AURORA AWARD
Winning Builder
CJB Construction
When a builder constructs his own home, you assume the finished product will be a veritable masterpiece. And this is certainly true with the house of Craig Baranowski, owner of CJB Construction, a luxury residential and commercial builder based in Northwest Florida. Located near the exclusive beachside community of WaterSound, approximately halfway between Pensacola and Panama City, Fla., his home personifies how details make the difference between easy living and custom living.
Perched on a high piece of land in this beachside resort community, the 6,000-square-foot home, which includes four bedrooms, three baths and three half-baths, backs up to St. Joe’s Camp Creek Golf Course, offering magnificent views of the greens, emerald gulf waters and sugar white beaches. Although the narrow lot was the perfect setting for astatus quo, shotgun-style structure, Baranowski wanted something far different. In his vision for “the ultimate coastal family home” he pictured a place with real intrigue, customized characteristics and the ability to foster laughter, communication, activity and imagination. He wanted to give his wife a very chic, state-of-the-art home, yet he also felt his family needed a comfortable, cozy place in which they could relax, be themselves, and indulge in the natural environs that beachside living presents.
Baranowski set out to fulfill his vision first by breaking up the sterile, rectangular space into large rooms — as well as a few nooks and crannies — and incorporated key elements such as varying rooflines and ceiling heights, modules of intrigue, multiple porches and striking color. Throughout the first floor, Baranowski used 12-foot ceilings to infuse the rooms with grandeur and space, thus minimizing a longish feel and optimizing the massing of the house. Slight elevation changes, achieved with single steps up or down into various rooms and areas, further broke up the bulkiness. He picked a color pallet of blues, greens and whites — reminiscent of the nearby seascape — to practically draw in the smells and sights of the beach. Baranowski also established a very personal sense of warmth and familiarity by using several decorative themes, carried from room to room. For example, the brick chosen for the dining room archway, as well as in the kitchen pantry, coordinates with the brick selected for the home’s three massive fireplaces. Of note, each of these fireplaces has custom corbels, replicated from an old school in Baton Rouge, La., hand-painted and then antiqued for texture. In addition, this signature brick accents various rooms and is painted white for a clean beach feel.
Given the family’s love for sports and recreation, the builder also wanted to incorporate elements that would facilitate — and even encourage — such healthy living. Baranowski, an avid cyclist, and his wife, a triathlete, wanted an entrance where they could drop, clean and store gear, as well as shower off before heading inside the house. The solution: an outside private shower, hidden discreetly near the front door, with hot and cold water options. After a good ride or long run, this shower is a mini oasis, the perfect spot to rinse off and relish in the seaside breezes. Then, a side door leads into a laundry/activity area, where each family member has personal lockers, complete with cell-phone charging outlets, as well as a large table for organizing gear, folding laundry, wrapping presents, doing art projects or crafts, sewing and more.
Moving into the heart of the house, the kitchen itself is a masterpiece in its own right — so much so, that it won the prestigious 2007 Aurora Award in the “Best Kitchen” category for its “loyalty to architectural design and details.” The focal point of the room, a 76” by 79” marble kitchen island provides the perfect spot for preparing freshly caught seafood, tasting from a vintage bottle of wine, or even serving the girls a quick meal. This customized, central counter-space is a fundamental design element, being that the Baranowskis are a family with a passion for cooking fresh foods. With their very own blueberry patch and an herb garden just outside, beyond the kitchen door, seasoning the family’s culinary delights is a snap. (For additional highlights, see sidebar.)
Retiring to the bedrooms is a fantastical experience in concept and creativity — especially if headed to either of the children’s rooms. Located in their own wing of the house, the girls’ shabby-chic rooms were fashioned to look almost like little attic playhouses with white washed wood planking covering the vaulted ceilings, walls and floors.
Each room also has coordinating tiny chandeliers, custom closets with motion-detector lighting, and a private balcony. The bedrooms are joined by a Jack-and-Jill bathroom that has a claw-foot bathtub with air jets for billions of bubbles.
In styling their own bedroom and bath, the Baranowski’s transformed the massive space into a “secluded, private retreat.” Bathroom highlights include a huge marble shower, separate vanity area, and a Japanese soaking tub with window views of the forest and golf course. The bedroom — a gracious 930 square feet — comprises a sleeping area under 17-foot vaulted planked ceilings, as well as their own personal living room, complete with a fireplace for relaxation, reading — even romance. From this master suite, the Baranowski’s can sit out on the balcony and watch their girls enjoy the pool below. Or, with their spectacular view of the gulf, they can regularly witness a sunrise or sunset show of citrus shades stretching across the sky.
When it’s time to work, Baranowski heads to the third floor, where he can quietly focus in his private office or even entertain clients. (His wife also has a personal study, set near the kitchen and “close to all the activity.”) But when ready for a break, both the fitness center and pool await. The ultimate personal gym, the fitness center is equiped with with an iPod Docking station for playing their favorite music, a 36-inch flat-panel TV and high-tech exercise equipment. (Baranowski’s indoor bike trainer connects to his racing bike, laptop and flat panel TV and measures power output, pedaling efficiency and enables Baranowski to train on bike courses from all over the world.) Mirrored walls and recycled rubber floors also authenticate a true-gym ambiance. Furthermore, the gym is purposely separated from the rest of the house, to give the impression that you’re not at home — the motivation sometimes needed to make the “commute” and to not wake the family during early morning workouts.
A large porch, offering morning shade from the brilliant sun, provides the perfect view of the family pool … one that offers a dip of a different sort. The black bottom contrasts sharply with the home’s fair colors, while also warming the pool year round. (The Heat Pump helps extend the season in the winter months.) The rectangular shape maximizes recreational use, while fountains spill water into the pool and keep the aquatic experience fresh and invigorating. Just beyond these dark, cool waters sits the girls’ “play house,” a tiny poolside cottage, complete with all the essential utilities. Here, Baranowski installed the same wood planking and hardwood floors that run throughout the main house, as well as a metal roof, planter box and even the girls’ own little blueberry patch. It’s the perfect place for a game of make-believe.
Following Baranowski’s vision of the home, he encorporated the latest technologies in green building and energy efficiency. “I wanted a large house with all the amenities, but I wanted to consume less energy than a house half its size.” Baranowski used Icynene foam insulation throughout the house, triple paned hurricane impact Low-E Kolbe windows, four zones of Carrier Infinity air conditioning units, and four tankless water heaters. “Foam insulation and tankless water heaters are the best investment you can do to your house, our electric bills our half of what we had projected them to be”, said Baranowski. “Zoning of the heating and air conditioning in addition to zoning the hot water heaters eliminates a significant amount of wasted energy.” High efficiency compact fluorescent bulbs are in over 90% of their light fixtures as well as using high efficiency appliances such as their LG Tromm Washer and Dryer. Baranowski’s electric bills are lower than his previous 2,800sf home he lived in for the past three years. “It is truly amazing to not have your air conditioning units running 24/7 during summer. Most of the time the air conditioning unit only runs to pull humidity from the air versus actually cooling a space, that is how efficient the home is.”
Healthy living is a key component to Baranowski and his family, so they made a major commitment to living green beyond just building an energy efficient home. The house was painted using Low VOC paint, they have a recycling center, a herb garden, and use all natural bio degradable cleaning products and purchase primarily organic foods. “Being around construction everyday, it is amazing how toxic some of the building products and paints can be. Every little bit helps to contribute to a healthier lifestyle and environment,” said Baranowski.
Baranowski’s signature dream encapsulates a luxurious, convenient and highly customized experience. But this approach isn’t limited to the haven he created for his family. Baranowski believes all his clients deserve a personalized living experience, and when given the opportunity, that’s exactly what his company delivers. In fact, that’s why he created CJB Construction — to answer the growing need for luxury residential and commercial construction in Northwest Florida. With a keen eye for detail and relentless pursuit for perfection, his company strives to turn each customer’s unique vision of paradise into an individualized masterpiece.
Baranowski’s mission clearly plays out with other custom homes he’s built in Northwest Florida, including many projects built in St. Joe’s Award Winning WaterColor and WaterSound developments.”I have been fortunate to work on some really amazing projects. One house in particular has this unique galvanized staircase that resonates like an old steel bridge when you walk on it”, said Baranowski. In fact, the house separates the main living spaces with a breezeway that was built specifically to mimic the sound of a wood bridge walking over water. Large glass windows were used to excentuate this space with the staircase to create a truly unique area in the home.
“North West Florida has beautiful nature preserves. Which are oftertimes key features of the homes built in this area. One of my projects backed up to a nature preserve, this house had a large back porch that drew in the natural environment, generating the ideal setting in which to unwind. “
Baranowski is currently working on several custom homes in St. Joe’s exclusive WaterSound Community. “I am very excited about these projects, we put a lot of effort in making these homes truly unique . We pulled out all the stops and broken through the stereo typical barriers to create something magical in this special development,” said Baranowski.
CJB Construction’s mantra is “We build Your Vision” — considering the properties mentioned above, Baranowski is a builder who is true to his word and sensitive to an individualized approach. CJB works from the project’s conceptual stage to completion, ensuring that the vision and design are carried through to the finish. For more information, call (850) 259-1788 or visit
www.cjbconstruction.com.