Probably all of us have thought this at one time or another. You drive past a home with curb appeal that calls to you and think, “if that house ever goes up for sale, I am buying it.”
Well instead of taking that passive approach to home buying, Kara Yancey put herself in the driver’s seat—literally and figuratively—when she drove up to a home she admired and dropped off a letter to the homeowners which included the words, “if you ever consider selling…”
As luck would have it, the owners were contemplating moving back to California, so they invited Kara and her husband Chad in for a tour. Fortunately, the interior of the home did not disappoint.
Fast forward
That was 31 years ago. Kara and Chad have lived very happily in this home where they raised their son and daughter. But the home was built in 1988, and some rooms were starting to show their age.
“I loved the kitchen. I loved the space, but it was not up to date,” Kara says. “We wanted to get rid of the soffits, and the cabinets were showing wear.”
Plus, this would be the first and—since they plan to age gracefully here—maybe the only time for Kara to be involved in the planning and design of her very own kitchen.
“It’s my first and last kitchen,” she says. “I wanted to do it the way I wanted it, with quality cabinets, woodwork and fixtures.”
Kick start
While a remodel had been in the plans for a while, the impetus that actually kicked the whole thing off was a broken ice maker in their refrigerator. The couple tried to replace the fridge but couldn’t find a new one that fit in the space, so the remodel was put on the front burner.
Fortunately, they knew where to turn to get the process underway. A friend of Kara’s had a kitchen done by Cabinet Creations, so she knew the quality of their work.
“I wanted someone with expertise,” she says. “Someone who would custom design a plan to make the best use of the space we have.”
Dream team
When the couple met with Vicki Waker, owner of Cabinet Creations, they had a few items at the top of their wish list. “I always kind of dreamed of a white kitchen,” Kara says. “I wanted more usable cabinet space and a lot of drawers. And everything to be balanced. I wanted to move the stovetop off the island, I didn’t want anyone getting burnt. And I wanted the island to be larger. Vicki was able to execute all of that and fill in all the details.”
During their first meeting with Waker, it was clear to the designer that Chad and Kara understood the hallmarks of quality when it comes to materials, and they wanted to feel good about their space both in form and function. “Through a good interview process and much hand-in-hand collaboration,” Waker says, “we arrived at a wonderful solution.”
When the design phase was complete and it came time to meet with contractors, Waker recommended New Carlisle-based Countryside Builders, a team who worked with the Yanceys on a bath remodel 25 years ago. “I knew they were quality people and did quality work,” Kara says.
Also, a major plus she says was “working with designers who knew what they were doing, and contractors who knew what they were doing, and the way the two would coordinate throughout the project.”
Island life
In the main body of the kitchen, the island was indeed made quite a bit larger. Now, at nine-feet-long, it includes additional storage and accommodates five bar stools versus the three that were there before. Chad and Kara like how they are positioned on three sides of the island, so people can face each other while they sit and talk.
Most of the selections the homeowners needed to make—cabinetry, countertops, antique brass hardware, lighting and more—were available to see inside the Cabinet Creations showroom. What they couldn’t find there, like the porcelain divided farmhouse sink, Waker was able to source for them.
Working in tandem with Waker, Tracy McLaren and Patty Clark with Custom Cabinetry and Dwayne and David Brubaker from Countryside Builders, added features and finishing touches that Kara says, “I would have never known to ask for.” For example, next to the range, what appears as two drawer fronts is actually a deep utensil drawer that stores spatulas, spoons, tongs and flippers upright and within easy reach.
Hallway help
To meet the homeowners’ request for increased storage, loads of space was added in the hallway that runs between the kitchen and the family room and bedroom wing. A laundry closet in that area was relocated and, in its place, stands a wall of storage space. One upper cabinet includes a pantry with pull-out drawers. A second is a butler’s pantry/serving area of sorts, where Kara might place trays or warmers when entertaining, with doors that recess to not
block the traffic flow in the hallway Eight lower drawers hold travel mugs,
snacks and other items that they want to be easily accessible.
Hugging the ceiling—upper cabinets in the hallway and tall cabinets in the kitchen—claim the space where soffits used to be. These allow the couple to store items that are used infrequently, but still good to have handy.
“I was worried I wouldn’t have enough space,” Kara says. “Actually, I have more than I ever dreamed of.” Across the hallway from the pantries, stands a six-inch deep platter rack custom built for the space and the perfect stage for the homeowner’s collection of cutting boards, platters and serving trays. This display may change as Kara finds new acquisitions, or perhaps seasonally along with the holidays.
Lighter, brighter
Along with a refresh of the hearth room, with its lighter paint, dual chandeliers and new ceiling beams, the kitchen has moved up several notches on the brightness scale. “I love the light that comes into the room,” Kara says. “Every day I walk into our kitchen and think “’I love this!’”
RESOURCES Designer Vicki Waker, Cabinet Creations Contractor Countryside Builders Cabinetry Custom, Cabinet Creations Kitchen countertops MSI Calacatta Maraggio in gold, Creative Countertops Backsplash tile Studio McGee, Louisville Tile Kitchen sink Fireclay apron front, Whitehaus Collection Cove dishwasher, Wolf range, Sub-Zero refrigerator, Sharp microwave drawer, all from Custom Distributors, Inc. Lighting under cabinet and in cabinet, Hafele
Article by Karen Bradner | Photos by Dawn Smith
Article originally appeared in February 2025