Coastal Condo Refresh, Hurricane Recovery, and Rebuilding Atmosphere
Project 106 originally began as a relatively simple coastal condo refresh intended to create a warm, approachable Airbnb rather than a highly designed luxury rental. At the time, the kitchen itself remained mostly intact, so the initial renovation focused primarily on flooring, paint, lighting, furnishings, and atmosphere.
The goal was never to create a trendy vacation rental or an overly polished beach condo. I wanted the space to feel relaxed, comfortable, layered, and emotionally easy to exist in — more “Golden Girls by the beach” than sterile short-term rental.
THE REFRESH
The original refresh centered around simplifying the visual noise of the condo while allowing light, texture, and continuity to carry the experience of the space.
New flooring immediately changed the feel of the unit by creating uninterrupted sightlines from the entry through the living area toward the sliding doors. The lighter flooring also helped bounce natural light deeper into the condo while making the relatively compact footprint feel more open and calm.
The design decisions throughout the condo leaned intentionally soft and approachable:
- warm neutral walls,
- layered tropical references,
- simple furnishings,
- soft lighting,
- natural textures,
- and spaces that felt livable instead of staged.
The condo quickly developed a personality of its own. It felt welcoming, relaxed, and intentionally unpretentious. Guests responded strongly to the atmosphere because it never tried too hard to impress them. The goal was comfort first.
ACCESSIBLE BEIGE + VISUAL CONTINUITY
Accessible Beige became one of the defining colors of the project and would later continue into multiple future projects, including Project 405 and eventually the new construction residence as well.
Alongside Gentleman’s Gray, these colors gradually became part of a recurring visual language throughout much of my work.
Even in a relatively modest condo footprint, continuity became one of the strongest design tools throughout the project. Repeated tones, consistent flooring, layered textures, and softer lighting all worked together to create a space that felt emotionally cohesive rather than heavily designed.
HURRICANE HELENE
Then Hurricane Helene arrived.
What originally existed as a cosmetic Airbnb refresh suddenly became a flood recovery and reconstruction project. Lower walls throughout the condo were flood cut. Bathrooms were stripped back. Furniture was overturned or destroyed. Portions of the condo were reduced to exposed framing, plumbing, concrete block, and electrical systems.
For a period of time, the condo existed more as structure than interior.
Ironically, that phase also revealed what had actually been working about the original design. Even stripped down to framing and block, the underlying spatial flow of the condo still made sense. The long sightlines still mattered. The continuity of the flooring still carried the eye through the space. The natural light still pulled through the unit the way it was intended to.
FLOOD RECOVERY + REBUILDING
The rebuild ultimately became less about replacing what was lost and more about evolving the condo into a stronger version of itself.
Rather than attempting to recreate the original condo exactly as it had been, the reconstruction created opportunities to rethink several areas entirely while still preserving the emotional tone that had made the space successful before the storm.
The process became equal parts renovation, recovery, and refinement.
THE KITCHEN TRANSFORMATION
The kitchen, which had largely remained untouched during the original Airbnb refresh, became one of the biggest transformations after the storm.
The reconstruction opened the opportunity to rethink the space entirely rather than simply reinstall what had existed before.
The updated kitchen introduced:
- new cabinetry,
- a more open visual layout,
- soft blue vertical stack tile,
- cleaner transitions,
- and a more refined balance between warmth and simplicity.
The redesign maintained the original emotional tone of the condo while allowing the rebuilt space to feel calmer, lighter, and more cohesive than before the storm.
REBUILDING CALM
Project 106 ultimately became more than a condo renovation or Airbnb project. It became a study in continuity, adaptation, and emotional atmosphere — how a space can lose nearly everything physically while still retaining the core feeling that made it meaningful in the first place.
The final result is not important because it is extravagant. It is important because the condo regained its sense of calm after losing it entirely.
