"My team is programmed to ask questions and throw out ideas," Ferrentino said. In the master bath, for instance, they found a way to create two shadow-box niches for storage or display out of otherwise unused space above the vanity and another above the toilet. "They're not afraid to ask questions or give our input to a situation. In the long run the client appreciates it."

The living room was just too small, so the Hollands had Ferrentino tear out the front wall and extend the room four feet, replacing a small bay window and getting rid of the angled fireplace. Removing the dropped ceiling in the kitchen presented a problem: "Making all that blend, living room to kitchen to dining room, so you couldn't tell we were ever there: That was the challenging part there," Ferrentino said.

Now the house is full of special details Frank and Annette love to point out:

• In the master bath, the vanity is kitchen-counter height, 6 inches taller than a typical vanity. "Who wants to bend over when you brush your teeth?" Frank asks. That vanity has a tilt-out drawer on the front - a feature usually found in kitchen cabinets - to hold toothpaste and brushes.

 • In the living room, Frank designed an oak entertainment unit and had it built by Mike Ward, The Cabinet Man, of Ocala, who also built the oak cabinets for the kitchen. The TV is positioned at exactly the right height for viewing when Frank stretches out in his recliner, and cords and cables are hidden from view. The recliner stands before Frank's "glory wall," where framed certificates and memorabilia record his participation as a crew member aboard the submarine Nautilus when it made the first voyage under the North Pole in 1958.

• In the kitchen, Annette opted for three deep drawers rather than the typical four shallow drawers in base cabinets. Two wall cabinets have glass fronts, to show of pretty dishes; others have solid doors to hide clutter. In a cabinet to the right of the sink, both doors are hinged on the right side to make it easier to reach glasses. There's a tall base cabinet with vertical dividers for trays and cookie sheets. Annette chose a black glass cooktop that's simple to keep clean. A wide eating bar between the kitchen and dining room offers even more storage in its base cabinet. That strange angled wall has been straightened out.

The Hollands' job cost about $24,000, plus another $6,000 for the cabinet work and $5,000 for new carpeting. That's a lot to invest in a house for which they paid $90,000. It has three bedrooms and two baths in 1,600 square feet on a quiet, heavily shaded street where homes stand on one-acre lots. "We know we won't get our money out of it," Annette said, and Frank added, "We're upgrading for our enjoyment." As retirees living in what they expect will be their last house their thinking was: "What kind of kitchen do you want? That's what we'll do." Part of the nice thing about designing your own kitchen, Frank said, is that "You can have what you want."
Ferrentino says he cautions clients about overimproving. "If you're doing it for convenience, or to please yourself, go ahead with it," he said. But putting a $40,000 gourmet kitchen on a $70,000 home, as one prospective client proposed? "If you're doing it to make money, don't do it."

This foray by the Hollands into remodeling will not be their last. "Our next project will be the back porch," Annette said, a 9-by-30 foot expanse they want to enclose to make it a real part of the house. "But we've just bought a motor home, so it'll be a while." Frank grinned. "It won't be too long."