The Pearce family had been living in their lake cottage in Lake Hickory, North Carolina for many years before deciding to renovate. An outdated kitchen, closed off living room, cramped dining area, and lack of curb appeal motivated this married couple to seek help with renovating. After discussing options with the Alair Homes Hickory team, they concluded that both an interior and exterior renovation was necessary.

Inspired by the coastal aesthetic of Cape Cod beach homes, the Pearces wanted their home on Lake Hickory to reflect this bright and airy style. To accomplish this, Alair Homes Hickory Partner, Cody Byrd and Alair Homes Hickory Designer, Rodrigo Hernandez designed and added on a small addition, light gray James Hardie board shingle siding, and raised the roofline of the home. Cedar posts were added throughout the exterior as well as new copper lanterns for a personal touch. 

“The home was a lot of fun to work on. We had to be very strategic when designing and building this home. Removing the old roof and raising the new roof system was very tricky to carry to appropriate load points, but in the end, the home looks fantastic!” -Cody Byrd, Alair Homes Hickory Partner

The original kitchen posed many obstacles such as a small workspace which made cooking difficult, a hard to reach microwave that was tucked away under a cabinet, and no dishwasher. Navigating through these challenges, Designer, Rodrigo Hernandez successfully managed to design a kitchen that would maximize the most of the space given.

“This home has a small footprint so I had to design every inch with purpose. An L-shaped kitchen with a custom built-in table that doubled as a workstation island made the most sense. We added a lot of drawer cabinets because those are more functional and increase storage.” – Rodrigo, Designer, Alair Homes Hickory

The client’s goals for the kitchen were to have a bright, spacious design and a contemporary kitchen aesthetic. By adding white custom cabinets, quartz countertops, a large farmhouse sink, new appliances, and an arched window, the kitchen boasts with timeless sophistication. Elegant light fixtures, gray subway tile backsplash, and satin nickel cabinet hardware provide depth and dimension for this all-white palette.

Custom arched windows were added throughout the home which created the illusion of a larger space and allowed for natural light to flood the home. 

“I love the arched windows so much, they add the perfect amount of light into the home and they add so much character.” -Homeowner 

By removing the full height stairway walls and making them knee walls, this opened up the space creating an open floor plan. The newly designed open layout allowed room for a dry bar and a walk-in pantry with a sliding barn door.

The couple often works from home, so a custom built-in desk with floating shelves was added. 

The Cape Cod inspired cottage in Catawba County was thoughtfully designed and executed to meet the homeowner’s needs and to provide a functional yet stylish home for the Pearce family.