Couple Settles in to the Landings Lifestyle

After retiring to Savannah, Brian and Regina Conklin built their dream home, complete with a secret whiskey room.

Written by MARY CORNETTA
Photography by JASON MANCHESTER // Courtesy AMERICAN CRAFTSMAN RENOVATIONS

AT FIRST, REGINA AND BRIAN CONKLIN dismissed the idea of buying this home in The Landings’ Marshwood neighborhood. “We loved the location and the view, but we couldn’t wrap our heads around getting the house from what it was to what it is today,” says Brian. But their friend and fellow whiskey aficionado, Mark Turner, recognized its potential and convinced the couple to go for it. Turner is a Virginia-based architect and the owner/founder of GreenSpur. (He also owns a whiskey company, Lost.)

“Even though Brian and I had never built a home together, we lived in multiple different homes together, so we had a lot of ideas about what we wanted,” says Regina. After a previous career in government, Brian began working for USAA and was transferred from Washington, D.C., to San Antonio, where he met Regina, who was also working with USAA. 

The couple, who married in 2017, split their time between Texas and Virginia as they have four young adult children between them. As the kids became more independent and retirement loomed on the horizon for Brian and Regina, they began setting their sights on a vacation home. They searched up and down the East Coast, from D.C. to the Florida-Georgia border before falling in love with Savannah. In the fall of 2020, they purchased a property in the Deer Creek section of the Landings, where, with the flexibility of remote work, they were able to escape for a long weekend every so often.

Before long, Savannah began to feel less like a getaway and more like a place to put down roots. “We were looking at either significantly renovating the house in Deer Creek to make it a more permanent home for us or building or buying something new,” says Brian. Around this time, the home on Marshwood, then vacant, went up for sale. “When we looked at it, we thought it needed too much and it was a bigger project than what we could do,” according to Brian.

But Turner happened to be in town for a visit shortly thereafter, and they brought him to view it. Upon declaring that he could “make it epic,” the Conklins decided to put their trust in him as architect. After closing on the house in the summer of 2022, they got to work looking for a builder for a comprehensive makeover.

Brian admits that the renovation was almost like building from scratch. “There was a lot of concrete in the ground, so it saved us some money, but it was pretty much a teardown project.”

For the project, they landed on local contractor American Craftsman Renovations. The company’s owner, Kevin Norris, says, “Regina and Brian took a big leap of faith” working with a contractor in a city they didn’t yet fully live in. “They visited periodically and had positive feedback all through the process. The mutual respect we all have for each other made the project a phenomenal success.” 

Between weekly phone calls and regular Zoom meetings, the team worked together to create a custom design that included everything on the Conklins’ wish list.

The early 1990s home was a more traditional style than what the Conklins had in mind. And, at roughly 3,800 square feet, they wanted something larger, especially for those times when the kids visit all at once. To increase the size and open up the layout, they added onto the existing foundation, allowing them to enlarge the garage and create a first-floor primary suite. They also replaced the roof and built new beams and columns, dramatically expanding the second story. The electrical and plumbing work was completely redone, and although the original home had an elevator, a new one was installed in a different spot.

Aside from structural changes, Brian and Regina desired features that would serve them in their next chapter. One of those features is the showstopping whiskey room. It’s a speakeasy style lounge, entered via cabinetry in the foyer. The hidden room holds an impressive liquor collection, consisting mostly of bourbon, on dozens of display shelves.

“There are stories behind lots of the bottles,” says Brian. In a corner stands a Maker’s Mark barrel from the Kentucky distillery that serves as a table. (There’s a second barrel filling the same role on the back porch). Additionally, the space features a wet bar, a TV, a set of leather reclining chairs, and a half bath, making it an ideal space to unwind, entertain visiting friends, and indulge in a shared hobby.

Brian advocated for the first-level back deck to have a wood-burning fireplace, grill, and smoker for another pastime he’s grown an affinity for, especially now that he’s joined Regina in being officially retired. As much as she savors bourbon and brisket, there’s one part of the house that holds a special place in her heart: the sitting room.

Their goal is to age in place, so the couple wanted their bedroom on the main level. The suite includes a posh bathroom, a convenient laundry room just off the custom walk-in closet, and a cozy sitting area surrounded by wraparound windows, complete with a kitchenette and fireplace. The couple says they relax there every day, soaking in the view of the marsh with their morning coffee.

The Conklins also pushed for a large walk-in pantry to minimize visual clutter in the kitchen, particularly since it’s an open-concept space with the living room to one side and the dining room to the other. There are statement pieces in each space, including the wood accent ceiling above the dining table, the 1,000-pound matte marble backsplash, and the steel fireplace surround in the living area. 

Although it took time to procure and install, steel became a common theme in the house, and the Conklins agree it was well worth the wait. They chose steel for the staircase railings and the outdoor fireplace, visible from the living room. “We liked that there would be some similarity in material when we open the doors,” explains Regina. “I also wanted to make sure we were doing things to soften up the space and make it homey, even when we were adding something cool like the steel.”

Overall, the aesthetic is a mix of coastal farmhouse and contemporary, incorporating materials that give it a breezy feel despite the modern accents. It all blends beautifully with the picturesque piece of land it sits on. “We always talked about living on the water, and now we’re here!” says Regina. Brian adds that they can’t imagine tiring of the view, as every day they watch different birds and boats sail by, or spy deer in the marsh, from either their sitting area or one of the outdoor decks.

As they continue to settle into The Landings lifestyle, they’ve begun taking advantage of all the outdoor amenities the community has to offer. “That’s one of the reasons we wanted to retire here,” says Regina. “We can see ourselves benefiting from all the activities they have going on.”

Whether it be playing pickleball or golf, smoking meat, or sipping on bourbon, the Conklins are clearly enjoying the good life. 

“The finished product exceeded our expectations,” says Brian. “We just came back from a 15-day trip, and as soon as we walked in, we said, ‘It’s great to be home.’” Like a good bourbon, they are finding that their life in Savannah is well worth savoring.

DETAILS

• Neighborhood: The Landings
• Year built: Originally in 1993
• Year Purchased: July 2022
• Time of renovation: 1 ½ years
• Number of bedrooms: 4
• Number of bathrooms: 5
• Square footage: 9,000 including both back porches (original 3,865 plus 6,200 new construction under air)
• Architect/interior designer: GreenSpur, Mark Turner and Zach Gasper
• Builder: American Craftsman Renovations
• General contractor: Kevin Norris, American Craftsman Renovations
• Landscaper: Hester and Zipperer
• Kitchen design: GreenSpur, Mark Turner and Zach Gasper
• Bathroom design: GreenSpur, Mark Turner and Zach Gasper
• Furniture: Toi Talasek, Class, Covers, and Color
• Tile: Garden State Tile
• Wood flooring: Acme Brick
• Windows/doors: Coastal Sash & Door
• Art: Toi Talasek, Class, Covers, and Color
• Custom cabinets: Crawford Norris Custom Cabinets
• Countertops: Trade Factory Design
• Electrician: Harmon Electric
• HVAC: Impact Air
• Appliances: Livingood’s Appliances and Bedding
• Plumbing fixtures: Southern Bath and Kitchen