Remodeling a home is no easy feat, but Hannah and Kyle Williams wouldn't let the fear of striking out keep them from remodeling their Leawood home on a dime. The couple found their ranch-styled home in 2020 and while the outside of the home was in great shape, the inside needed a little TLC.
“The owners had been in it for 40 years, but it had green carpet, saloon shutter doors in the kitchen, and a pink-tiled bathroom,” explained Hannah. “It was out of date, and we were really excited to just gut the whole thing and make it our own.”
A budget isn’t everyone’s favorite topic when revamping their space, but Hannah said it added to the excitement of the project. The couple says they turned to social media and magazines for ideas to make their new home into a dream home and shopped around to find the best price.
“Our home is a reflection of who we are as a family. It’s just another form of a creative outlet and almost like an empty canvas to have something to create on,” said Hannah.
When it comes to her favorite spaces in the home, Hannah says her fireplace was an unexpected surprise. During the demo, the couple realized it wasn’t up to code and ended up refinishing the fireplace with a concrete finish to create a modern feel.
Kyle is also a culinary chef and was in charge of renovating the kitchen, which has become their family's favorite space. Hannah says their new kitchen makes it easier for Kyle to cook due to the flow of the new island and placement of kitchen appliances. The couple placed a sink where a breakfast nook used to stand and added a window above.
“When you have kids and your husband’s a chef, you do lots of dishes, and I don’t mind doing the dishes because of the view,” explained Hannah. “You get to see all of our backyard. It’s beautiful to look at, and that’s my favorite part in the kitchen.”
While remodeling looks different for every family, Hannah encourages people to pull quotes from different companies to get the most bang for your buck. The couple says they found that local companies tend to offer better deals and customer service versus bigger companies, and they were easier to work with. Some projects can also be done as a family with the right tools and instructions.
While it takes time and energy to renovate a home, Hannah believes it ultimately benefits families in the long-run.
“There were a couple of times we almost just bought a house that had already been done, but it wasn’t quite our style. My husband knew this was my dream and so getting to do design work was a dream come true,” said Hannah.