If you built your home in the 1990s (or before), it’s not uncommon to want to update its look. Some might even want to scrap the whole thing and start over, which is what Josette Kark of JK Design encountered with the owners of a 90s-era home in Alliance, Ohio. They had grown tired of the dated look of the home and asked Josette to redesign the entirety of its interior.
She began the whole-house project with the kitchen and a nearby bathroom. The homeowners love to entertain and find that their guests always end up in the kitchen. Josette completely reimagined the space to open it up, create zones for socializing, and, in the process, moved both plumbing and electrical to maximize the space.
One of the most striking aspects of the redesign is the Dekton® quartz countertop in gray tones with shades of burnt umber. “Everyone who’s seen it is crazy about that piece,” said Josette.
With the new island in the center, the sink was relocated to the back wall. Josette seized an opportunity to create a feature wall above the new sink. “We installed handmade tile in shades of bronze with gold accents running through it. By adding the floating shelves lit from below, it creates additional interest that draws your eye to that space.” The sink area is finished off with a black faucet from Delta’s Litze collection accented in champagne gold.
She moved the refrigerator a few feet to the left, which allowed her to flank the new sink and feature wall with matching double pantries on both sides.
Above the new espresso station on the end of the kitchen, Josette added French-tyle eglomise mirrors on the cabinet doors as an accent. The opposite end of the kitchen sits beneath a turret where there used to be a dinette table. The new, extra-long island now extends into this area, so Josette added a hanging light to accentuate the turret without taking up floor space.
Another dramatic change was the addition of updated 42-inch upper cabinetry. “We removed the soffits to allow for the greater height,” said Josette. The taller cabinets aid in the updated look, as shorter cabinets in the 30- to 36-inch range are typically standard in older homes. The larger cabinets can also accommodate elongated, 10-inch door handles instead of old-style knobs.
Josette took a different approach to the kitchen backsplash, as well. Behind the stove, she interrupted it to run more of the quartz countertop material up the wall. The new stove top hood is concealed in a faux cabinet above.
For the walls, Josette replaced the dated green wallpaper with a sophisticated finish hand-painted by Paul Perduke, a painter with a long association with JK Design. “Paul has done all the walls in my own home,” said Josette.
The bathroom near the kitchen underwent a dramatic redesign as well, with a hand-stenciled wall treatment by Perduke, a bold sculpture from the JK Design showroom, and a vanity by Ambella Home. The space is capped off by a chandelier from Fine Art.
Contributing Partners:
Contractor: Paramount Elite (Sam Rinaldi, owner)
Custom Cabinets: AC Woodworking
Floors: Williams Floor (Jim Leslie, owner)
Quartz Counter: Strata Granite and Marble (John Newlon, owner)
Painting: Paul Perduke
Electrical: Shaun Steiner, S&M Electric
Plumbing: Rory Rembert, Water Services
Appliances: Hartville Hardware and Grove Appliance