Revitalizing remodel: Home renovation project embraces regenerative design

Kirkendall Design transformed what used to be a dining room into a relaxing lounge area. A bold wallpaper from Arte Pavartina in the lounge makes the space feel natural and relaxing, effectively bringing the outside in.

When it came to designing the home of their dreams, Carla and Kelly Grogg knew Julia Kirkendall and her team at Kirkendall Design were the perfect choice for the project.

The Groggs first became acquainted with Kirkendall when she and her team bought the building where Grogg’s Green Barn, the Groggs’ garden center, was located. As the design team took over the space, the Groggs built a relationship with Kirkendall and saw the way she approached design projects, leading them to trust her with their home remodel.

Vaulted ceilings with wood beams complement the space.

“Throughout the transition period, I could tell (the Kirkendall team) were very professional and creative, and a friendship started to form,” Carla Grogg says. “I felt comfortable knowing that (Julia) has very high standards with everything she does.”

Because the Groggs are the second-generation owners of their home, maintaining the home’s original footprint — a midcentury, ranch-style home — amidst important renovations, was a priority.

“(We) and the design team decided the home leaned toward a midcentury modern look. This allowed renovations to take shape while still staying true to the original architecture,” Carla says.

Due to its large size, designer Julia Kirkendall and her team decided to repurpose the great room by adding a dining table adjacent to the wall of large windows.

“The architecture and the bones of the house were amazing — it already had a spacious living area and a nice, functional kitchen, it was just outdated,” Kirkendall says. “The client wanted to honor the design of the home because it has some beautiful lines, it just had some awkward spaces.”

Upon her first walk-through and initial conversations with the Groggs, Kirkendall was able to determine the home’s biggest conundrums.

The remodeled primary bathroom is owner Carla Grogg’s favorite space in her remodeled home.

“The biggest pain points were the primary bathroom and an area that had been added on,” Kirkendall says. “These spaces weren’t really serving the homeowner, so we wanted to transform them and make them much more functional.”

Incorporating elements of midcentury modern design, adjusting the architecture and adding colorful, personality-filled accents throughout the home, Kirkendall and the Groggs embarked on a seven-month remodeling journey together. Crucially, Kirkendall employed techniques of regenerative design for this project, she says.

The mosaic marble tile in the powder bath reflects the midcentury modern style of the home.

“Regenerative design means taking something from one generation to the next generation, repurposing it in a new way,” Kirkendall says. “It’s about not being wasteful and reusing what we have, which is a big part of my design philosophy.”

Working together, Kirkendall, her team and the Groggs reimagined many existing spaces within the home. For example, they made the inconvenient former addition into a flex room with a desk and space for their kids to entertain friends, and remade the dining room into a sophisticated yet approachable lounge area.

The kitchen only needed a slight refresh, Kirkendall says. She and her team kept the large center island and added new lighting and hardware, ensuring the kitchen matched the rest of the home.

“There used to be a dining room off of the kitchen, but it wasn’t something they needed because the kitchen had a massive island,” Kirkendall says. “We made that into a lounge, which is a very casual area where you can sit and enjoy conversation. It really changed the flow of the house and made it more functional for how they want to live.”

“We use the space all the time now,” Carla says. “We can work on our laptops there, and it’s a great space to spend time with friends and family when they come over. It’s so nice.”

A once enclosed bar area is now a focal point in the home

Additionally, Kirkendall and her team revamped an existing wet bar and made it a focal point in the home.

“We took an original wet bar — that’s very commonly found in homes of this age — that was behind closed doors,” Kirkendall says. “We took the doors off, opened up the walls and made it a beverage center, so that it can serve lots of people and be a beautiful architectural feature of the home.”

With gold accents, bright neutral colors and glazed, ceramic tile adorning the bath and shower, it is now Grogg’s personal spa-like retreat.

Carla says the part of the remodeled home she cherishes the most is the primary bathroom. Kirkendall and her team took some of the excess space from the primary bedroom to add additional square footage to the bathroom.

“It feels so good to have a really nice bathroom now,” Carla says. “It feels fresh, it has all new fixtures and I got to pick out the tile on the back of the shower, which is very beautiful. It’s such a nice space to wake up to and then close out the day with.”

Because the primary bedroom was excessively large, Kirkendall and her team shortened it, providing extra square footage for the bathroom remodel. The bedroom still provides the Groggs plenty of space, as well as natural light that pours in through the windows.

Through the revitalization of the Groggs’ new home, Kirkendall says she feels like she and her team designed a space that reflects the couple’s personalities.

“We design to tell the story of our clients’ lives … When you work from that perspective, you bring new life to areas that need it and transform homes for a new generation,” Kirkendall says. “This particular project encompasses those elements; it’s telling the story of Kelly and Carla Grogg, the new owners of this home.”

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