Pre-Planning
"We wanted a fairly traditional, Charleston-style home with a few extra details," says homeowner Sally O'Rourke. "My husband and I had taken pictures of several houses we admired and had made some preliminary decisions regarding our home's layout and flow."
But beyond not wanting their bedroom to be contiguous to the other bedrooms in the house, few other design decisions had been made prior to their approaching Group 3. The O'Rourkes' room-placement requests were easily incorporated into the architectural planning, but other requirements proved far more challenging to articulate. Principle among these was the O'Rourkes' desire that their new home not pale beside its neighbors'. According to Group 3 architect/principal Rick Clanton, "Sally and her husband Joe were concerned that their house would not have the presence to compete with others in this exclusive community."
After several meetings to discuss the project's requirements, Clanton and his partner, architect and interior designer Mike Ruegamer, began work in earnest on the project. The first order of business was to create a design that satisfied the O'Rourkes' functional needs as well as their aesthetic desires. Doing so would require an ambitious approach to both the architectural and interior design of the home.
Planning & Design
"We decided on a classical, traditional design approach," says Clanton. "The symmetrical appearance of the front gives the house a strong presence that holds its own when compared to neighboring homes, despite the fact that many are significantly larger. Ironically, the home's final plan is neither traditional nor symmetrical but has the appearance of being both."
While Clanton concentrated on the home's architectural design, Ruegamer worked closely with the O'Rourkes to incorporate their existing furniture into the home's interior design. "We coordinated many of their pieces with architectural finishes and new fabrics," he says. "The informal areas open off the formal area, so colors and finishes were designed to complement one another while still making a distinction."
After a few meetings to gather some additional information, "Rick hit a home run on the first design," O'Rourke says. "It was so impressive and captured our ideas so well that there were only minor refinements of details from that point forward."
The deck was strategically positioned to take full advantage of the home's impressive marsh views, while the garage was placed under the house to maximize lot size. "The only compromises we had to make were budget-related," O'Rourke says: "A wooden deck as opposed to a stone deck, an open porch versus a screened-in porch."
But good design can be challenging to construct. When builder Wayne Smith began work on this grand custom home, a special circumstance would compel him to partner with Group 3 to preserve the integrity of the home's exquisite design.
Construction & Completion
"The details of the cornice and eaves were very complex and required placement prior to the installation of the roof," explains Smith. "But this intricate work needed to be protected from the weather by the roof." It was a catch 22: The rich architectural details could not be installed – and protected from the elements – before the roof was put in place.
"Working with Group 3," recalls Smith, "we came up with an ingenious solution that involved extending the roof decking an exact, specified amount to accommodate the crown molding. We then cut all the angles for an exact fit and back-primed the molding so we could complete the roof after placing the eave details."
The result, according to Sally O'Rourke: Perfection.
"It turned out prettier than I ever expected – inside and out," she says. "The living room feels so impressive and grand, and the kitchen/family area is warm and wonderful. Mike Ruegamer's interior cabinetry design was extraordinarily beautiful."
Beautiful and carefully planned, Ruegamer recalls: "The cabinetry in the kitchen, family room and master bath were designed to integrate with the architectural moldings in the home. This provided for strong thematic consistency throughout."
Aesthetically, the design appears formal/traditional, Clanton says, "yet it actually lives openly and informally, just as Sally and Joe wanted."
According to Smith, "The home's exterior possesses many fine details, yet it's very well balanced. The challenge of the cornices and eaves could have proven very difficult if Group 3 were not as experienced and detail-oriented as they are."
"I attribute the home's success to Group 3," O'Rourke says. "They fostered cooperation and teamwork and were thoughtful in each and every detail. "
