Step Inside: Tricia’s Relaxed & Refined Florida Home

It’s home tour day! I’m so happy to introduce you to Tricia, one of my wonderful neighbors. Tricia and her family live right behind us. They are super warm and extremely kind. I think I have mentioned before how much we love our neighborhood, and this family is one of the many reasons why.

I am in awe of what a fantastic job they did building this home from scratch. While tackling a remodel project comes with its own sets of challenges, building something from the ground up seems extra daunting. All of the choices and decisions to make!

As Tricia explains, they started with a vision for an Florida Cracker inspired home and executed it beautifully. I absolutely love what she says about taking their vision and then making it fit for the neighborhood. You can tell that every little space was thoughtfully placed. If I’ve ever seen an example of a wonderfully designed house from start to finish, it is this one.

The proof is in the pudding as the Redricks truly live and play in this home with friends and family. As much thought and planning that went into building their house, it still feels simple and welcoming. Not formal or fussy in the least. Which totally fits their personality. The porches invite you to slow down and stay for a while. So how about taking a moment to step inside?

Who lives in this home and how did you come to live here? My husband, Steven, myself (Tricia), our daughters, Mary Peyton (15) and Charley (12). Also, our two dogs, Gus & Hazel. We had been living in the same part of town since we moved to Ocala in 1999. We were in the market for a new home and we were struggling to find a home in the neighborhood that would meet our families needs without a complete overhaul. Fortunately, we were able to find a vacant lot right in the heart of the neighborhood.

What was your vision for the house as you were preparing to build? Steven grew up in Florida and was drawn to the Florida Cracker style home complete with metal roof. While researching home exteriors, I also fell in love with the simplicity of the style. We also wanted to build a home that “belonged” in our older neighborhood. While working on the plans we often considered the surrounding homes in our neighborhood. For example: the overall home size, colors, materials and landscaping (just to name a few :-)) The interior vision was derived for the purpose we saw for our home. We enjoy entertaining and knew that we wanted an open plan that included interior and exterior entertaining. Our “style” actually fell into place with the home itself. We wanted a casual yet warm home where our friends and family could spend time together.

You have a degree in interior design. How did that experience influence the experience of creating your home? I feel that having a design background was very beneficial! I had a pretty solid idea of what we were wanting to create. We worked with a very talented architect as well as a great builder that were always open to our ideas / input as well as us open to theirs. Unfortunately, many first time homebuilders have no idea of what they truly want and hope the architect / builder can decode it for them. I feel that this leaves them as well as the architect / builder frustrated and overwhelmed.

How would you describe your aesthetic/style? I would describe my style as casual, simple with a touch of traditional.

You have two adorable lively dogs. How do you decorate and furnish your home with them in mind? Slipcovers and easy clean fabrics.

Which room/area in your home do love the most? I have a craft room with natural light which I tend to gravitate to when I find quiet time. But I spend the most time with my family in our open kitchen/Dining/Living Room.

What traits draw you to others’ homes? I am drawn to homes that tell me something about the people who live in it. What better place to display the things you enjoy than your home? I think you should feel a little vulnerable in your home. That is how you know you have created the space for YOU and not others.

What are some of your favorite places to shop for your home? I love going to antique type places and looking for that hidden treasure. I also like to decorate with things you can’t buy.

Where do you find home inspiration and ideas? Magazines, Pinterest, and friends

Where do you like to find art? My kids, antique places, Etsy, Ebay, and friends

How do you hope your daughters will remember this home when they are older? I hope they remember the family get togethers at Christmas with 20+ people, and watching Gator football games in the garage with friends. I hope that they remember feeling safe and comfortable. And loved.

What is one thing you think every house should have? Covered, outdoor space. And practical storage.

What are some tips/advice that you would give to someone embarking on building their own home? I had a notebook that I had been putting together for years prior to building. Of course I had no idea of where or when we would build when I started compiling but I knew it was something I wanted to do. This book came in handy time and again. For example: I had a picture with from a magazine of windows..when I wanted to communicate what I envisioned to our builder, I pulled this picture out for reference. I pointed out the details I loved in the picture. (proportion, trim style, color) and he ran with it. The book also helped me to focus on the things I loved all along when getting overwhelmed with so many choices.

Other tips I would give would be to pay attention to “how” you use your home. Meaning what you do in your home everyday as well as the occasional uses. Consider storage (everyday and longterm), accessibility and how you will “move” with in the space.

Isn’t the home a testament to creating a personalized and thoughtful place to live the everyday? Thank you for letting us step inside your lovely livable home, Tricia!

If you would like to see more home tours like this one, click HERE.

Photography: Ale Cretul

Posted by Ale & filed under Home Decor, Home Tours. This post has 6 comments.