The pantry. In some kitchens, it’s the epitome of organization and functionality, while in others it’s a veritable black hole of expired food items and empty grocery bags.
If yours leans toward the latter, is a new pantry likely to transform your entire kitchen? It just might, especially when it’s a springboard for a renovation that expands beyond the kitchen to the family room, mudroom and outdoor patio.
That’s what happened for Ali and Tim Teepe of Cincinnati, as their plans to renovate evolved from a desire for a covered patio, a new kitchen (and of course the pantry) and beyond. They engaged Neal’s Design Remodel, and designer Lauren Donges, who explains: “One of the main drivers in what we did was moving the pantry, which allowed us to get that big symmetrical U shape in the kitchen and to open everything else up from there.
Out from the corner
Pre-renovation, the kitchen contained a corner pantry with basic shelving and a door awkwardly positioned in the middle of the kitchen. Lauren reconfigured and expanded the mudroom closet to create a spacious new pantry. Reconfiguration and expansion were the name of the game, in fact. The Teepes built the home originally but wanted to alter the space to suit their family’s changing needs.
“I feel like you never know what a space is going to be like until you’re living in it,” says Ali with a laugh. “My husband found Neal’s. We love the fact that they are their own ‘machine’ with all their own contractors in house.”
Family room refresh
Neal’s bumped out the kitchen with a six-foot addition—strategically, of course, so as not to take space from the outdoor area. They dramatically changed the layout of the family room for increased functionality. Case in point: the door to the first-floor primary suite is no longer an unwanted focal point in the family room. As for the updated color palette, it’s light and bright but Lauren also warmed it up with natural wood tones and neutrals. The whites of the top cabinets are nicely offset by the veneer wood of the base cabinetry and island. This color scheme happens to be on trend right now, as Lauren explains that wood tones are coming back, including both light and dark woods. White oak specifically is making a comeback. “The backsplash is a hexagon tile with a lot of variances, so it’s not as sterile and plain as a white subway tile,” continues Lauren, “and the black finishes of the island’s leather quartz countertop, light fixtures, etc., tie each part of the space together.”
Ali adds: “Lauren extended the island, so we have four seats now vs. just three. I love Lauren’s eye and how she brought in earth tones, as well as different textures, colors and tiles.”
The kitchen boasts a Sub-Zero fridge, Thermador range and warming oven under the stove. The island’s microwave is the ideal height for the couple’s children, while the wine bar and coffee bar are ideal for the couple themselves. The former is now found off the mudroom, re-situated to face outward, making it open and accessible to the broader space. It features floating shelves set against deep green tiles for a touch of drama.
“People are playing around with neutrals but introducing a pop of color that is easy to change out,” says Lauren. “They even have colored sinks now—there are green sinks, for instance,” she says. “But everything is pretty much being kept timeless otherwise.”
An added perk
For its part, the coffee bar was not in the original kitchen, as Lauren explains, “The coffee bar idea came along as we were designing and we realized we had gained six feet of space, which gave us room to play. We matched all the coffee bar finishes so that it’s an extension of the kitchen.”
Speaking of coffee, Ali loves having her morning cup on the covered patio. And she loves the patio itself, saying, “We dreamed of doing a covered patio, and the retractable screens give it such a nice touch. I always wanted a four-seasons room, and it’s become the perfect space.”
Lauren explains how the Teepes wanted the patio, previously just a concrete pad, to feel like a lodge, warm and cozy, while still matching the rest of the house. Reducing three hinge doors down to two created a seamless transition between the indoor-outdoor spaces and made it look as if the covered patio had always been there.
Four-season enjoyment
With their custom paver patio essentially an extension of the family room, the Teepes have successfully maximized this space. Complete with furnishings, a television, fireplace, refrigerator and Hibachi-style grill, as well as heaters for cooler seasons, the patio is topped by a beautiful, vaulted ceiling (complete with a fan for air flow and to keep bugs away), adding elegance and sophistication.
Ali and Tim could not be more pleased with the result. “The kids love it too,” she says. “Friday nights we have family movie nights out there. And we always host a Christmas PJ party with our friends and their kids. Actually, we use it all the time!”
RESOURCES
Contractor Neal’s Design Remodel Kitchen and interior designer Lauren Donges, Neal’s Design Remodel Residential designer Bob Voigt, Neal’s Design Remodel Cabinetry Green City Cabinets Countertops MSI & Viatera, KBR Backsplash Soho Studio, Florida Tile Sink Blanco, Ferguson Faucets Delta, Ferguson Appliances Custom Distributors, Inc. Wall sconces Generation Lighting, Ferguson Island pendants Hinkley Lighting, Ferguson Wood floors Mansion Hill Cabinet hardware Top Knobs Fireplace mantel MetalCraft Electrical Chris Corsmeier Plumbing Robert Jones Plumbing Tile Springdale Tile EXTERIOR Pavers Newport/Reading Rock, Hafner Landscape & Supply Stone ProVia, CMR Outdoor Living Fireplace Town & Country
Article by Lee Rhodes | Photos by Ross Van Pelt
Article originally appeared in February 2025