"Developer-designed," "builder-grade," "spec home": None of these terms elicit visions of a high-design, uniquely detailed space. But that’s exactly what Brooklyn-based designer Natalie Kraiem was looking to change when she embarked on a new kind of design project last year.
After years of experience in bespoke, high-end residential interior design, Kraiem was looking for a new project when COVID put other client work on hold. She had been vacationing and designing on the Jersey Shore for a long time, so she figured she had a pretty good idea of what prospective homeowners searched for when purchasing in the coastal locale—and with the sudden demand for real estate, there simply weren’t enough good homes to go around. So, she thought, why not create one?
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But first, she endured a dramatic purchasing process familiar to many over the past few years: “I went into a bidding war,” says Kraiem. “And I ended up having to come up with a better offer, and then got the property—all in 48 hours!”
With the house secured, Kraiem knew she had to outfit it with all the bells and whistles to turn a profit. “I was like trying to cut every corner for budget reasons, but at the same time I wanted it to represent my brand; I needed to keep the standards of quality that I usually do for my clients.” That meant careful layout planning, custom millwork, and a whole slew of amenities (hello, extra laundry room, and entertaining cabana!). Read on to see how she brought it to life.
Exterior
“I didn't want it to stand out on the block," says Kraiem. "I felt like the right look for the house was a more traditional, Hamptons-inspired style."
Living Room
Kraiem's custom touches begin right when you enter the home: “It was very important for me to have details,” says Kraiem. “I did not want it to be like a shoe box.”
One of the most impactful ways she did that was millwork. "The staircase, entrance, hallways, everything has molding; there’s paneling throughout and then we added beams in the dining rooms and arched doorways and a coffered ceiling in the living room," says Kraiem.
Dining Room
Kraiem sold the home partway through the design process—the family that bought it wanted a pop of color, so she rearranged the dining room molding to surround a wallpaper mural from Elitis.
Bedrooms
“A lot of families come with in-laws, siblings, and guests,” Kraiem says of the demographic at the beach town. “It's like a multi-family home.” So, she created several bedrooms to allow for a multitude of guests.
The designer also incorporated a sitting room into the primary bedroom since she knew homeowners that play frequent host might want a space where they can relax and recharge away from the crowd.
Kitchen
“I wanted the kitchen to be completely like one I would do for any client,” says the designer. That means “garbage disposals, hot and cold water dispensers, pot fillers, spice cabinets, custom appliance panels, floor-to-ceiling molding, and top-of-the-line appliances.” from brands like Brizo and Dacor. Kraiem admits that these are “features that most spec houses wouldn’t do, but I wanted it to be top of the line—and that's also a good selling point.”
Cabana
Adjacent to the main house kitchen is a pool cabana, complete with a second kitchen. “Everybody likes to entertain in the summer and it’s great to have a cabana or some kind of area where they don’t need to go into the kitchen or mess up their home," Kraiem says.
In addition to the kitchen, the cabana contains a second laundry room and a bathroom. “No one wants to have to go into the basement for laundry when you’re at the pool area,” says Kraiem.
Kraiem is already at work on two more spec builds. And while lessons in amenities and layout will certainly carry over, that's largely where the overlap will end: "I want each house I do to be completely unique," says the designer.
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