IT WAS THE CLASSIC CASE of loving the neighborhood and the house but needing more space. During the height of the pandemic, the 2,500-square-foot ranch in SouthPark’s Mountainbrook neighborhood began to squeezethe family of four. The more time they spent in the house together, the more cramped it felt. “We just started to outgrow the home and knew we needed more space,” says the homeowner. The search for a new home commenced during the summer of 2020, but to no avail. “We made maybe four offers on homes, and every time we were outbid.” But it was as if fate intervened for the family. “Every time that happened it kept bringing us back to our home. It made us realize that we didn’t want to leave it.”
So the couple pivoted and enlisted architect Miller Nicholson to draw the plans to expand the home, which included a complete renovation of the kitchen, the addition of a proper owner’s en suite, and a freestanding pool house complete with guest quarters, a kitchen, and a lounge area. “Other builders and architects wanted us to tear the house down, but Miller saw our vision for the home and lot,” says the homeowner. Mint Built worked with Nicholson on the construction.
The goal was simple: create a living space that afforded the family more room—including a private space for their teenagers to hang out with friends—and an updated interior design that was more reflective of the couple’s current tastes. “We wanted casual and livable, and natural earth tones with a hint of Spanish influence because my husband is Puerto Rican,” says the homeowner.
The couple looked to friend and designer Jennifer Felts of Habitude Interiors to bring to fruition an aesthetic that seamlessly married casual and sophisticated and earthy and organic with a subtle Spanish influence. “I really looked to the Spanish aesthetic more as a way to add warmth to the space,” says Felts. “They didn’t want the home to feel gray and cold but instead warm and inviting.”
Spanish moments can be seen throughout the home. Various architectural details such as the archways into the dining room and the plaster fireplace in the family room pair beautifully with interior touches like the Moroccan spice hue on the custom laundry room cabinets and the natural white-oak floors. In the kitchen, leather-backed counter stools by Four Hands balance the brassaccented pendants by Visual Comfort.
All of these subtle details create innate warmth and layers of interest without feeling overdone. Ultimately, the couple’s decision to stay put resulted in what the homeowner says is their dream home. “We always said we wanted to create a space where our kids, no matter how old they are, want to come home and hang out here, whether it’s with us or their friends,” says the homeowner. “And that’s exactly what this renovation gave us.” Adds Felts, “Every design choice we made was to create this cohesive, warm, inviting, sophisticated interior that was approachable and functional for their family. I think this really hit the mark for them.”