Dale and Amy's Key West Reno: A Backyard Oasis
Dale Jr. and Amy Earnhardt move into the final phase in the restoration of their historic Key West home – and it’s the phase Dale has been most looking forward to. The once frighteningly run-down backyard gets transformed into a lush and cloistered retreat with pool, deck and outdoor dining space. Plus NASCAR legend Dale Jr. gets a chance to get behind the wheel of a motorized machine of a different sort.
Home Stretch
After challenges that have included foundation issues, zoning restrictions, scorpions, bees and one particularly ferocious hurricane season, Dale Jr. and Amy are closing in on completion of their renovated home in Key West's historic Old Town district. Now it’s time to take on the rear exterior as they create a high-end space for entertaining, dining and relaxing. And Dale has an idea for a special custom feature involving a surfboard.
For Context, a Look Back
A glimpse of what the backyard looked like before the renovations gives an indication of just how ambitious this project was. By his own admission, the space Dale was most excited about was the backyard – though at the outset it was overgrown, littered with junk and downright frightening.
Treasures Among the Trash
The Payoff
The newly transformed home retains a character and a look that’s in keeping with the neighborhood’s historic roots. Transformations to the interior included changing the original living room into a downstairs bedroom with full bath and laundry room; reconfiguring the rear portion of the home to create an open kitchen and living area; turning an old tool shed into a truly inspired dining room and modifying the upstairs spaces to create two full master suites.
Laying Groundwork
Dale and Amy meet with contractor Steve Krieger to discuss the plans for the backyard makeover. The plan is to build a pool and hot tub surrounded by a sun deck. A covered lanai will provide shade and privacy and will incorporate an outdoor kitchen, dining area and bathroom.
Taming a Jungle
Before construction could begin, the area had to be cleared of dense brush, dead trees, discarded construction materials and a concrete cistern that had once been used to capture and store rainwater.
Start Your Engines
Amy rides shotgun as Dale Jr. tries his hand at the controls of a backhoe to clear debris from the backyard.
Horsepower and Hydraulics
Division of Labor
Before
After
Before
In Progress
New construction includes an expansive deck and a lanai, separated from the main house and located across from the new dining room.
After
Before
In Progress
After
Elegantly Rustic
Indoors and Out
In Progress
After
The Outdoor Kitchen
Amy and Dale worked win tandem to create tile for the outdoor kitchen backsplash using vintage bricks reclaimed from the property. Dale cut the bricks down to tile depth using a wet saw and Amy worked out the design, spacing and placement.
The Outdoor Kitchen, Detail
“We found [the bricks] in the yard as we were excavating,” says Amy. “I’m really excited about re-using these because of where they came from…They have a lot of history behind them.”
The Outdoor Kitchen, Detail
The brick tiles, once installed, got a whitewash paint finish for visual uniformity and to highlight the texture and lettering.
Kitchen Design, Conch-Republic Style
More Creative Repurposing
The outdoor bathroom features shiplap walls and a stone sink that Dale Jr. fashioned out of a remnant of a large granite foundation-block found beneath the original house flooring.
More Creative Repurposing
Endless Summers and Showers Alfresco
A special custom feature — and Dale’s favorite — is the outdoor shower with an actual surfboard mounted against the dimensional slate tile. The tropical design on the surfboard was executed by Kevin McCree, artist and custom paint specialist who has painted many of Dale’s racecars.
Behind the Scenes
Behind the Scenes
Behind the Scenes
Amy displays her skills with a pneumatic nail gun as work gets underway the back wall of the lanai.
Fun fact: Dale Jr. dislikes the word lanai. “Not one of my favorite words,” he said. “Never heard it before we started this project.” He insisted on referring to the finished space as simply “the outdoor kitchen area”.
