Home remodeling for St. Augustine's historic homes.

St. Augustine is the oldest continuously inhabited European-established settlement in the United States, and the housing stock shows it. Inside the Historic District, you find coquina-block walls, Dade County pine framing, and tabby floors that have stood for two centuries. Remodeling here is not the same as remodeling anywhere else — it requires a contractor who can read an old wall before touching it, who knows which plaster is original, and who can introduce a modern kitchen without flattening the character that drew you to the home in the first place. That is exactly what Rich Warchol Design has done for more than twenty years along the First Coast.

In the Historic District proper, our work leans period-correct: inset shaker cabinetry with hand-rubbed finishes, unlacquered brass that will patina in the salt air, and stone selections that feel like they could have been quarried nearby. We work around the quirks of these homes — the out-of-plumb walls, the oddly sized original windows, the floors that have settled into a comfortable wave — and we build to fit, not to fight. Permits here run through the City of St. Augustine and frequently involve the Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB). We have navigated that process for years and can represent your project before the board.

Across the Bridge of Lions on Anastasia Island, the homes shift to coastal: raised beach houses, cedar-shingled cottages, and newer builds that lean open and bright. Salt air is brutal on cabinetry hardware and finishes, so we specify marine-grade hinges, powder-coated pulls, and finishes rated for coastal exposure. Out toward Vilano Beach and the North peninsula, you find a mix of mid-century ranches and waterfront contemporaries — each calls for a different hand, and we adjust accordingly.

Further south, the newer communities around World Golf Village and St. Augustine South bring a different challenge: large, builder-grade homes that need a more custom touch. We gut those kitchens and rebuild with hand-built cabinetry, real stone, and layouts that actually serve a household rather than a developer's pro forma. Whether your home is 250 years old or 25, the standard is the same: honest scope, fixed quote, one team that designs and installs. If you are planning a kitchen remodel, a bathroom renovation, or a whole-home renovation, we would love to walk the space with you.