While there’s something to be said for in-your-face, beachy décor—you know, seashell artwork, knotted rope, anchors galore—sometimes less is more. In Crozet, a garage loft renovation showcases how subtle, water-oriented design details can make waves.
The homeowners and their two sons are lovers of all things active and outdoorsy. With a growing collection of gear, including about a dozen surfboards, and growing boys, things were getting a little tight in the house.
A detached three-car garage with an unfinished interior solved the storage problem, and recently, the homeowners, who’d been in their house for 14 years, decided to go ahead and finish part of the garage. The finished loft would serve as overflow lodging for guests, and it would give the boys a pretty epic hangout spot.
“You know, out-of-town guests only come a few times a year,” says the homeowner. “We wanted to make sure that we had a functional space for the other 90 percent of the time when it was just our family, and very specifically the boys and their buddies.”
“Even though we live in the country, we’re very beachy people,” she says. “So that was the kind of vibe that we were going for. We wanted to make it open and airy and natural and light and refreshing.”
Peter Johnson Builders was brought in as general contractor, and Tommy Tigert as project manager. In addition to finishing the upstairs, PJB also enclosed and finished the third bay of the garage, and connected the homeowners with local businesses and makers to source material and work on the reno.
Walk into the finished loft, and the beachy vibes are immediately present without being overwhelming. Shades of white and pops of color contrast with natural wood, and the angular roof lines are at play with round, porthole-like windows and arched doorways.
The functional living area includes a kitchenette and a small dining room table. Rich blue cabinets, in the color New York State of Mind, with polished chrome hardware complement a locally sourced marble countertop slab called Manhattan Calcutta. The names are a happy nod to the homeowner’s aunt who lives in New York and collaborated with her almost daily on design details like fixtures, color, cabinets, and tile.
“The blue is a nice beachy vibe, and then the countertops are a really light and flowy marble with a lot of earthy colors in there,” says the homeowner. “It kind of reminded me of an ocean flow.”
A cloud-like, wrap-around white couch with a custom-built console table completes the space, and reclaimed beams from The HeartPine Company draw the eye upward, where large windows let in plenty of natural light. The round windows presented an interesting carpentry challenge for the crew, which had to do some precise radius work to fit the wood panels flush against the window.
The ocean wave theme also breezes into the full bathroom, where blue-veined slabs line the walls of the walk-in shower and a nautical-inspired light fixture illuminates the luxurious space and the cozy bedroom, which has just enough space for a queen-sized bed.
The renovation wasn’t complete until the floating stairs were added, a big upgrade that sets the tone for the entire loft. More wood from HeartPine was used for the treads and support, and local metalworker Lauren Danley of Metal Inc. created and fit the handrail. “It’s pretty awesome,” says the owner.
From the round windows to the beachy backsplash, surf meets family turf at this loft renovation.
