A love of all things French brings grace and charm to the Barnes home
By Christy Smith
February 2010

The home of Durham and Jan Barnes offers the neighborhood a view with a Mediterranean feel. However, behind the home’s hulking front door is the ambience of a chic French château.

The Barneses have lived in the 4,400-square-foot home for a decade. Built in 1926, it has four bedrooms and four baths and includes a rarity among Florida houses — a full basement.

The foyer offers a peek through the home’s arched entryways. Black and white floor tiles balance smartly with the dark hall table topped in white marble.

The Barneses’ music room sits in the heart of the home. A piano is tucked in the corner with seating snuggled up to it, allowing for cozy musical moments. Antique furnishings punctuate various spaces. The rest of the living spaces project from this common area.

One of Jan’s favorite rooms is what she calls the sun porch. Once an open terrace, the now-enclosed porch’s many arched windows  lend an open-air feel to the room. A rustic cupboard is a centerpiece in the sunny space and provides a home to Jan’s French Quimper pottery collection.

The arched windows — many of which are original — are a striking feature of the home. They are most stunning in the living room, where the home’s original arched French doors open to the backyard terrace.

“We use the terrace a lot — for breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays — when the weather’s permitting,” Jan says.

Colors reflect a love of French style

The living room’s textured stucco walls are painted a sunny shade of yellow, adding lightness to the stucco’s heavy surface. The sunny stucco is also featured on the fireplace surround. Combined with a crisp white mantle and a sleek black marble facade, the fireplace’s clean lines add to the living room’s formal look. The ceiling is dramatically textured, and molding and trim throughout the home have been painted a snowy white.

The home’s colors reflect Jan’s love of French country style.

“I’m a country French buff,” Jan explains. “I’m such a Francophile.”

The home’s dining room was once a balcony until a previous owner enclosed it. Arched openings add drama to the space, separating it from the adjacent room. Windows surround this eating and entertaining area on three sides, providing picturesque views of Lake Virginia.

Stepping into the kitchen is like stepping back in time. The cabinetry is original; the doors are accented by vertical grooves, providing a hint to their age. The upper cabinets appear to be built into the walls, not merely attached to them. The buttery yellow that runs through the house tints these cabinets as well, creating a cohesive look throughout. Storage runs all the way to the ceiling, providing the homeowners plenty of space.

“I have tons of stuff, and I like having a place for it,” Jan says. “I’ve sometimes thought we should put in a bigger kitchen. But you can’t do that and honor this house.”

Tucked behind a door is a tall bookcase, hidden from view. “It’s a little surprise that I love about this [kitchen],” Jan says. “It’s just a little place that makes me happy.”

A Sub-Zero refrigerator has been outfitted with panels that match the cabinetry, right down to the vertical grooves. The walls and ceiling — yes, ceiling — are tiled. A blue floral tile border on the walls adds a touch of interest at eye level. Butcher-block countertops reveal an aged patina.

“All the people who lived here before me were tall, so the kitchen counters are not a standard level,” explains Jan, who is, by her own admission, not tall.

A small table for two is tucked into the corner of what used to be the mudroom. This spot offers Durham, a physician, his early morning view of the lake.

A place to relax

The sitting room is where Jan and Durham retreat to watch television and relax.

Built-in cabinetry in a whitewashed finish lines the wall from floor to ceiling. In a mixture of technology and treasures, an LCD television is surrounded by Jan’s collection of majolica pottery. The crimson-tinged walls add color to this comfortable room. A petite chandelier tops the look.

“We’re in here a lot,” Jan says. “I just love this room. I love the majolica collection — it makes me happy to see it.”

In the hall, there is the remnant of an incinerator chute, which leads to the basement. The remnants of the incinerator mechanism can still be found behind the basement walls; however, its gas supply was removed long ago, rendering it a novel relic.

Next to it is a phone nook, appearing much as it did when originally built, right down to the period-style light fixture hanging above the small alcove. One can easily picture phone-happy teenagers in saddle oxfords monopolizing this space.

Upstairs, the guest room opens to a second-floor balcony through French doors. The light streaming through the doors gives the room an airy, tranquil ambience. Steel-blue paint hints at the space’s former life as the bedroom of the homeowners’ son.

Durham and Jan’s master bedroom is a vision of tranquility. Rows of windows stream light in. Creamy ivory walls are dotted with blue-and-white plates. The bed looks as though it came straight from a French romance novel, with tufted upholstery and curling woodwork. A small secretary stands at the ready for when a friendly note needs to be written.

The master bath has remained mostly untouched by the Barneses, for while it has vintage cabinetry it also offers a more contemporary large size.

“It was a big bathroom for that particular time,” says Jan.

Another vintage bath, just off the second guest room, looks as though it has stepped back in time. From the white hexagonal floor tiles to the small rounded tub, the washroom is a virtual time capsule.

Jan’s office stands as a maze of books and office materials. Her desk is nearly hidden by a bookcase that bisects the room. Quaint antique linoleum still covers the floor.

“I thought it had a lot of charm so I left it,” Jan explains.

An airy ‘garden level’

Jan refers to the basement as the garden level in her home. It is accessed by a staircase that, while original to the home, has been updated by the Barneses. Strikingly bold tile now cover the stair risers, creating an eye-catching design when climbing the stairs. The tiles’ graphics lend a French gothic flair to an otherwise overlooked surface.

“I think they are smashing. I love these tiles,” Jan says. “And I love this space right here.”

The space “right here” is the tiny vestibule at the bottom of the basement stairs. It continues the French feel and offers a small seating area.

A significant portion of the basement has been converted to guest quarters. Despite the location, the guest quarters are quite bright, thanks to windows that open to the backyard.  The décor has flavors of French shabby chic, including shades of spring green, soft salmon and buttery yellows. Antiques tie the room’s modern furnishings in with the heirloom space.

The labyrinth of rooms in the basement blends storage and entertaining. A former workroom adjacent to the homeowners’ wine storage is now used as a rustic entertaining area. The raw brick walls and low ceilings contrast to the formality of the rest of the home.

“It’s a fun, funky little space,” Jan says.

Outside, the expansive backyard leads to Lake Virginia. Jan loves the view from the lake — as do others.

“We’ve had people stop and take pictures [from the lake],” Jan explains. “I just think the house looks really pretty from here.

While the Barneses’ home may be in Winter Park, its ambience, its spirit is decidedly en France.