One San Marco brood finds a new place to call home, and it’s only yards from the first neighborhood house they loved.
Photography by Muriel Silva
It’s a dilemma many young families face. They love the neighborhood but their home no longer fits the needs of a growing household. With three kids between the ages of nine and 16, this was exactly the situation facing Katherine and Alan Ridge. As much as they loved their street and neighbors in San Marco, their 2,100-square-foot house was feeling a bit cramped. A move to something larger was needed. But where?
As luck would have it, a half-acre property went up sale—and it was only about a dozen homes from where they were living. So, the Ridges leaped at the opportunity to purchase the lot and set out to build an entirely new house. With the help of Tidewater Homes and Twin Companies, that’s exactly what they did—creating a five-bedroom, five-and-a-half bath, two-story home only a stone’s throw from their previous address. Covering approximately 5,200 square feet, the house’s design caters to how they live today, as well as making allowances for what may come.
“We love the historic San Marco area. It’s where I grew up and it is similar to Homewood, the area of Birmingham where Katherine is from,” says Alan. We lived for 15 years on River Oaks Road, around the corner from our current house. We loved the neighborhood and were excited about the opportunity to build around the corner. Building a new home in an old neighborhood can be tricky. We felt a sense of responsibility to the neighborhood.”
Like many families looking to build new, the Ridges wanted a home that provided room to grow. Much thought was put into how spaces would be used as the kids grew older, as well as to provide rooms as the children became parents themselves. Room for visiting grandkids was a must-have. Initially, the space above the garage was left unfinished. However, after a few years, the family decided to add room for the growing teens to hang out with friends, a workout space and a home office for Alan.
The porch was designed so that, as a family, they could be outside and enjoy the Florida weather any time of the day. It is an ideal spot to enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning, watch the game at night, or savor a meal together. The porch looks out to an expansive and beautifully landscaped yard. Plus, there’s plenty of open grass for family games now—and for grandkids to enjoy in the future.
“Our favorite space is the back porch,” says Alan. “One of our favorite things to do is to have a fire on the porch and watch sports. We also regularly eat family meals outside when the weather is nice.”
“I typically prefer a neutral paint color for the main living spaces and incorporate texture, color, and pattern within those spaces with rugs, textiles and art,” says interior designer Laurie Fulkerson with Twin Companies. “This allows for the owners to change things up over the years without taking on the massive project of repainting those main areas. I used a bold pattern in the powder wall covering and I love how we were able to find a pattern that included yellow, a color that is one of Katherine’s favorites, but also unexpected since it is a color that often gets overlooked.”
The homeowner’s favorite color is blue so, while the den has a lot of blue, a variety of colors that work well with the hue were sprinkled throughout the adjoining rooms. “For example, the deep taupe color in the dining room complements the den furnishings, but the art I chose for the dining room has beautiful shades of blue in it that I thought worked well with the adjoining rooms,” says Fulkerson. “One of my favorite fabrics is the abstract fabric I used in the breakfast room drapery panels and kitchen sink windows with a beautiful shade of blue gray.”
Many of Fulkerson’s clients ask for pieces that are going to have longevity in style and function. So, it’s always important for the spaces to be beautiful, and for the pieces to be comfortable, as well as hold up well with a large family. In this case, the Ridge’s have extended families that visit often. Fabrics that perform well with frequent use were essential. Also important was making sure the furniture and art were proportional to a home with large rooms and high ceilings. “I live in Alabama, so it was important for me to be able to visit the house during the construction phase so I could get an idea of the size of the rooms,” says the designer. “The Ridge’s were coming from a smaller home that had lower ceilings, so I did recommend new pieces in their living room, dining room, and porch. When I visited the job site early on, I was able to spend time in their previous home to take inventory of what they did have so they could use the pieces that had memories for them.”
Speaking of large rooms, the round dining room table offers ample space for friends and family. “I love dramatic large art and I feel like their house had multiple spaces that we could incorporate some of my favorite pieces—from the large bird art in the den, the custom art over the fireplace in the den from one of my favorite Birmingham artists, the dramatic art in the stair hallway with it’s deep colors, to the large piece in the dining room that ties multiple colors used throughout the house,” says Fulkerson. “Also, I always love to use wallpaper since there are so many beautiful colors and patterns to choose from. I’ve continued to work with the Ridge’s over the years and will be installing some favorites in a couple of spaces we are working on now.”
“In addition to building a home for a growing family, our other primary goal was the build a home that looked like it fit in San Marco,” Alan recalls. “The best compliment we receive is when people say that the home looks like it belongs in the neighborhood.”
Credits:
Plan Designer: Crystal Tucker, Twin Companies
Construction Design/Interior Design:
Laurie Fulkerson, Twin Companies
Architectural Plans: Carrie Breslin, Breslin & Gray
Builder: Scott Brannock, Tidewater Homes
Windows & Doors: Jeff Tyrrell, Coastal Sash & Door
Garden Design: Jamie Ross, Ross Garden Design
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