When you train your eye to see a home’s possibilities, it makes a renovation that much easier. And having an innovative remodeler-designer with an amazing vision doesn’t hurt either.
This Dublin home got a dramatic makeover after the homeowners relocated from Hershey, Pennsylvania. Jason and Allison Alexander loved their new community and their new home, which retained the unique architectural details from when it was first built in 1996. That said, they knew they wanted to brighten up the dark, dated kitchen and nearby living areas and to create a fresh look.
Enter J.S. Brown & Co.’s Meredith Young, CKD, the designer who played up the home’s many strengths. Though no major structural changes were required, Young and her team extended the cabinetry and countertops and Jason removed 135 corbels attached to the crown molding that were dating the space. Young also played up the home’s natural light and swathed the interior with lighter colors.
The rich, natural wood tones of the flooring are meticulously set off by white walls, crown molding and Greek Villa painted cabinetry to create an open, airy ambiance. And despite the removal of a transom window, sunlight fills this space.
“For us, the kitchen is always the center of our home, so we started there,” explains Jason. “And we told Meredith that we didn’t want to set any boundaries on the redesign.”
Material mixing
Post renovation, the kitchen is inherently more functional than it was before, with a sweeping, eye-catching island that anchors the space and serves as a combination food prep-cooking-gathering spot. The island’s butcher block has an oiled-wood top that is safe for prepping food.
“We opted for one slab of granite and capped the end drawer section with wood, which gave it more interest,” Young adds. “With such a large island, I like to change materials.”
A linear light above the island was replaced with three sophisticated pendant lights. “Lighting is everything,” Young says. “If you have more in your budget, spend it there.”
Young was also intentional with placement of appliances and drawers, ensuring everything aligned with the wants and needs of this family of five. Specifically, the new island boasts a 48-inch range in its center, a pop-up vent, and deep drawers for prepping. This allows the Alexanders, who love to cook, to prep from the butcher block with easy reach to all manner of knives, mixing bowls, different blenders and more.
In terms of the other appliances, the original cooktop was altered to gas, and the family added a larger refrigerator, wine cooler and an oven-microwave combo. There is a separate steam oven, which Young explains is ideal for cooking veggies, fish and bread. Appliance garage doors provide a clean look and can easily open and retract.
“We just hosted 23 people at Thanksgiving and it worked out very well,” says Jason. “We were able to have this large event and keep everything cooking then keep everything warm.”
Other key details include a backsplash of Calacatta tile and the kitchen’s beautiful hutch, which didn’t move but was remodeled using antique mirrored glass. The refinished floors are now a timeless medium-brown hue that warms up the entire first floor.
Room with a view
One of the family’s favorite spaces, and understandably so, is the adjacent hearth room. Interior archways invite exploration of this space, as well as the butlery and living room. For its part, the hearth room was remodeled with the intention of being a sitting room, with arch windows overlooking the Muirfield Golf Course and one of its ponds. The J.S. Brown & Co. team removed the mantel and the beadboard from the ceiling and fireplace wall, then added a limestone hearth and surround, and framed it with stacked stone. Flanking the showstopping fireplace are two backlit hutches. The room started out temporarily as an eating space, but now there are swivel chairs that allow people to easily connect with those in the kitchen.
“We installed three beams stretching across the tall, coved ceiling then added two large scale chandeliers between them,” says Young. “They’re key features. The hearth room is my favorite space in this home.”
Splash of color
In the adjacent living space, there is an entire wall of built-ins that were kept but painted a deep green with a touch of gray. On that note, Young reminds people not to be afraid to pick colors that speak to them. She shares that, in terms of trends, gray seems to be on the way out, while earth tones and beiges are coming back. White is still in but leans toward a creamy white these days, and neutrals are always timeless.
“To me the trend is not to be too trendy,” she explains. “Also, don’t be afraid to change up the countertop in islands. You don’t have to have just one surface.”
Entertaining options
The butlery is another extension of the kitchen and therefore modeled similarly. It houses a sink, dishwasher and other appliances. There’s a large pantry on the other side of the butlery. “As we’re hosting, it gives us lots of different places to stage and room for different family members to work and host as well,” explains Jason.
Finally, Jason offers advice to other families looking to do kitchen renovations. In addition to finding a project management team and designer you enjoy working with and can help you navigate working with other suppliers, he says it’s key to envision your dream home. “We asked ourselves what was most important to us and what we would enjoy for many years to come, and that’s what we ended up with.”
RESOURCES
Contractor J.S. Brown & Co. Designer Meredith Young, CKD Cabinetry Miller Cabinet Co. Hardware Top Knobs Emerald Countertops Alba Pietra Dolomite Triton by Konkus, Wood top by Miller Cabinet Co. Plumbing fixtures Blanco Precis sink and Hansgrohe Axor Lacarno faucet, Carr Supply Backsplash Castelli calacatta gold tile, Hamilton Parker Appliances Wolf and Sub-Zero, Custom Distributors, Inc. Lighting Savoy House Ashmont island pendants; Quoizel Barlow on butlery ceiling; Hudson Valley Raelynn art light over butlery window; Capital Lighting Holden chandeliers in hearth room; all from Northern Lighting Hearth room fireplace Custom Limestone Surround; Realstone Systems Shadowstone, Hamilton Parker
Article by Lee Rhodes | Photos by New Horizons Media
Article originally appeared in March 2025