TL;DR
Designer James Farmer and Skolfield Homes completed a gut renovation of a four-bedroom ranch-style home in Winter Park, Florida, for a family of four. The project kept the home’s general architectural style while changing the kitchen and moving the staircase, alongside an interior scheme of bold patterns and traditional Florida details.
Designer James Farmer and builder Skolfield Homes completed a gut renovation of a ranch-style home in Winter Park, Florida, reshaping the kitchen and moving the staircase while preserving the home’s general architectural style. Featured in a House Beautiful home tour, the project pairs those layout changes with patterned, Florida-inspired interiors for a family of four.
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The home is in an established Winter Park neighborhood near a lake, among mature live oaks and landscaped grounds. House Beautiful describes it as a four-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bathroom ranch. Farmer said the house was modest and direct in character, and the renovation aimed to make it more functional without replacing its basic architectural identity.
The most substantial changes were to the galley kitchen and staircase. The kitchen was overhauled and connected to a breakfast room that had previously been a screened porch. Farmer called the updated layout a “glorified galley.” The staircase was moved from the side of the house to the center, making it a focal point of the living room.
The team also made the front entry more useful, adding a bar to the formal entrance area. In the interiors, the design combines floral wallpaper, palm motifs, gold details, intricate trim and pecky cypress finishes with coastal colors, brick and wood flooring. The former porch became a sunroom, with trellis details and white wicker furniture retaining an outdoor feel. In the dining room, the existing footprint, corner cabinets and wainscoting were kept, while custom wallpaper and a lacquered ceiling added new decoration.
How the Layout Changes Shape Daily Use
The project illustrates how a ranch-style home can be substantially updated through changes to circulation and room use, rather than a wholesale change to its exterior character. Moving the staircase to the middle of the house changes how the living area is organized, while the kitchen overhaul and adjoining breakfast room give the family a new arrangement for everyday meals and entertaining.
Farmer’s material choices also speak to the practical challenge of designing for a young family: the House Beautiful report says he encouraged investment in finishes and furnishings intended to last as the household changes. The article presents that as the designer’s approach, not as a measured claim about the home’s durability or resale value.
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A Ranch Reworked, Not Replaced
The source account describes the project as a gut renovation, but says the home’s architectural style stayed generally the same. That distinction helps explain the balance in the design: structural work altered important interior spaces, while details such as the retained dining-room cabinetry and wainscoting connected the renovated rooms to the existing house.
Farmer linked the interiors to the home’s central Florida setting, describing the neighborhood as “old-school Florida with a touch of Mayberry.” The design draws on familiar regional references—porches, trellises, palms and lively colors—while using them indoors. House Beautiful also connects the approach to Farmer’s book, Home Again: A Return to Gracious Interiors, which the report says discusses his views on lasting materials and interiors.
““True, classic Florida can be so fun but also timeless, and that was our goal with this project.””
— James Farmer, as quoted by House Beautiful
Project Details Not Reported
House Beautiful’s account does not give the renovation cost, project timeline or date of completion. It also does not identify the homeowners or provide their own comments about the work. The report names Skolfield Homes as the project partner but does not detail the builder’s specific responsibilities.
Descriptions such as the home’s functionality and the longevity of its materials are presented as design goals and judgments, not as independently measured outcomes. The source does not report post-renovation performance, energy use, resale value or whether the family’s needs have changed since the project was completed.
No Further Project Milestone Listed
The source is a published home tour rather than an announcement of work still underway. It reports no upcoming construction phase, opening or follow-up inspection. Further information about cost, timing or the homeowners’ experience would require additional reporting or comment from the designer, builder or family.
Key Questions
Where is the renovated home?
It is in Winter Park, Florida, in an established neighborhood near a lake, according to House Beautiful.
Who designed and worked on the renovation?
Designer James Farmer led the project with Skolfield Homes. The source does not provide a detailed division of their responsibilities.
What were the main structural changes?
The renovation overhauled the galley kitchen and moved the staircase from the side of the home to the center of the living room. A former screened porch became a breakfast room and sunroom space.
Did the renovation change the home’s architectural style?
The report says the team kept the home’s general ranch-style architecture, while making major changes to its interior layout and finishes.
How much did the renovation cost?
The cost was not reported in House Beautiful’s home tour. The source also does not provide a project timeline.
Source: housebeautiful.com
