A second-floor ‘wish’ hatched decades ago
comes to fruition with several chapters of
creativity by Tyler Building Company
Written by Kristen Hampshire | Photography by Krista Valliant
Visions of a second floor with open space for entertaining and extra bedrooms began dancing in Kathy Schnorr’s head 25 years ago. “It was gnawing at me,” she says of expanding their Ocean City beach home in the Caine Woods neighborhood, two blocks from Fenwick Island Lighthouse and a skip away from the beach.
“When I couldn’t get to sleep at night, I would get up and design this thing in my head,” relates Kathy, nudging her husband Curt to go for the plan. The couple had been spending summers and vacationing in Ocean City since building the home in 1985.
Back then, when the community was less developed, the Schnorrs enjoyed unobstructed views of Assawoman Bay across the street. Gradually, homeowners built vertically, adding elevated decks and second stories. Trees matured and despite proximity to the bay, the family could no longer watch the lapping waters from their first floor.
Meanwhile, the time had come in 2010 for a new roof. Kathy was holding out. “I knew we needed to replace it, but if we put it on, the dream was over,” she says of years of hopeful planning and biding time. The roof happened. But not too long afterward, the Schnorrs contracted with Tyler Building Co. to construct a rooftop porch over the existing sunroom.
“So, I got my second floor and I just loved going up there to spend time,” Kathy says. “On colder days, I’d sit up there and wrap myself in a coat and blankets and enjoy the beautiful view.”
Even so, she never abandoned the idea of upstairs living space.
When the pandemic set in, the Schnorrs wanted to preserve the place where their children shared so many memories growing up. They’re now a family of 11, including five grandchildren. “We wanted to be able to have everyone under one roof at the same time,” Kathy says.
Once again, they enlisted Will Tyler at Tyler Building Co., working with Project Manager Terry Bradley to manage a 1,500 square-foot upstairs addition, more than doubling the home’s size. Tyler Building Co. has completed a number of second-floor additions in the immediate community. These are wheelhouse projects for the full-service design-build firm.
“We frequently add second or third stories to coastal homes,” says Will. “We have a system for keeping the structure water-tight while removing the roof and adding floor systems. In Ocean City, you really can’t build out much, so you have to build up.”
A Floorplan for 11
After several trips to the Outer Banks and renting a beach house for the whole family, Kathy realized that the inverted floor plan positioning bedrooms down and living space up was ideal for coastal living. She wanted to replicate this concept at their home in Ocean City without completely reconfiguring the existing floor plan, which included three downstairs bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen and great room.
“We didn’t undo what we had downstairs,” she relates, though the couple opted for luxury vinyl plank flooring to replace carpet and fresh paint throughout.
Tyler Building Co. designed a second floor with a master and ensuite, along with a second bedroom and guest bathroom. The living area initially included a wet bar. But the Schnorrs pivoted during construction.
“Mid-project, we added a full upstairs kitchen to the great room,” Will describes, enlisting in trade partner Eastern Shore Kitchens for clean-lined shaker cabinets with matte black hardware and finishes in a coastal-farmhouse aesthetic.
The downstairs kitchen had been renovated the prior year. “The was no reason to eliminate the downstairs kitchen,” Kathy says. “And by adding one upstairs, when we have company, if they get up early, they can have coffee and snacks. We have all of the necessities on our master bedroom level.”
Tyler Building Co. facilitated every aspect of the project, relying on longtime subcontractors including Drury Electric, Coastal Plumbing and Cool Runnings HVAC. The Schnorrs were highly engaged in the project every step of the way.
“I’ve lived in 100-year-old houses my entire life and this was the first time I was making decisions on every single step of a new addition,” Kathy says, unveiling a four-inch binder packed with pages of inspo.
Will adds, “We have relationships with our contractors that go way back, so we can send clients into their showrooms and they can make selections.”
Curt & Kathy Schnorr / Photo by Grant L. Gursky
“I’ve lived in 100-year-old houses my entire life and this was the first time
I was making decisions on every single step of a new addition,” Kathy says.
Elevated Utility by Stairs
While disruption to the downstairs living space was limited, concessions like adjusting some cabinetry made way for a spiral staircase. Kathy was set on wrought-iron rail and balusters. “The stairs are right in the center of the house so we didn’t want it to be an albatross,” Kathy says.
Tyler Building Co. designed a staircase with oak trends stained to complement the flooring. Kathy found C&S Ornamental Iron Co. in Lutherville, MD. “They came to the home, measured the staircase, fabricated it and installed it,” she relates.
Gaining input from clients is an important part of every project, Will says. “This feature was really important to the homeowner, and we always view it as ‘your project,’ from the time we write the proposal,” he says.
BEFORE
AFTER
Old Meets New
Kathy incorporated some favorite oldies—“I’m an antique lover”—with newly acquired transitional pieces that suit the environment. “All of these pieces have stories,” she says, pointing to the upstairs kitchen table she found in 1985 and refinished. The table under the TV belonged to her parents—another refurbishing project for Kathy.
A table positioned in the second-floor great room was a lucky find at a Habitat for Humanity ReStore during one of Kathy’s treasure hunting trips. “When I got it home, I realized from the insignia, it was the same maker as my parent’s table,” she relates.
Incorporating tradition is a testament to the Schnorr’s wish to preserve a place for family to share more memories together. “To see it finished now, there is just this peaceful feeling about being here,” Kathy says.
The second-floor dream came true, indeed. “It was a labor of love.” CS
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