7 minute read
THE HOME THAT CHOSE THEM
THAT CHOSE THEM
JIMBO AND CELIA BOYKIN DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THEY CHOSE THEIR HOME ON EAGLE DRIVE AS MUCH AS IT CHOSE THEM
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JImbo and Celia Boykin had been familiar with the house on Eagle Drive for years as they had friends who lived there and were frequent guests for parties and family gatherings. Ironically enough, their oldest son, Griffi n, a young boy then, decided to try his hand at swimming at a party once. Jimbo had to jump in, too, and Celia will never forget him walking in the door at home with soaked clothes.
Originally, they bought the lot next door with plans to build, but couldn’t fi gure out the perfect fl oor plan. “We were stumped as to how to build a home next to this particular house and it not look like the guest house,” Celia said. So they waited while trying to fi gure out what to do.
One day, their friends, the owners of the house on Eagle Drive, asked if they would be interested in buying it. Celia passed it off thinking it would never work out. Others asked them, too, and they eventually started considering it. They had sold the home they were living in on Palme o Street and had renovated and se led into a home on Magnolia Street that they really liked and where they felt at home. That is until a “sweet family” decided they wanted it more and the Boykins relented. By this time, their young family had grown to three boys and now they were back renting homes trying to fi gure what would be, what Celia refers to as, their “Big Life” house – the house where the boys would grow up, the “biggest years of our life.”
Then, the decision came in 2012. “I was on a beach vacation with the boys and Jimbo called and said, ‘Decision made, we are going to buy the house on Eagle Drive and make if our “Big Life” home,’” Celia recalled. They had no idea it would be two years later when they fi nally moved in.
The process began with considering minor changes like updating fl ooring and repainting like most families do. Then they discovered structural, fl ashing, plumbing, and electrical issues. “Three weeks after closing I went to the house during a heavy rainstorm to check on things and found standing water in the dining room and front offi ce which was not coming through the roof. This lead to the discovery of several issues resulting in replacing multiple large windows, replacing exterior fl ashing, re-landscaping, and other repairs to stop water intrusion,” Jimbo explained. Engineers were consulted from St. Simons to address other issues, including structural and design problems, replacing water damaged exterior windows and doors, addressing several electrical problems, and bringing the electrical up to code to name a few. “We fi nally came to the conclusion to commit to a large renovation project in order to address these items and to update the house,” he said. They did keep the front door, “the most beautiful I’d ever seen” Celia said
So, the “renovation of a lifetime began,” Celia said, as she chose to the renovate the house in her style. A style she describes as, “completely diff erent than most.” “Basically, the house went from a Mediterranean style home to a European Farmhouse style,” she explained.
After two years of work, they moved into the 5,000+ square foot home in 2015. The extensive renovation included raising the ceilings, a reconfi gured kitchen and den area, new chestnut colored fl ooring throughout, adding a bedroom and bathroom to the two-story addition, and even replacing the pool and building a pool house. Jimbo said, “I absolutely love coming home to this house everyday and for the memories that it is creating for our family.”
“We chose this house, but we also feel that this house chose us. I am just happy that we were able to make it this beautiful sanctuary embodying who we are completely. So far, all our hard work and eff ort, while cumbersome and tiring, has been worth it. We have enjoyed watching our boys spend many valuable moments here with us, our family, and their friends,” Celia said. “I get told that it is welcoming, laid back, comfortable, and natural looking, which I consider great compliments.”
After all the hard work and the many decisions that come with renovating any home, Jimbo summed up their feelings about their decision to make this their "Big Life" house by saying, “I absolutely love coming home to this house everyday and for the memories that it is creating for our family.”
ABOVE AND FAR LEFT: As you walk through the front doors there is a living room that overlooks the pool and the back yard. This chandelier was one of two created by students at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). A coff ee table made from a cypress tree stump is the centerpiece of the room.
IMMEDIATE LEFT: The original offi ce was converted into a larger home offi ce with built-in cabinets and a ladder system that reaches the extensive shelving. Layered cowhide and natural sisa rugs accentuate the desk and chairs.
HOME & GARDEN
ABOVE: Celia's unique style is on display in the dining room with a wooden art piece and another chandelier that was designed for the home by students at SCAD.
TOP: Wooden accents are carried throughout the home, including the kitchen and keeping room. A large island was added to accommodate gatherings of family and friends.
ABOVE: The original cypress wine closet off the media room is original and has a barn door that works well with the wooden motif throughout the house.
ABOVE: The media room off ers a hide-a-way spot for the family to relax. Wooden beams were added in keeping with the rest of the home's motif. The space under the stairs provides extra storage as well as an added place to sleep for guests. TOP AND ABOVE: The master bedroom was basically untouched with the exception of raising the ceilings and the master bed built into the wall. The master bathroom was gu ed and the most unique addition is a tub placed on a raised wooden, farmhouse fl oor under a large and natural chandelier.
ABOVE: The Boykins added as many natural elements as possible to complement the stucco using wood framing and wooden shu ers. They even changed the landscaping to more of a natural look. The two-story addition was added by the original owners but expanded by the Boykins.
RIGHT: The back of the house was completely renovated with a new pool, an outdoor kitchen, and a pool house with a fi replace that includes a pu ing green.
