A down-to-studs renovation of a mid-century coastal ranch — reimagined for a new generation.
609 Oak Street began as a mid-century coastal home with good bones and dated finishes — the kind of house that's been part of St. Simons for decades but had quietly fallen behind the neighborhood it sat in.
The work was extensive: a complete down-to-studs renovation that touched every system, every surface, and the architectural identity of the home itself. Walls came down. Ceilings were vaulted. Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing were rebuilt from scratch. A new portico transformed the entry. Every finish — cabinetry, stone, tile, lighting, flooring — was specified to the standard of new luxury construction.
The goal wasn't to flip the house. It was to honor its bones and bring it forward by thirty years — without losing what made it feel like a home on St. Simons in the first place.
The renovation took between six and twelve months on site, executed in close coordination with the homeowners, our trade partners, and a deeply considered design palette. In 2021, the completed project received the Master Design Award for Whole Home Renovation — a recognition we share with everyone who put hands on it.
The kitchen anchors the renovation. A Calacatta-style waterfall island runs the length of the room, its veining chosen and oriented as a single composition. A custom shaker-paneled range hood frames a professional gas range; a hexagonal marble mosaic backsplash carries the stone language up the wall.
Woven rattan pendants soften the materials with a quiet coastal note. Cabinetry is custom, painted in a warm white that holds the room together without competing with the stone. The result is a kitchen that reads as composed rather than designed — the kind of room that gets quieter the longer you look at it.
The original ceiling was opened up to expose the structure above and bring height to the room. A single exposed beam runs the ridgeline — a deliberate architectural detail that recurs in the primary bedroom on the other side of the home.
The fireplace surround is cast stone, classically proportioned and finished by hand. The original rear wall was replaced with a wide sliding door that brings the backyard into the living space — an unmistakable signal that this is a coastal Georgia home, designed to live indoor-out.
The vaulted ceiling and exposed beam echo the living room, tying the architecture of the home together across its two main public-private zones. A French chandelier hangs at center; sliding doors lead directly to the rear garden.
Natural light enters from three sides — a layout choice made possible by replanning the original floor plan during framing. The suite reads as intentionally quiet: warm wood floors, linen curtains, restrained furnishings, and the kind of stillness that only comes from a room that's been carefully proportioned.
We take on a limited number of whole-home renovations each year. If you're considering one on St. Simons, Sea Island, or anywhere along the Golden Isles — we'd welcome a conversation.