Preview: The 2017 New American Remodeled Home

The New American Remodeled Home will be unveiled at the 2017 International Builders’ Show (IBS), in Orlando, Fla., in January and it’s a must-see. Co-sponsored by Professional Remodeler and the National Association of Home Builders, this renovated house will join The New American Home as a model of visionary residential design. 

The New American Remodeled Home is the first remodeling showcase home to be presented at IBS in a decade. And what a showcase of transformative ideas it is. Originally built in 1987, the once-dated house is getting a strikingly stylish new look, an inspired floor plan, and a mix of technology and products that bring the home to the forefront of luxury, comfort, and energy efficiency. 

Phil Kean Design Group (PKDG), an award-winning design/build firm in Winter Park, Fla., designed and produced the remodel. A choppy floor plan, outdated wet rooms, drab finishes, and a weak energy envelope tied the house to an outmoded lifestyle and old technology. But the home’s ample size—nearly 4,500 square feet—high main-floor ceilings, and gracious footprint invited a creative reinvention. 

PKDG owner Phil Kean, an architect, residential contractor, and interior designer, converted the stucco structure into a dynamic, island-style home. Most of the existing house occupied one floor, with a central great room and three bedrooms on one side. The other side of the home was split into a family room, a dining room, and an isolated kitchen. Keeping the same footprint but giving the house a more symmetrical, open plan to better reflect today’s lifestyles, Kean modernized the bedrooms and baths and converted the living area into a vibrant gathering space that incorporates a spacious great room and an open kitchen/breakfast area. He eliminated the dining room and used the original kitchen space for a home office. The oversize poolside bathroom made way for a smaller bath plus a wine room off the kitchen. The space also features generous, sliding glass doors that offer expansive views and easy access to the lanai, outdoor kitchen, and stylishly reconfigured backyard pool.

An elevator now connects to the second-floor game room. Enhanced with a raised ceiling, a walk-in closet, and a 187-square-foot bump-out that features a wet bar and large windows overlooking the pool, the airy room functions as a flex space that can comfortably accommodate overnight guests.

A light, modern color scheme; top-of-the-line fixtures and fittings; contemporary-style maple cabinets; and integrated vacuum and audio systems make the remodeled house sparkle with good looks and luxury extras. Highlights include the addition of a large, contemporary gas fireplace in the great room; large-format porcelain floor tiles that create the look of white marble; eye-catching light fixtures; and coffered ceilings with concealed up-lighting. The remodel incorporates state-of-the-art products, such as 12-option keypad controls in the master bathroom shower, drywall that absorbs and neutralizes volatile organic compounds, and an innovative tile roof batten system.

In terms of energy efficiency, the house has entered a new age. With low-E coated, argon gas-filled windows; insulated doors; open-cell foam insulation; and energy-efficient appliances, the house now boasts a tight-but-safe envelope and energy-saving systems that should cut power bills by as much as 75 percent.

“Most people will find the house very exciting,” Kean says. “It shows how to take a home that’s 30 to 40 years old, respect what was there, but make it fresh and current.”