When Westsiders Joe and Kim Jones decided to sell the family home and move closer to their two children and five grandchildren, they considered it fate that Carol Grubb came into their lives. Carol is a realtor with Comey & Shepherd and interior designer at family-owned ID Cincinnati Furniture and Interior Design. She is one of a handful of interior designers in the area who work with their clients from lot selection to granite selection. “Carol’s been here for everything—down to the doorknob selection,” Kim says of her first custom-building experience.
Into the woods
Joe and Kim were drawn to the wooded acreage behind a lot they found in Kensington, where their home was eventually built by Classic Living Homes. The couple loves the amenities of the community and how close it is to shopping and dining, yet tucked away from traffic and noise.
Out with the old
Kim created Pinterest pages with ideas of what she was looking for in her custom build. The couple’s former home was very traditional and dark and they wanted a more open, transitional home for their family to gather, cook and celebrate.
“One of the smartest things we did was sell everything from our old house and start new,” Kim says. “It’s been seamless with Carol by our side.”
“Carol would have multiple options ready for us every time we met,” Joe adds. “Our trip to Ferguson Lighting was probably our longest appointment just because of all the options. Carol had it narrowed down to chrome or black iron.”
“I’m so glad we went with the black,” Kim adds as the three agree.
Spaetzle, lasagna and cookies
At the top of Kim’s kitchen wish list was a large island where she could bake with her grandkids. “We moved in twelve days before Christmas, and the island was perfect for baking with my grandkids,” Kim says.
The light countertop surfaces and cabinetry contrast nicely with the black fixtures and dark accent of a paint called Cyberspace on the coffered ceiling and in the pantry. “They were willing to take risks,” Carol says of her clients. “The Ohio Tile backsplash ties the space together perfectly.”
A favorite feature of the space is the custom hood designed by Kim and Carol. It is a two-tone metal, one-of-a-kind piece. The kitchen is finished with GE Café appliances and a Bosch dishwasher.
Family game night
Joe and Kim couldn’t be happier with their new home and experience working with Carol. Their family has been over for numerous family dinners, where Kim often prepares her son’s favorite meal of pot roast and spaetzle. After dinner the family enjoys retiring to the lower level where the grandkids ‘play’ pool and Joe enjoys his leather recliner—one of his two only requirements for the move.
The other? A three-and-a-half-car garage for his sports car hobby.
RESOURCES Interior design, furniture, artwork, window treatments and accessories ID Cincinnati Furniture and Interior Design; Builder Classic Living Homes; Lighting Ferguson; Backsplash tile Ohio Tile & Marble Co.
Article by Sarah J. Dills/Photos by Connie Kimsey
Article originally appeared in Housetrends Cincinnati – March/April 2020