Amy Vermillion, of Amy Vermillion Interiors, always relishes a renovation challenge, particularly when the end product can improve her clients’ residential experience as vastly as she did with the completion of this five bedroom, 4,900-square-foot Charlotte home.
“When I first met the clients, they told me how unhappy they were with the overall floor plan,” says Vermillion. In lieu of a foyer, a massive double-flying staircase greeted guests as they entered the house. The staircase not only hogged attention, but also space, resulting in cramped, dark rooms and fractured traffic flow.
As originally constructed, the house also failed to fully capitalize on the beautiful five acres of woodland and panoramic scenes that surrounded its walls. Vermillion and her clients recognized the value of these views and set out to integrate them into the remodeled structure and design of the home.
The first order of business was to remove the original staircase, thereby making space for changes to the foyer, kitchen, dining, and living rooms, many of which would facilitate an open layout on the first floor. “With more open spaces, the clients can entertain easily and yet still have rooms with specific function,” explains Vermillion, who had identified easy gathering with children, grandchildren, and friends as one of her clients’ top priorities.
The kitchen lacked countertop and storage spaces, housed outdated appliances, and had an inconveniently planted island between the chef and the refrigerator. Vermillion improved functionality of the island work space, added storage, updated appliances, and dismantled the walls that sequestered this room from the more social spaces around it.
“The updated kitchen overlooks the sunroom and dining room, allowing these empty nesters to cook for and entertain their children and grandchildren without being removed from the action,“ explains Vermillion. Vermillion’s team also gave the counters, backsplashes, light fixtures, and cabinetry a major facelift, installing honed quartzite and adding a custom hood made of zinc and aged brass as the focal point.
Although the Vermillion team designed and executed staggering improvements to many areas of this home, Vermillion’s favorite space is the children’s playroom, located on the second floor. To make this space more kid-friendly, Vermillion removed a platform stair that had been inviting playtime disaster, and built out a treehouse hideaway, featuring a rope ladder and lofted nook. The treehouse hideaway fits nicely into the custom mural painted by Lisa and Toby Autry, which covers the walls of this room and depicts wildlife native to the marshes near the clients’ primary residence.
I was originally called in to do some drapery and furniture in the living room,” Vermillion muses. “Three years later, and we have a completely new house!
The amount of time required to complete the remodel underscores what a massive undertaking this project was. “These are the kind of projects that spark a designer’s passion,” says Vermillion. “Since the property is so incredible, we knew that a complete renovation would be worth it.” Yet, Vermillion acknowledges that, as happy as she is with the finished product, “a project cannot be considered a success unless the client is thrilled with the result, too.”
With a thoughtful and complete refresh like this from Vermillion, it’d be hard to believe that the clients and their home guests could be anything less.
