Written by: Abby Weingarten/Photos by: Johan Roetz
It was the picture of drabness, with old cherry-stained cabinets and equally disappointing, dark, speckled countertops. Then, George Gobes of Park Avenue Designs and contractor Larry Bedgood brought Jennifer and Matt Peaire’s Odessa kitchen into the light—and contemporary age—with white cabinetry, neutral and natural countertops, and a white subway tile backsplash.
“When we moved in, we liked the original floor plan of the kitchen, which had the potential to be very open and spacious. So we knocked down a bunch of walls to make one big living space,” Jennifer says.
“We love to do a lot of entertaining and the old kitchen just wasn’t conducive to that. My 10-year-old loves cooking and baking, so every weekend, we like to have a get-together and she’ll help me in the kitchen.”
This remodeling effort was a massive, one-time undertaking for the Peaires, who moved into their four-bedroom, two-bathroom, approximately 3,500-square-foot house last August with their two children.
“Function and practicality in a kitchen are so important to me. My favorite feature is the island, which we use for everything: homework, cooking, crafts. And it overlooks the lake and the back yard because it’s centered right on that window,” Jennifer says.
“I wanted a very traditional, timeless look for the kitchen—with the stone and the wood—because I don’t want to ever have to do this again.”
Resources: Kitchen designer: George Gobes, Park Avenue Designs; General contractor: Larry Bedgood, Bedgood Construction; Countertops: Granite World; Wood countertops: Adalay; Flooring: ProSource; Appliances: Famous Tate; Plumbing fixtures: Ferguson; Plumbing: Third Generation; Tile installation: Metro Tile; Electrical: Gaylord Miller