A great renovation should do more than make a home look new.
It should change the way the home feels, the way it functions and, most importantly, the way the people who live there are able to enjoy it.
That was the goal with our Ocean View Loop renovation in Southern Shores. This was a large-scale project that touched nearly every part of the property, inside and out. The kitchen was expanded, living spaces were opened up, bathrooms were completely reworked, stairs and windows were redesigned, decks were updated, and the backyard was transformed into an outdoor retreat.
The result feels like a completely different home—but it still feels like a home. And that was important to us and our clients from the beginning.
Start With How You Want the Home to Feel
When planning a major renovation, it’s easy to begin with a list of finishes: cabinets, countertops, flooring, tile and paint colors.
Those things matter, but we think there’s a better place to start:
How do you want to live in the house when it’s finished?
Do you want everyone to naturally gather in the kitchen? Do you entertain often? Do you want more connection between indoors and outdoors? Are there spaces in the house that technically exist but never really get used?
Those questions shaped many of the decisions in this renovation.
Rather than updating rooms individually, we looked at how the spaces worked together and where we could make the biggest difference in everyday living for our clients.
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Give the Heart of the Home More Room
The original kitchen was much smaller and more enclosed. During the renovation, we expanded and completely reworked the space into a large, open kitchen with custom cabinetry, white quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances and an oversized island with seating for six. A built-in bar with a wine refrigerator, floating shelves and additional storage was incorporated nearby which is perfect for entertaining.
But the biggest change isn’t any one finish.
It’s what the kitchen became.
Instead of simply being a place to cook, it is now part of the main gathering space. The kitchen, dining and living areas flow together, giving family and guests plenty of room without losing that comfortable feeling you want a home to have.
The adjoining living room was also completely reworked, with vaulted ceilings and a black shiplap fireplace feature wall adding contrast to the otherwise light, relaxed coastal interior.
That combination—open and airy without feeling cold—was something we carried throughout the house.
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Create Spaces That Help You Slow Down
“Spa-like” gets used a lot in home design, but to us it doesn’t necessarily mean making your house look like a hotel.
It means creating rooms that feel calm and bring you peace when stepping into them.
Several bathrooms in this home were completely transformed, including one where the entire layout was reworked. Features such as an oversized soaking tub, rain shower, double vanity, modern tile and streamlined finishes turned spaces that were purely functional into rooms that feel like part of the retreat.
The same approach carried into the bedrooms and other living spaces. Natural tones, warm wood, crisp whites, blue accents and selective use of darker feature walls give the house personality while still keeping everything relaxed.
Even transitional areas received attention. At the staircase leading to the main living level, walls were opened, new flooring and railings were added, a larger window brought in more natural light and a new chandelier helped turn what had simply been a passageway into part of the overall design.
Those details matter in a whole-home renovation. You experience a house in more places than just the kitchen and living room.
Don’t Stop the Renovation at the Back Door
One of the most dramatic changes happened outside.
The original backyard offered an opportunity to create something completely different: not simply a place for a pool, but an extension of the home.
The finished space now includes a resort-style pool with an integrated hot tub and automatic cover, a travertine patio, fire pit, fencing, lighting, landscaping and multiple outdoor living areas.
A pool cabana takes the space even further.
Instead of building a small structure meant only for storage or shade, the cabana includes a full-size kitchen, bathroom and seating area, with shiplap, custom cabinetry and stainless-steel appliances.
That means a day by the pool doesn’t require everyone constantly going in and out of the main house. Meals can be prepared outside, guests have a bathroom nearby, and there are multiple places to gather throughout the yard.
It changed the backyard from something you looked at into somewhere you actually want to spend the entire day.
And on the Outer Banks, where so much of life happens outside, we think that matters.
Think About the Whole Property
One of our favorite things about large-scale renovations is seeing how much potential can be hiding in a home people have lived with for years.
Sometimes the answer isn’t starting over.
It’s looking at the existing house differently.
In this project, changes ranged from major structural and layout decisions to new decking, railings, siding, windows, doors and lighting. Each individual improvement mattered, but the real transformation came from thinking about the property as a whole, rather than treating every room as a separate project.
The kitchen connects to the living space.
The living space connects to the decks.
The decks connect to the backyard.
The backyard becomes another place to cook, gather, relax and entertain.
That is when a renovation becomes more than a collection of beautiful rooms.
It becomes a home that works differently.
See the Transformation in Person
Photos tell part of the story, but this October you can walk through this renovation yourself.
We’re excited to share the Ocean View Loop renovation as House #5 in the 34th Annual Outer Banks Parade of Homes, held October 8–10, 2026. Homes will be open Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. You can purchase tickets in advance online at the Outer Banks Home Builders Association website or in person on any day during the event.
Come see the before-and-after transformation, walk through the renovated interior and step outside to experience how the new pool, cabana and outdoor living spaces all come together.
For us, this project is a great example of what we love about renovation work: taking a home that already exists, seeing what it could become and creating something that feels completely new for the people who get to enjoy it.
We hope to see you at House #5!