The Grubb family knew when they moved into their home that they wanted to make some changes. But somewhere between taking care of family, work and daily life, 12 years had passed, and they were still looking at the wallpaper they hated on move-in day.
“During the pandemic, we were thinking of actually building a new house,” Frank Grubb says. “We started looking at some of the neighborhoods in Grove City and realized that for what we wanted versus what we had, we would probably double our mortgage.”
With family down the road and two young daughters who have built a life in the community, leaving Grove City wasn’t even a thought. So, rather than start from square one, the Grubbs decided to instead remodel what they already had. And they were starting in the kitchen.
“Our biggest complaint about the kitchen was that there wasn’t enough storage,” Frank says.
The upgrade to taller, full overlay cabinets allows the Grubbs to use the entire space for pots, pans and appliances. Additional cabinetry acts as a pantry across from the peninsula. A shallow cabinet prevents food from getting lost in the depths of the pantry, making everything easy to find and saving valuable floor space.
A decorative hutch cabinetry piece was built to separate the dinette and living space. The wall feature adds a tremendous amount of additional storage, and the couple now uses the counter space as a classy bar area.
“The biggest thing we’ve noticed is that the kitchen stays cleaner,” Julie Grubb says. “We both work from home, so we eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at our house. (The kitchen) gets used, but because of the additional storage space, the things that used to stay on the counter have somewhere to be put away.”
In addition to the upgraded storage space, the Grubbs wanted to create a cleaner and brighter look that still reflected their personalities.
“We’re both finance people,” Frank says. “Creativity and loud colors are not our things in general, so we wanted something to brighten up the space but still be durable.”
With the help of designer Brittany Miller from J.S. Brown and Co., the couple built around gray and white cabinetry. With suede granite counters and light glass backsplash tile, a neutral but brightening palette was created. A new coat of light gray paint and refinished wood floors made the changes cohesive across the whole first floor.
The beautiful pool in the backyard keeps the Grubbs busy hosting all summer long, but the festivities never stretched before into the colder seasons. Now, thanks to the gorgeous remodel, the Grubbs play host even after cold weather sets in.
“We do have people over more in cold weather than we did before,” Julie says. “We’ve had people over for football games recently, which is something we didn’t really do before.”
Having company becomes even more fun when you aren’t dreading doing the dishes afterwards.
Giving the kitchen sink more depth and creating a workstation for pots, cutting boards and lunch boxes was always part of the plan. Something the family didn’t count on was how much of a difference moving the peninsula over a few inches would make.
This small movement created a smooth wrap around the corner of the counter and a roomier space for anyone who was standing at the sink. This minor tweak creates long-term impact for a busy family who needs a home that can keep up.
“In general, we’re proud of what we did and what it looks like,” Frank says. “Before it was dark and kind of sad, but now we feel like it’s more welcoming.”
Ainsley Allen is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
