{"id":1087,"date":"2025-07-08T12:02:19","date_gmt":"2025-07-08T12:02:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.unlockhost.com\/?p=1087"},"modified":"2025-07-14T12:47:10","modified_gmt":"2025-07-14T12:47:10","slug":"before-after-in-the-caribbean-a-couple-bring-an-old-wooden-prefab-back-to-shipshape-condition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.unlockhost.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/08\/before-after-in-the-caribbean-a-couple-bring-an-old-wooden-prefab-back-to-shipshape-condition\/","title":{"rendered":"Before & After: In the Caribbean, a Couple Bring an Old Wooden Prefab Back to Shipshape Condition"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Jennifer and Kenard Bunkley fixed up the former sailing clubhouse and outfitted it for spending time with their relatives in the Dominican Republic.<\/p>\n

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The air shifts on the narrow, winding road<\/b> from El Lim\u00f3n to Playa Estillero, growing richer and slightly earthier with the smell of damp soil and sun-warmed wood. All is quiet as we arrive in this coastal enclave on the Dominican Republic\u2019s Saman\u00e1 Peninsula, except for the sounds of palm trees swaying lazily in the ocean breeze, construction in the distance, and rhythmic calls from roosters, woodpeckers, and frogs.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Jennifer and Kenard Bunkley purchased a beachside clubhouse in the Dominican Republic\u2019s El Lim\u00f3n region to serve as a holiday home for their family of five. “The architecture, the wood, and the fact that the home is enmeshed in nature were all good draws for us,” says Jennifer. The pair updated the original front porch with fresh decking and a new railing, and they redesigned the kitchen to better incorporate the large reception window (see top photo).<\/p>\n

Photo: Victor Stonem<\/a><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Tucked behind a veil of fruit trees and tropical plants is a kit building, originally imported from Brazil in 2003, that was once a reception center for a tight-knit sailor\u2019s club before it was converted into a private home. The three-bedroom beachside cottage has more recently been revamped by Jennifer and Kenard Bunkley of Queens, New York, to serve as a getaway for themselves, their three children, and their relatives\u2014including Jennifer\u2019s mother, aunts, uncles, and cousins in Santo Domingo\u2014as well as the occasional short-term guest.<\/p>\n

Before: Kitchen<\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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Before: The original kitchen didn\u2019t match the rest of the home, so the couple added new cabinet fronts and concrete flooring.<\/p>\n

Courtesy Casa Madera<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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“We tried to utilize the resources here as much as we could, so most of the things in the house are handmade.”<\/p>\n

\u2014Jennifer Bunkley, designer and resident<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

After: Kitchen<\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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The couple also replaced the stove and extended the counters and cabinetry with an L-shaped layout. The windows provide views of the vegetation that surrounds the home. Jennifer says she spends a lot of time in the kitchen, even when she\u2019s not cooking. “We view everything through the lens of food,” says Kenard. The kitchen cabinetry and counters are by a local artisan Leudi.<\/p>\n

Photo: Victor Stonem<\/a><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

See the full story on Dwell.com: Before & After: In the Caribbean, a Couple Bring an Old Wooden Prefab Back to Shipshape Condition<\/a><\/b>
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