retreat, with a rough-sawn post and beamed covered porch with stone accents. "We used rough cedar beams that have weight and character to them to create a look that's completely unique," Palmer says. The residence actually boasts both lower and upper terraces, with the upper open to two bedrooms and the media center.
Helping to ease daily traffic flow in a two-story home, a dropdown laundry chute to the main-level laundry area accommodated Dye's desire to have all of the necessities on the first floor. All in all, from the rounded corners and custom trim work to small details like building bookshelves into the knee wall of the bonus room for extra storage space, this home exudes the thoughtful planning and attention to detail that are evident in all of Palmer Custom Builders' projects. It also is an example of what can be done when builder and client form a strong bond of trust.
"I have to say that building this custom home was one of our most enjoyable projects," Palmer says. The homeowner agrees that it was another wonderful experience with a firm she has grown to trust:
"Both Gary and Pam Palmer worked with me every step of the way. We all had a great time picking out all the finishing features and appliances-essentially everything for my home," Dye says. "I would do it again, anytime." Thanks to Palmer's recommendation that she opt for building new over continued renovations, however, it's not likely that she'll need to repeat the process anytime soon.
Palmer Custom Builders is currently building in South Charlotte and has building lots available in Chatelaine in Union County. The company will also build on an individual’s own lot in North or South Carolina. The firm is a member of NARI, National Association of the Remodeling Industry of Greater Charlotte, Inc., and is a past recipient of that organization’s prestigious CotY award as well as a People’s Choice Award. Palmer Custom Builders is an Accredited Business with the Better Business Bureau of Southern Piedmont. For more information, visit www.palmercustombuilders.com or call (704) 841-4106.
