FLORIDA MOM MAGAZINE - November '08 - Oceanwalk Inspiration - Jackie Castranova's HomeStory and PhotosBy: Michele Gillis
 When Jackie Castranova, 52, decided to renovate her 17 year-old home in Oceanwalk entertaining was definitely on her mind.
As a part of a large Italian family, she is no stranger to inviting family over for huge dinners as they gather around the kitchen swapping stories as the smell of homemade sauces waft through the air.
She has the kitchen every woman dreams of, but it wasn’t always that way. “When we first bought the house 10 years ago we liked everything about it and it worked for the first eight or nine years,” said Castranova. But, they realized, there was space in the house they just weren’t utilizing and made a plan to gut the house and make it more open and functional for their family.
Castranova’ is married to Bob, a retired insurance executive from Zurich Insurance Services and they have one son, Michael, 17.
The previous style of the kitchen area was low country style with white tile countertops, white cabinets and a small island in the center. “The stove did not work for us,” she said. “It was an electric four-burner with raised edges. We couldn’t use our big pots when cooking large dinners for our family.”
She decided to go with a “warm” contemporary style in their renovations. In order to incorporate all of their living space and to make the kitchen and living room space bigger, they had to knock down few walls, which opened up the whole house.
Now, they have a large granite island/bar area that features a six range gas cook top, prepping area with sink, large drawers for storage, espresso colored cabinetry in kitchen and living room and darker pine floors. “We do a big Thanksgiving every year for about 30 people,” said Castranova. “I want people to feel comfortable, at-home, relaxed and welcome when they enter our home.”
Castranova chose very neutral colors for the walls. “We can always change things without having to change everything,” she said. A lot of the furniture was purchased at Moonstruck.
Their dining room consists of two small tables that seat four. But, both tables expand to allow seating for about 30 people. “We set them side by side and put everyone around and put the food in the middle,” she said.
Next to the kitchen, a seating area was created with four comfy chairs surrounding a circular table. A grand piano sits in the corner. “We just wanted a little gathering area where people could just sit and talk,” said Castranova. “I was taking piano lessons for a long time, but never did very well and then Michael sits down and can just play. It’s kind of irritating, but OK.”
Michael is a senior at Episcopal High. He has played soccer since he was four years old and just joined the Episcopal High football team this year. He plays the piano, the drums and is a very talented painter. His artwork is displayed around his home for guests to enjoy. “He dabbles in everything,” said Bob.
Castranova did not have any interior design experience before starting on her renovating venture. “We always had a thought as to how we wanted it to layout,” she said. “We always wanted this to be like this. I actually stole the two dining room table idea from a house that I had visited somewhere. All other dining room tables in a space like that are just kind of massive and we would be lost in there at a table that big. So, these tables make for a nice family setting, but also can expand when we need them to.”
Castranova took her time and looked through many design magazines piecing together exactly what she wanted, so when it came time to talk to sub-contractors, she was prepared. She was very organized and created a photo album design book with all of her ideas she collected from magazines and vendor names and numbers.
Castranova did some of the textured painting herself and had a decorator, Kathleen Gregoire, to help her with colors to make sure she stayed in sync.
“I took the advice of the experts,” she said. She relied on the advice of her flooring, cabinetry, remodeling and tile and fabricating companies for many of her decisions.
As far as tips for mom’s on staying within a budget, Castranova said to do the shopping yourself. “I got my dining room chairs from Rooms to Go because I liked them,” she said. “Also, use existing decorations and pictures in updated house. You can just reframe or re-matte a picture to match your new colors.”
Unlike many homes at the beach, her house has a finished basement with a bathroom that features a steam shower. The basement is a teenager’s heaven complete with a pool table, weight bench and theater lighting, large movie screen and recliners with cup holders. “When you turn the television on, the lights go down,” she said. “When you turn it off, they come back up just like in a theater. That’s where Michael and his friends hang out. We also have friends over when football games are on and they really enjoy it.” 
Michael and his friends also make use of the sitting area near the kitchen. He will play the piano and his friends will play their guitars. The pool and back patio area is also a fun feature for teenagers as well as the entire family.
The master bedroom is simple, but elegant. It has a small sitting area/office in the corner of the room where Castranova likes to relax and read. The master bathroom features a huge walk-in shower with two shower heads and shelves built into the walls. “We took the tub out and used that space for a shower,” she said. Castranova had the electrical outlets built into the cabinets on top of the counters and in one of her husband’s drawers. “We recommend it to everyone, so you can just pull your hairdryer out and use it,” she said.
Michael’s bedroom is very masculine with leopard print, red and black accessories on a large black bed from Scan Design. “He has the best bed in the house,” said Castranova. He has a drum set in his room where he can play music with his friends. His walls are covered with snowboarding posters. Outside his room is a desk area where he can do his homework if he wanted to. The house features two guest bedrooms one with a balcony for the guests to enjoy.
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