By CHRISTINE DAVIS - Special to the Daily News
 

Douglas Carton is facing a choice: Either he will sell his 1950s Palm Beach
 Regency-style house at 256 Mockingbird Trail, or else he will rebuild it. He bought his North End house about 10 years ago and has already gutted it once, but now he needs a little more room, he says.

“I love the Palm Beach lifestyle, the community and the weather. I love the street, but, since I moved into this house, I’ve had more grandchildren, and I need something just a bit bigger.”

To that end, his three-
bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath house with 4,292 square feet of living space, inside and out, is offered for sale through Sotheby’s International Realty for $2.4 million.

For his first remodel, he tore down interior walls, rearranged rooms, enlarged bathrooms and opened up the kitchen to the family room.

“I wanted something very contemporary and open,” he explains. “It was really perfect for me. I love the privacy in the backyard. It’s conveniently
 located.”

Another plus? The street, which lies about midway between the Palm Beach Country Club and the northern tip of the island, has its own beachside cabana jointly owned by the homeowners.

“It has 200 feet on the oceanfront, two rooms for storage and there are chairs and chaise lounges ready to use,” Carton notes.

A designer from Baltimore, since retired, helped Carton re-envision the interiors, and the results are tastefully done. A driveway circles behind high hedges and leads to the front door. The foyer opens directly into the living room, where ceilings are 10 feet high and French doors offer views of the pool and open to the covered loggia.

A bank of windows on the opposite side of the living room enhances the light-and-airy feeling. The minimalistic style of the room’s fireplace and the stone flooring add to the contemporary feel.

West of the foyer is the kitchen, which has white Shaker-style cabinetry and a center island with room for pull-up seating and a Dacor range, which is set in the butcher-block top. Other countertops are fashioned from Corian, set off with a subway-style-tile backsplash. The refrigerator and dishwasher are integrated into the cabinetry.

Off of the kitchen is a laundry area, which offers access to the two-car
 garage.

The master suite stands just south of the foyer and kitchen and has floors of hardwood oak. The suite also has multiple closets and glass windows that look out through the
loggia.

French doors with privacy glass lead into the master bathroom, where there are a whirlpool-style tub, a walk-in shower and double vanities. Another set of French doors opens to the loggia and pool.

The beach cabana is a real bonus, says Carton, and he and his extended family have enjoyed it as well as the house. “I have had many fond memories here,” he says. “My grandchildren love visiting, and it’s been a great house for entertaining, where my guests can sit at the dining room table and the bar at the island in the kitchen. I’ve also put a dining room table on the loggia for additional seating.

“I like the fact that the house has lots of glass. The sun comes through and makes it very nice.