330 Homes Summer 2022

d r e a m h o u s e

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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