330 Homes Summer 2022
Animated publication
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TEXTURES POP IN COLORFUL RANCH
CHERYL and JIM NILSEN'S STRIKING FAIRLAWN DREAM HOME
photo by Tylar Calhoun
CHARMING YARDS MATCH A HISTORIC HOME
A CONTEMPORARY AKRON STANDOUT
MYSTICAL MIRDINARA DECOR ADDS WHIMSY
c o n t e n t s
summer 2022 | volume 4 | issue 2
d r e a m h o u s e 12 REFINED RICHFI ELD HIDEAWAY 22 CONTEMPORARY STANDOUT 32 QUI RKY COLORFUL RANCH
o p e n a i r 08 CHARMING HISTORIC YARDS 28 TIERED TERRACES
f r e s h d e s i g n 10 WHIMSICAL MIRDINARA DECOR
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18 LUXURIOUS KITCHEN 38 GIRL' S BOHO BEDROOM
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32 | PERFECT MIX | photo by Tylar Calhoun
photo by Tylar Calhoun CHERYL and JIM NILSEN'S STRIKING FAIRLAWN DREAM HOME
CHARMING YARDS MATCH A HISTORIC HOME
A CONTEMPORARY AKRON STANDOUT
MYSTICAL MIRDINARA DECOR ADDS WHIMSY
w e l c o m e
by COLIN BAKER
a s u p p l e m e n t t o A k r o n L i f e m a g a z i n e
ADDING VALUE Home renovation projects can strengthen your assets as we deal with inflation.
Pub l i she r COL I N BAKER cbaker@bakermediagroup.com Cr e a t i ve D i r e c t o r WI LL I AM L . TECKMYER I I I wteckmyer@bakermediagroup.com Mana g i ng Ed i t o r KELLY PETRYSZYN kpet ryszyn@bakermediagroup.com As s i s t an t Ed i t o r ALEXANDRA SOBCZAK asobczak@bakermediagroup.com Gr aph i c De s i gne r TYLAR CALHOUN tsut ton@bakermediagroup.com
M ost of us have felt the effects of inflation. It seems to be a common topic of conversation among friends, like complaining about the Cleveland Browns or Guardians. Once you start feeling the pinch at the gas pump and in the gro cery checkout line, it’s easy to start looking at home improve ment projects and think, Maybe I should wait — for some things at least. Obviously, if you have water pouring from the ceiling you should put down this maga zine and call a plumber. For me, inflation or no inflation, I have a rule: I don’t fix electri cal, and I don’t do plumbing or roofing. Everything else I’ll give a try. It doesn’t always work, and I have had to call a few people to fix my mistakes. As someone who has built race cars, I think that gives me the experience and know-how to fix anything. That isn’t true of course, but that’s what I tell myself. The double whammy many are experiencing is that the cost of borrowing money has greatly increased. To slow inflation, the Federal Reserve has and will likely continue to raise interest rates. We are most likely headed into an economy we haven’t seen since the 1970s, which was a difficult time. The good news is that if you own a home, it’s now worth a lot more, especially if you have an updated space. In this issue of 330 Homes , get a look inside a Richfield home remodeled to a more open and modern space,
a renovated colorful ranch in Fairlawn, a yard remodel that complements a historic Hudson home and more. Having an asset like a home is a great way to protect yourself from inflation because assets appreciate while the dollar is worth less. Investing in that asset is one of the best payoffs you can have, because not only do you get to realize the increase in value, but you get to enjoy the improvement of your property along the way. I could go on and on about the economy. I’m not sure why, but I’m somewhat of an economics nerd. I wish my college economics teacher could see me now. Maybe he would revisit the B he gave me. As an amateur stab at forecast ing, I think there will be supply chain relief in the future that will help some of the material costs go down. I also think that inter est rates will continue to go up until inflation gets under control. I can’t see interest rates getting back to where they were in the 1970s because borrowing makes the world go around. I could be horribly wrong. I hope I am. You might be thinking, Do I wait on buying or on a big home improvement project? That is your call, and everyone has their reasons. But it can help add value to your home and help you enjoy it, which is important. Maybe this issue of 330 Homes can inspire you and help you decide what to tackle next.
Con t r i bu t i ng Wr i t e r s BRENDAN BAKER MI CHAEL N I ED LYNNE THOMPSON
Pho t og r aphe r TYLAR CALHOUN
Sa l e s BUNNY LACEY STEVE TYSON BEN D I COLA sales@bakermediagroup.com
C i r cu l a t i on circulat ion@bakermediagroup.com 330-253-0056, ext . 104
Ed i t o r i a l I n t e r n LONDON GREEN
summer 2022 | volume 4 | issue 2
33 O HOMES is published by Baker Media Group, LLC, 1653 Merriman Road, Suite 116, Akron, OH 44313. Copyright 2022© by Baker Media Group, LLC, All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of editorial or pictorial content in any manner is prohibited without written permis sion. Unsolicited manuscripts will not be returned unless accompanied by an addressed envelope and sufficient postage. Baker Media Group, LLC and Akron Life accept no responsibility for unsolicited material. Subscription rates: Continental U.S., One year —$19.95, Two years —$34.95. Call for Alaska, Hawaii or international rates. Single issues available by calling the circulation department or visiting akronlife.com/store. $3.95 each plus $3.50 shipping & handling. Editorial, advertising and busi ness offices: (330) 253-0056, fax (330) 253-5868.
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by ALEXANDRA SOBCZAK and photos provided by SUNCREST GARDENS
TIME CAPSULE A historic home gets picture-perfect yards to match.
T he front and back yards could make charming counterparts to this late 1800s Hudson home. That’s what the homeowners had in mind when they enlisted the help of Suncrest Gardens in Peninsula. “Part of the design of an exterior space is related to tying the hardscape and the landscape back to details on this historic home,” says landscape architect and project man ager Cathy Serafin. She also aimed to create a space that would allow
the homeowners, who have two young daughters, to spend a lot of family time outside — a private outdoor retreat with his toric touches despite the bustling downtown loca tion of the home. From the sandstone slabs from the original
construction forming a path to the wraparound porch in the front to the 650-square-foot back patio overlooking the playset, Serafin’s design seamlessly connects the home to these family-friendly outdoor spaces. She explains some of those connections.
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t h e de ta i ls
A RBOR : This creative wooden arbor with Brussels dimensional piers and limestone caps not only provides a complementary way to visually break up the backyard but also serves as a connection between the lower lawn and upper lawn, while not blocking the view of the playset from the patio or house. “Because the lawn was fairly expansive, we actually cut that lawn in half and added a low seat wall and arbor detail that mimics the shapes that we used in the patio,” Serafin says. It’s illuminated at night, which fits right in with the uplit trees and lit steppingstone path. And the house isn’t left in the dark
PAT I O : The homeowners’ previous house had a backyard that was only 11 feet deep, so they wanted a spacious patio where their family could hang out. Serafin delivered with a 22-by-40-foot area made of blue-gray slate pavers and surrounded by contrasting red-brown mocha pavers. “They have these pitched roofs, so we tried to pick up those angles from the rooflines in the patio,” Serafin says. The space is complete with dining and lounging areas for the family. Both nooks are backed by low seat walls capped with limestone — a material chosen to complement the original house construction —which match the planters in the front yard. The sandstone path and upright barnstone displaying the home’s address, both in the front yard, were also chosen as nods to the home’s history. S E CR E T HAT CH : Despite having their dream patio, the homeowners wanted to make sure the small deck on the back of their house still got used. There used to be Bilco cellar doors with access to stairs to the basement there, but Serafin and her team covered that entrance with movable decking to maximize deck space. “We went right over that Bilco with a deck hatch that lifts for access into the basement,” Serafin says. “But when you see it, you don’t see any of that.”
— roof peaks are also lit with warm light washes. P L AN T S : The
plants chosen for the yards bolster the cozy
and timeless atmosphere.
“Landscaping-wise we kept a very clean palette but tried to use a lot of historical plantings like rhododendrons, boxwoods and fragrant viburnum.” Serafin says.
The homeowners especially love purple, so dwarf Korean lilacs flank the stairs to the front door and sweetspire, false plum yew and more provide interest throughout the yard.
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by KELLY PETRYSZYN and photos provided by DINARA MIRTALIPOVA
FA IRY TALES Illustrations by a Sagamore Hills artist make everyday items enchanting.
ge t t h e look
ME RMA I D WA L L PA P E R AND B E DD I NG , $2 25 AND $ 1 7 5 Mirtalipova first drew this pattern while telling Sabrina stories about mermaids and their underwater escapades. “She asked me to draw mermaids over and over,” she says. She partnered with Hygge & West to make the nautical pattern into bedding and wallpaper, which was featured on the TV show, “Succession.” How to Style: Mirtalipova used the pink and-gold mermaid paper as an accent wall behind Sabrina’s desk (pictured). “That wall isn’t too overwhelming,” she says. “At the same time, it creates a point of interest.” T E A T OWE L S , $24 One of Mirdinara’s first products, the tea towels were first made by carving patterns out of lino block, hand stamping and sewing each one. The soft,
A fter leaving her Uzbekistan, Dinara Mirtalipova longed for
… drawing some of those moments from my child hood. Lots of them involve storytelling, like folklore, songs, pattern.” Mirtalipova explains that the central Asian region where she grew up was a crossroads of many cul tures and the lush patterns and motifs that come with them. “My family cel ebrated textiles,” she says. “It was not only dresses but also interior designs like wall coverings, carpet, kitchen towels, mattresses — basically everything.” The rich illustrations from her Mirdinara line depict mythical worlds and flour
ishing nature. They don’t reference specific stories but rather are modern ren derings of dreamlike recol lections of her past. “It’s just from memory, what ever comes to my mind or to my heart,” Mirtalipova says. Her whimsical art is on everyday items that have been sold through inter national retailers such as Godiva chocolate boxes, toys, Afternoon Tea cups and more. She tells the stories behind some of her items that you can use to enchant your home. Italian boutique iBlues dresses, Crate & Kids
hometown of Tashkent,
its culture. She settled in Ohio about 15 years ago and pursued freelance art after she had her daughter, Sabrina, and left her job in illustrating and hand lettering at American Greetings. The Sagamore Hills-based illustrator found her way back to her multicultural roots through her art. “I realized how deeply I missed all those little nuances,” she says. “It was the greatest desire grab bing a pen and paintbrush,
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absorbent cotton towels are so popular that they are now mass produced, and Mirtalipova gives them as host gifts, including a versatile black-and-white floral one (pictured). How to Style: “When I’m having guests, it makes a nice accent to have a platter on or display food,” she says. A R T PR I N T S , $ 1 00 These giclee art prints are reproductions of her original art made using gouache opaque water based paints and are printed on high-quality cotton paper with light-resistant inks. Mirtalipova enjoys exploring local parks with a sketchbook and loves her “Summer Flowers” 24-by-18 inch piece (pictured) that features red blooms on a green background. “After a long winter, we are still thirsty for green and some sunlight,” she says. “Nature’s awakening is exciting.” P L ANN E R , $ 1 5 . 99 Find a new Mirdinara 17-month weekly planner each year showcasing elements of her latest work. Her 2023 version (pictured) is out this month, featuring pink, white and red flowers on a black background. The design recalls an item from her childhood: black floral Russian lockboxes. “My grandma used to have those,” Mirtalipova says. “The colors look bright and happy on black.”
photo by Hannah Crowell and Seamus Payne
photo by Francois Gagne
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by MICHAEL NIED photos by ANDREW JORDAN PHOTOGRAPHY
REFINED HIDEAWAY A rustic Richfield home brings the Pacific Northwest to Ohio.
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K athy and Jim Donchess bought their Richfield home in 2013 after falling for the late- ’80s hideaway nestled in the woods. The three bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom ranch, however, needed work. “We were so happy with not having our neighbors so close,” Kathy muses. “When we moved into the house we were like, Oy. The functionality was lacking. ” They set about remodel ing the approximately 2,500-square-foot home in a contemporary rustic style. The kitchen was first. After that, Kathy’s interior designer Rita
Muckensturm recom mended the Stow-based Anthony Slabaugh Remodeling & Design for a 2015 bathroom renova tion. It became the first of five remodeling proj ects designer Nick Boka did for the couple with Muckensturm handling furnishings and other design elements. Getting to know the spouses helped Boka bring their visions to life over the years. “She stretches me as a designer — just really unique, custom things that she wants and ideas that she has,” Boka says. In 2016, he utilized materials like reclaimed barnwood
to update a mudroom, and a large exterior remodel followed two years later. He explains that the goal for the exterior was “to bring a bit of that Pacific Northwest style to their home,” since Jim went to school in Oregon, and the couple once considered moving there. New brown siding and stonework create an earthy feel on the facade. “It was all very gray before,” Boka says. A rich brown wooden truss in one of the eaves, new black-paned windows, a dark wooden front door and a geometric wooden deep brown gate add to the aesthetic.
An extensive interior remodel started in 2020 on the home that was separated into closed-off spaces. “We didn’t have a gathering space,” Kathy says. Additionally, the kitchen butted up to the owner’s bedroom, which offered little privacy. Boka worked with Kathy to reconfigure the floor plan for a more open flow that also brought in natural light and created sight lines across the home. A sitting room replaced the bedroom and is open to the neighboring dining room. The step-down sitting room features oversized custom French doors —
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which open to sprawl ing back patios — and sloped ceilings with a chandelier and two skylights. Boka also carved out space for a half-bathroom. Kathy’s transitional aesthetic is reflected in the finishes and furnishings that blend modern and traditional elements. She incor porates updated family heirlooms into many rooms. For example, her great-grandmoth er’s hutch pairs with an antique dining set that was refurbished by Rustewelle and Barker in the dining room. The table and most of the banquette boast a distressed gray finish. The banquette’s legs and chairs, how ever, remain natural to complement the hutch. Rustic decor like a dis tressed rooster lamp and a wire plant holder contrast with crystal detailing in the chan delier and handles on the banquette. Light paint grounds floors run throughout most of the home. The wide planks speak to a modern aesthetic, and the grain, which is atypically varied for a maple, adds character. Similar finishes carry through to the owner’s new suite, which is hidden away behind custom barn doors. Inside, a bed with an upholstered headboard a neutral palette. Engineered maple
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faces a wall of windows with French doors that open to the patio. Floor to-ceiling drapes with a design of greenery can be shut for privacy. Meanwhile, the renovated bathroom is airy, even with a smaller footprint than the original en suite. “We needed to be effi cient with that bathroom space,” Boka says. They did away with an existing tub in favor of a glamour ous shower. It’s glassed in with a rainhead fixture, trough drain, bench and two different tiles. Renovations are ongoing. The home is in the midst of a partial basement remodel with chocolate brown decorative hand poured epoxy flooring, cedar-wrapped structural posts and large windows. Kathy and Muckensturm are already talking furniture to maximize seating. The Donchesses are also thinking about turning the rest of the basement into a workout room with a sauna and third full bath. It’s a work in progress. While they didn’t ini tially see it as a forever home, the renova tions changed that. “Our home is brighter, and much more functional and comfortable for not only ourselves but our sons who visit, guests and gatherings,” says Kathy. “This house is unlike any other we’ve owned or have seen else where, and we like that uniqueness about it.”
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BEFORE
CLOSER LOOK
The homeowners’ original bathroom
Homeowner Kathy Donchess says she got the idea after seeing a photo on Houzz. “When she sees something she likes, she wants exactly that,” says Nick Boka, a designer at Anthony Slabaugh Remodeling & Design, adding that he reached out to the architect who designed the original wooden arch to master the details.
featured two pedestal sinks flanked by slim closets. That layout pales in comparison to the updated vanity, which boasts double sinks, an expansive alba vera marble coun tertop, pristine white cabinetry, a modern subway tile backsplash and two mirrors.
An elliptical arch tops off the vanity.
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 | o p e n a i r
by MICHAEL NIED and photos by CELUCH CREATIVE IMAGING
BR I GH T L U X URY A newly conjoined kitchen and dining room enter a contemporary era.
A homeowner’s tastes can change so much that even a custom build will eventually be due for an upgrade. Dan West of Canton-based Dan West & Co. provided just that for a 25-year-old home in Canton.
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“When they remodeled it, they wanted it to be a different house,” he says. West reimagined the first floor and lower level by renovating the entryway, living room, home theater, kitchen, dining room, owner's bedroom and bathroom and office. Changes are par ticularly evident in the luxurious kitchen and dining room, which became conjoined after West removed sev eral walls. He unified the space with a soft charcoal, cream and soft gold horizontal striped vinyl wallcov ering. Here are other ways he tricked out the space with glamorous features. CA B I N E T RY: eye-catching design. The uppers have a transparent dark stain and lowers were left a natural walnut. A glass backsplash with relief details and synthetic onyx countertop emphasize the difference in tonality. Matching cabinetry featuring tall pull-out doors turned an underutilized wall off the kitchen into a pantry, with concealed compartments such as one for the homeowners' spice collection. Contrasting walnut cabinets make for an
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I S L AND : A design of brass inlays on one face of the kitchen island adds a graphic pop. There is additional storage underneath a stovetop on the opposite side. Waterfall edges cap off two sides, highlighting the beauty of the onyx countertops while also creating a striking focal point. “We thought that would be a nice detail because when you look to the right, if you’re standing at the island, that’s the entry across from the stairs,” says West. L I GH T I NG : A cluster of globed lights hangs above the island and contrasts with a linear, gleaming chandelier above the dining room table. Both accent a recessed lighting system. “To me, lighting is the most important element of any design,” he says. “You can have the most striking colors and wood finishes. But if you don’t have it lit properly, you’re going to lose it.”
CO L ORS : The warm but neutral colors in the kitchen are enlivened with pops of electrifying blue, brilliant scarlet, vibrant saffron and
grounding black in the dining room. White Baker chairs pop against a custom rug featuring a colorful abstract print that complements geometric art on the wall with elevated contemporary flair. “I love to use primary colors with lots of whites and soft silvers and grays,” West explains. “That never goes out of style.”
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by LYNNE THOMPSON photos by TYLAR CALHOUN
STAND OUT A unique Akron house has been home to generations of a family.
M arcia and Ken Harris had planned to downsize from their six-bedroom, five bathroom Northampton Township residence after their four children left by building a smaller house on the property’s 14 acres. That plan was scrapped by a contemporary cedar-sided home they spotted during a 2003 drive in the Merriman
bathroom structure that was an architectural rebel in a neighborhood of early 20th-century Tudors. It was built by local contractor Fred Zumpano 16 years ear lier. Its 3,700 square feet sat on a half-acre with a wooded backyard featur ing a charming arched wooden bridge over a brook that actually bab bled, all accessed from a walkout basement — and it was for sale. “I said, Boom! There’s my house! ” remembers Marcia, a retired reading
specialist at Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts. Architectural Options owner Kevin Bowie oversaw a much-needed kitchen and owner’s bathroom remodel — “The shower was pretty much falling through the garage,” Marcia recalls — and an update of the sunken living room fireplace. Marcia had the kitchen finished in dark granite-topped
Valley area in Akron. Marcia admired the three-bedroom, four
maple cabinetry and an off-white subway tile backsplash.
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Ken, a general surgeon, retired a few years later, and in 2008 he and Marcia moved to North Carolina. They sold the house to their daughter and son-in-law, but the couple missed life in Akron. By 2017, their daughter had her first child and her family wanted a bigger house. The Harrises bought the home back, and Marcia embarked on a second round of remodeling that further enhanced her style that is earthily warm and welcoming, yet clean and uncluttered with striking art. “I’m bordering, deco rating-wise, as a mini malist,” she says. Bowie reconfigured the lower-level laundry room to accommodate a sec ond half-bath and added a screened-in porch off the lower-level deck. To increase wall space in the den, contractors ripped out the fireplace. Marcia furnished it with a prized black-leather Eames chair and ottoman, and a tailored accent chair upholstered in an abstract pattern that picks up the striped rug’s burnt orange, beige, browns and greens.
CLOSER LOOK
The taupe tile that surrounded the living-room fireplace and covered the hearth was out of place stylistically in this ’80s-built Akron home. Architectural Options owner Kevin Bowie replaced it with a surround of slate tile hand split to reveal natural color variations ranging from gold to cream with hints of green. He recalls arranging a double band of 4-by-4s surrounded by a band of 12-by-12s on the floor with homeowner Marcia Harris and a tile installer to achieve a sort of abstract pattern. “We picture-framed it with custom trim that we made on-site,” he says. A new hearth was constructed from limestone and installed atop a wooden base that complemented the existing woodwork. Marcia decided against replacing the traditional wooden mantel. “I would prefer to have art above the fireplace,” she says.
Marcia had the hardwood floors refinished and the walls painted in pale neutrals that change with the light — gray to green, tan to yellow, yellow to creamy white. “I like it very neutral so your art is what pops,” she says. A prime example of that effect is in the living room, where Akron artist John Sokol’s “Departure” hangs over the fireplace. The painting, which Marcia says was inspired by a story about a Chinese fisherman who fell out of his boat and drowned, holds great meaning for her — she sees it as a symbol of her and Ken’s departure from North Carolina. Its colors
dictated the brown uphol stery on the sofa and easy chair, the gray carpet, the gold faux-fur sofa throw pillow and the gold area rug. The travertine-topped black-metal coffee table is crowned by a quintet of pears from Zeber-Martell Gallery & Clay Studio in Akron, and light pours in from large two-story wood framed windows. In the dining room, a paint ing of a woman collapsed on a sofa, shopping bags at her feet, presides over a teak-topped metal table flanked by leather chairs on three sides, a teak bench on the other. Marcia’s local art ist friend Bonnie Simmers painted it for her as a gift.
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“For 35 years, I’ve col lected shopping bags as examples of graphic art,” Marcia says. She and Ken only use the room for holiday meals and birth day parties for their eight grandchildren. The existing half-bath was outfitted with a modern granite-topped version of a washstand with a pale-blue Kohler vessel sink. But Marcia didn’t update the owner’s bath until recently — she calls it her pandemic project. Only the round whirlpool tub survived. A crack in the floor prompted her to replace the tile with a heated ceramic selection that mimics slate. That inspired her to update the cabinetry with a painted taupe counterpart topped with white quartz and a square vessel sink. There is more art: a collage of photographs detailing “The Gates,” from Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s 2005 art installation in New York City’s Central Park. Marcia has to leave her beloved home again, this time for a single-story Stow condominium, and real estate agent Leslee Salhany to sell the house. As much as Ken enjoys maintaining the backyard, he doesn’t like climbing steps. She’d like to see a young professional buy it — someone who will love its individuality as much as she does. “I like the quirkiness, the different architectural elements,” she says. “It’s just my style.” she is working with Berkshire Hathaway
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by KELLY PETRYSZYN and photos provided by KGK GARDENING & DESIGN CORP.
STEP BY STEP A sloped backyard becomes an entertainment oasis with tiered terraces.
T he Hudson a steep obstacle to attaining their
homeowners had
dream yard — a 6:1 slope. They originally overcame that with a wooden deck, but they wanted more entertaining space on their half-acre lot. They enlisted KGK Gardening & Design Corp. to overhaul their landscaping and seamlessly connect it to the full-scale modern renovation that was underway on their about 4,000-square foot house.
“The goal for the client was to have as much
The solution was removing the deck and replacing it with a patio and tiered ter races separated by vertical walls and steps. Each ter race offers an entertaining area with a different func tion but ties to the other through ambience.
“It’s more of an intimate setting,” Kuryla says. He tells us how KGK trans formed the small, sloped yard into an open oasis.
flat space as possible,” says landscape architect Derek Kuryla, “to create two living spaces, one with a fire pit, one with a dining terrace.”
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T E RR AC E S : A new patio connects a screened-in porch room in the back of the house to the new tiered ter races KGK constructed. The 2.5-foot-tall din ing terrace features a table with wicker chairs and a stainless-steel grill, and below it, the 1-foot-tall fire pit ter race with Adirondack chairs is wedged into the sloped lawn. Both terraces are enclosed in vertical walls faced with Pennsylvania bluestone that has size variations and rugged textures. The horizontal bases
of each terrace and the patio are made from smooth rectangular pav ers, a look that repeats in the pathways around the home to set a cool toned color palette. “They had blue accents in the house. They wanted to pick up that softness,” Kuryla says. The bluestone continues in steps down to the lawn and smooth step pingstone paths leading to both sides of the fire pit. “That was an easy way for us to create an informal access to the back,” he says.
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T R E E S : The small lot was covered in overgrown trees that blocked views and made it feel crowded, so KGK cut some down to gain space and sunlight. “The biggest transforma tion was when those were removed,” Kuryla says. “It really opened up their yard.” For privacy, a contractor added a black metal fence in back, and KGK planted evergreens and cherry trees. Along the front walk, a kousa dogwood was kept for interest in early summer while gorgeous magnolias were added on each side of the new, smaller driveway to offer beauty in spring. F L OWE RS AND SHRUB S : The boxwoods surrounding the dining ter race act as a safety barrier and provide a display of green year-round. “It will grow into more of a hedge row,” says Kuryla. For vibrant colors in the warmer months, there are perennials like pee wee oakleaf hydran gea shrubs with a blush hue and purple salvia caradon nas in the bed next to the back stairs. The homeown ers added pink petunias in planters at the top of the stairs. “It anchors each side of the steps and gives it a little bit of color,” Kuryla says. “It really plays with the symmetry of the house.”
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L I GH T S : To accent the stunning landscaping at night, KGK added uplights along the paths, recessed lighting under the stairs and spotlights on some trees — all soft light, not too bright. The project is capped by a fountain on the patio that KGK made that features a delicate stream of water bubbling out of a lit-up boulder, which adds to the ambience and view. “She has her office on the other side of the screened room, and they wanted to look down and have something to see,” Kuryla says. “[It] also creates a little bit of noise when you’re sitting out on the patio.”
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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 | o p e n a i r
by BRENDAN BAKER photos by TYLAR CALHOUN
PERFECT M I X Patterns, colors and art make a ranch distinctive.
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C heryl and Jim Nilsen, who met in the second grade at Bath Elementary School when they were 8 years old, got married in college. The retired couple celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last year and finally found their forever home in a quiet Fairlawn neighborhood in 2019. The West Akron house they lived in for 34 years and raised four children in was too big for them. “It was a great house to raise kids, but then we decided to downsize,” says Jim. The 1967-built ranch that they bought has great bones in terms of layout and structure, says Jim. Thankfully, the previous owner changed the closed layout. “He had opened up a lot of the walls that you traditionally find in an older ranch home," says Jim. "It was pretty open between the kitchen, din ing room and living room — that made it a nice space to work with.” In the 3 1/2 years Jim and Cheryl have lived in the ranch, the couple has more than made the house their own. Jim did many of the renovations himself under the direction of his wife. “We have a rule. The out side is his and the inside is mine,” Cheryl says. “We have this collaboration with each other that we can see the vision.” Coming from a condo before this home, Jim was excited to have a yard of his own. He pushed out the 4-foot front porch
another 4 feet “to cre ate a more usable space” and added a sandstone capped knee wall. White rockers with neutral cush ions and bright patterned pillows fill the porch. “[We] sit there in the morn ing and watch the sun go up and also in the evening,” says Jim, “we sit and watch people go by, talk to them.” Jim recalls the house had “zero landscaping” when they moved in. “We had no lawn, a plethora of weeds,” he says. The couple added a new lawn and over 300 plants, trees and shrubs. “It’s pretty nice now,” Jim remarks. They got a back paver patio installed, put out a metal dining set and added a firepit circle with metal seating. In the kitchen, Jim swapped in new mission-style cabinet doors and drawer fronts with new hardware. On the back of the house, they added a large room
where there had been a screened-in porch. Jim redid the whole 17-by 14-foot space himself,
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installing all new windows and doors and a gorgeous knotty pine on the walls. “This is what we call the lodge,” he says. They built out the basement with an office, half-bath and common area where Cheryl practices yoga and plays with their two grand children. In the half-bath, Cheryl’s bold style sings with patterns and color. Vivid flowery paper covers three walls while one wall has a contrasting vertical white subway tile. “I am the decorator, and he knows what I like — very eclectic,” she says. “I love colors. I love animal prints. I love black and white.” More vibrant wallpaper is seen throughout the house, and some of it is from the Akron-based Wallpaper Lady. While the various pat terns add a plethora of tex tures, her designs are inten tional and tailored down to every detail. In the living room, she used a family gift to inform her design. “I based the living room on a quilt that my mother-in-law made for my 55th birthday. It’s bright colors,” she says. “It opens the living space. Colors make me happy.” A black paper with white flowers from Anthropologie covers one wall. White sofas offset that and throw pillows match the quilt. Zebra print chairs and a rug add more bold contrast. A table is topped with cobalt-and-white Chinoiserie ceramic vases — and more match
Artwork by Itzchak Tarkay, an Israeli painter, hangs over a couch and several more of his pieces adorn other rooms. Cheryl incorporated her husband’s Norwegian heritage into the dining area where they entertain fam ily. “The wallpaper on the back wall of the dining area is a Norwegian design,” she says. “I wanted a little bit of a Nordic flair in there because of the color.” They painted the dining room chairs in match ing pairs of green, blue, gold and tangerine and left two Windsor chairs natural wood. On a small wall between the kitchen and dining area, Cheryl painted a side table green to match both rooms and left a black-and-white checkered pattern on the front drawer.
ing ceramics are found throughout the house.
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It’s accented by a photo graph their daughter took in Paris. More of those photos are in the den that has a fireplace and black and-white checked chair and ottoman. One of the stipulations when they moved in was to build Cheryl a walk-in closet. But there were only three small bedrooms. “I told Jim that the third bedroom was going to be my walk-in closet,” Cheryl says. “Jim sketched out how to do it.” He added wire shelving that could be removed by the next owner. Cheryl decorated it with a blue-and-yellow floral wallpaper, birdcages with plants, a Tarkay art work, a cream-and-brown zebra print rug and a throw pillow on a yellow bench matching the wallpaper. When the couple tells friends about how much work they’ve done to their home, the initial reaction is usually, Why didn’t you build a new house instead? “It’s the location and size,” Cheryl explains. “It’s just the whole feel and atmo sphere of the neighborhood. And the house that we saw with respect to its layout
had terrific potential.” See the results of their work on the virtual Bath Volunteers for Service Distinctive Homes Tour June 1 to 12. Cheryl and Jim’s vision made their house a per
fectly tailored home as their long love story continues. “We did the big house. We did the condo,” says Cheryl. “We just wanted a forever home that was just for us.”
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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 | o p e n a i r
by LYNNE THOMPSON and photos provided by ORA DESIGNS
T H I NK P I NK A girl’s bedroom gets designed to grow with her.
“All of the photos that she liked were the boho-chic ones,” Peacock says. Peacock and junior designer Nicole Trueblood responded by creating a space that is hip yet age-appropriate in terms of durability and functionality. Peacock notes that the room can grow with the girl by peri odically swapping out a few relatively inexpensive items — a feature that pays off in the long run. You “don’t want to be replac ing their bedrooms every couple of years,” she says. T he couple wanted to create a special room for their young daughter in the craftsman-style home they’d just built in Medina, a sanctuary that was both comfortable and beautiful. The child had sophisticated tastes for a preschooler, according to Medina based Ora Designs proprietor and principal designer Bri Peacock. She knew exactly what she wanted when her parents showed her Peacock’s inspiration photo board.
Here are some of the enduring flourishes Peacock added.
[children], as a parent, to read,” she says. “Anything we can do to be more creative in those spaces so that they appeal more to them and inspire them to be in them is important.” B E DD I NG : Peacock injected texture by layering accent pil lows covered in white faux fur from World Market and a Dalmatian-spotted fabric from West Elm on Pottery Barn Kids’ organic cotton jacquard Candlewick duvet cover. “That’s something that’s important as far as making the room feel like it has a lot of personality and interest without putting too much contrast in it,” she says. WA L L TA P E S T RY: The abstract woven-and-fringed piece from World Market serves as a textural link between the hanging chair and bed. “Taking texture up the walls softens spaces and makes them a lot more cozy,” Peacock adds.
t h e de ta i ls
PA I N T CO L OR : The home owners already had painted the room in HGTV's Mad About Pink, a blush shade Peacock says is more adaptable to the occupant’s anticipated chang ing color preferences than the typical little-girl pink. “That’s one of the benefits of going with a more subdued neutral tone of the color — you’re a lot less limited with what you can pair with it,” she says. “If she wants to choose to put yellow bedding in there, she can. If she wants to go with a nice, gentle blue, she can.” HANG I NG CHA I R : The Langley Street Iona chair ham mock from Wayfair is con structed of a beige cotton rope that’s hand-woven macrame style on a round frame and is the main draw in a reading corner augmented by floating shelves. Peacock’s remodeling crew hung the adult-size piece at a child-friendly height from a ceiling support using industrial strength hardware. “You want
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