330 Homes Spring 2022

s p a c e l i f t | d r e a m h o u s e | f r e s h d e s i g n

by ALEXANDRA SOBCZAK and photos provided by OLD WORLD CUSTOM HOMES

E L E VAT E D COMF OR T This great room and kitchen balance creative design with coziness.

E ven grand spaces can feel cozy. That idea is exemplified in the open-concept great room and kitchen of this new build in Sharon Township. “I wanted to make it feel grandiose, but also take into account the acoustics,” says Jim Yezbak, head of design and sales at Old World Custom Homes. “When you do an open-concept plan, voices tend to echo.” That’s why the living area is 15 feet high, while the kitchen and dining area is 22 feet high. “The kitchen and dining room, you don’t usually see as a two-story space,” he says. “I accounted for that being the main wow factor of the house.” That difference in height appears “pleasantly asym metrical” from the outside, while creating a balance between grand and comfort able on the inside, he says. Despite the space’s strik ing features, lower ceilings in the living space and oak trusses forming a diamond over the kitchen make for a more intimate feel. “It does create more of a cozy feel in a space that’s actually quite tall,” Yezbak says. He describes other standout features in the great room and kitchen.

t h e de ta i ls

F I R E P L AC E : The most eye-catching feature is the fireplace — it’s 14 feet wide. Fireplaces generally don’t exceed 7 feet in width, so this stone veneer and limestone feature draws attention. “It was a design risk for sure,” Yezbak says. “It’s always a risk to go outside of what is normalcy.”

Although the width is unusual, Yezbak says some others have been designing fire places that flare out or have ornate details. “People [are] starting to look at a fireplace as, Oh, wait. We can do something dif ferent here, ” he says.

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