The Kings of Kings Point – Living and building on the water for three generations
After living in North Carolina for the last nine years, Judy and Chuck King are moving back to Panama City and are building a new house.
The Kings are part of the heritage of Panama City and are building on a five-acre parcel that Chuck’s family has owned for decades in Kings Point, a prestigious residential area of Panama City that was originally acquired and developed by his grandfather, Charles King. “My grandfather acquired all the land and was quite an entrepreneur. You would never quite know what he was going to do next. He was totally self-made.” He explains: “I lived in Destin for 25 years. I love the coast but I also love the mountains in North Carolina. Each area that my wife Judy and I lived in had its own charms. Judy had to move a lot because she was in the Air Force. She retired as Senior Master Sergeant after 22 years. We met in Destin when she was stationed at Eglin Air Force Base. We have been married for 18 years. I love the altitude and flora and fauna in North Carolina but Panama City and Kings Point are home. I grew up here. Eventually we moved back here to be near family. Family is the most important thing.”
One thousand feet of deep water access surround the five acres of land. The Kings worked closely with builder Rick Koehnemann who advised them to elevate the house. “The property was never flooded but we still brought in a lot of dirt. Now the elevation is ten feet. I think it is the smartest thing we ever did and it also gives us a better view,” states Chuck King. “We designed the three bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom floor plan of the house for maximum water views. Our waterfront setting is more elaborate than the house itself.”
They decided to opt for the installation of a metal roof. “To me this is the best of all worlds. It is a metal roof that is coated, yet it comes in shingle form. The price point is two and a half times the price of a regular roof but it is worth it,” he states and continues “Judy is a high-energy lady, she even lived in Germany for eight years when she was with the Air Force. She designed the house and laid out every room. She knows exactly what she wants and designed the house to be 100% about the view.” The house features plenty of space for hobbies. It accommodates a media room for Chuck and a sewing room upstairs for Judy.
Chuck explains that his “Super Slam” will be mounted to the walls of the media room. A Super Slam is four trophies of big game fish and Chuck explains that they were not caught in a day but as an avid fisherman he has all four species. He is also putting a lot of emphasize on modern technologies. “I have some grandsons who keep me up-to-date with the newest electronic gadgets.” Chuck states and Rick Koehnemann adds “The building requirements for electric gadgets have really changed throughout the years.”
Judy King has realized her vision of making the home easily accessible and laying out almost every room so that it would have a beautiful view. She designed the rooms, put everything on graph paper and moved things around until everything was the way she wanted it. “I was hands-on in designing the house and both Chuck and I are on the construction site every day. You walk in the front door and the first thing you see is the view. Our last house had four bathrooms, this one has two and a half bathrooms with the half bath being in the garage. We wanted to downsize and this size is perfect.”
Rick Koehnemann confirms that there is a trend for new home builders to downsize. There is also a building trend for simpler design and there is a tendency to have as much open space as possible in waterfront homes to maximize the view.
Judy has planned every detail meticulously and will be using the most durable materials. A ten-foot kitchen counter will be custom fitted with hardwood cabinets. Judy has plenty of unique solutions to practical applications. One of her cabinets will be an extra deep “appliance garage” to accommodate her large and heavy kitchen mixer so that it will not have to be carried. And to everyone’s astonishment, Judy’s closet is half the size of Chuck’s closet.
Judy is confident in how things are coming together. “I am sure there will be a lot of things that I wish I would have done differently but right now, it all goes according to plan.”
[box type=”shadow” align=”aligncenter” ]The King residence will be open for viewing May 17 and 18, 2014 at the address 3038 27th Court, Panama City, FL 32405 from 11 am to 3 pm. [/box]