By Christine Davis
Richard Fichman, enraptured by Florida’s lifestyle and good weather, led his entire family from Farmington, Conn., to Hypoluxo Island.
“My wife, Lynn, doesn’t like to travel that much and we still have kids in school,” he explained. And then there were the dogs to consider.
“But Lynn finally gave me permission.”
So, he came down here looking for a condo and went jogging on Hypoluxo Island, and had that eureka moment. “This neighborhood along North Atlantic feels like Old Florida. There were people walking their dogs and kids riding their bikes. No hoopla. And there’s a nice beach and the Ritz.”
So he bought a 1970s-era home at 110 N. Atlantic. But then his whole family showed up for vacations and he ran out of room.
“I was going to put a second floor on that house, but I’d been keeping my eye on an old derelict A-frame at 1013 N. Atlantic that nobody wanted to buy,” he said.
It was almost twice the size of his home, which was a good thing, but …
It was pea-green, overgrown, and had awful tile in the kitchen. The refrigerator actually sat in a wooden enclosure. The house was an eyesore.
“In the back yard, there was a tiki hut. You could have pushed it over. And somebody had tried to fix a leak in the pool by pouring cement in the main drain,” he added.
Everything had to be redone and updated: kitchen, bathrooms, floors, windows.
But that didn’t deter Fichman. He had built his home in Connecticut. Also, he believes that real estate is a good investment, and he’s got a good eye for houses.
“I intuitively knew what the problems in that house were — except for the pool, I wasn’t expecting that.
“And I’m an eye surgeon. My philosophy on renovating is the same as it is in medicine. When something is wrong, you have to make it function the way it functioned in the beginning.
“When a house is built, the owners loved it. They didn’t say: ‘Let’s make a derelict house.’ In the beginning everybody was happy, so how sad this house was.”County tax rolls say the house was built in 1957, but who were the original owners? Nobody knows. Richard Saunders of Elite Home Builders, who did the renovation for the Fichmans, said that a set of plans he found called it a “three-and-a-half breadbox that underwent several renovations.”
Here was Fichman’s mission, as he saw it: He had to bring back that house’s “original spirit” and into the 21st century.
Now, that eyesore of a house is a sight for sore eyes.
“We painted the outside yellow and added some stacked-stone to the façade,” he said. “All the bathrooms have nice subway tile, onyx, travertine and frameless shower doors.
“We repaired the original glass doors and repainted the frames and we added french doors inside.”
Old carpeting has been pulled up; oak flooring has been laid. Crown moldings have been added, as well as a coffered ceiling in the den, applied molding in the foyer and a dome in the dining room.
The kitchen is a gourmet cook’s delight — which is a good thing, because Lynn, Richard said, is a “magnificent cook.” It features custom cabinetry, granite countertops with a waterfall edge, travertine backsplash with a mosaic over the stove, and now there’s bar seating and a pass-through at the windows, which means easy service to the outdoor kitchen.
The pool, which was a disaster, is beautiful. The tiki hut set in the new landscaping is paradise and begging to be enjoyed.
“My wife will love this house,” he enthused. As will the rest of his family. Son Ben with his wife, Jen, will take over the first-floor master suite. There’s room for daughter Meryl when she comes down from college, and a room for Todd who is about to go away to college.
Eventually, he hopes he and Lynn will stay through the winter.
For this eye surgeon, beauty certainly is in the eye of the beholder.
About Hypoluxo Island
Diana Reed of Illustrated Properties sold the house to the Fichmans. She jokingly calls herself Hypoluxo Island’s preservationist. “Whenever you can retain the original charm of an area, you are preserving its history,” she said. “There are lots of cool homes from different eras on Hypoluxo Island. That’s why I live here.”
About the products used in the house
Flooring: Floor & Decor Outlet, Pompano Beach. 954-317-0081
Lighting and Fans: Lighting Universe. 888-404-2744 or www.lightinguniverse.com.
Canvas Work: Wayne’s Custom Upholstery, West Palm Beach. 503-3020.
Landscaping: Anthony Fatone, Lantana. 727-5494.
Garage Door: Broten Garage Doors, Pompano Beach. 954-946-5555
Pool Refurbishment: Atlantic Pool Maintenance, Lantana. 582-1830.
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