From House To Home

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Like a bottle of fine wine, the home of Nicole and Tom Truszkowski has become much more enticing as the years go by. Built on a beautiful lot overlooking the Brookside Country Club, the golf-course views are the only things that didn’t change after an extensive remodel. Everything else was stripped to its bones and put back together in a much more elegant whole.

Avid golfers, the location attracted the couple when they first made an offer on the lot in 1998. By the time the ink had dried, there were 20 other couples with their names on a waiting list. But despite its perfect location, this home is not for sale. Not then. Not now.

Instead, the Truszkowskis have transformed it into a personal showcase of high-end style—with help from general contractor Garrett Becker and interior designer Sheila Robinson, owner of Ambiance Interiors in Stockton.  They kept what Nicole calls the “good bones” and replaced stock finishes with layers of color, texture, and architectural elements to place it firmly in the category of luxury living.

Oversized travertine tile sets the stage throughout the communal spaces. Walls were painted and textured. Lighting was enhanced and replaced. Area rugs, furniture, accessories, bedding, and window treatments were all reinvented toward a much more stylish statement.

The arch detail is found in niches, windows, and passageways throughout the home.

Beginning in the entrance foyer, Robinson went to work. She arranged hundreds of tiny travertine tiles to form a medallion inlay. Directly above, a large chandelier illuminates the space and hangs perfectly centered to act as a showpiece framed in the arched transom window above the door.

From the foyer, the home opens to a wall of arched windows across the living room and formal dining room. The arch detail is found in niches, windows, and passageways throughout the home. Robinson says the entire project required that she repeat forms and scale each of the components for a pleasing contribution to the whole. “You can put together wonderful colors, fabrics, and furnishings, but if the scale doesn’t fit the size of the room, it won’t come out with the same effectiveness,” she says.

The kitchen was completely gutted and rearranged to accommodate such cutting-edge amenities as warming drawers, crisper drawers, soft-touch systems on every drawer, a double oven, and a cafe latte Miele coffee system. As a luxury real estate broker, Nicole understands exactly what distinguishes the ordinary from the extraordinary. And Robinson knew how to put all the pieces together.

A beautiful hand-tiled range hood, real granite countertops, and rich colors on the cabinets give it warmth that transcends trendy Tuscan styling and gives it a timeless appeal. The new design eliminated the breakfast dining area, replacing it with a bar area for casual seating. “My kitchen was all white before with light-colored countertops, but now it has rich, deep colors that I love,” explains Nicole.

They…replaced stock finishes with layers of color, texture, and architectural elements to place it firmly in the category of luxury living.

The blueprint is anchored by the formal living room and dining room in the center and balanced by the kitchen and family room on one end and the master, guest room, and home office on the other. Like an island of luxury, every room offers intimate views of a newly landscaped yard, which the homeowners designed themselves, surrounded by the green expanse of the country club.

Tom and Nicole were able to combine luxury with comfort thanks to the help of a talented designer and her efficient crew. While they were anxious to move back into their “new” home, Robinson oversaw the final stages of the remodel and orchestrated a complex installation project. Having been stored and staged at her 3,000-square-foot warehouse, each of the furnishings, artworks, and accessories were put in their proper place in a single afternoon.

One day it was completely empty, and the next day it was completely transformed. And unlike a bottle of fine wine, the beautiful interiors of this completely remodeled custom home will be enjoyed again and again as the years go by.