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We know our homes so well, we might imagine we understand exactly how to make them better. But this familiarity can just as easily limit our vision. It’s hard to think outside the box when it’s packed with so many memories and habits.
Some designers may have their own narrow views as well. For instance, you can count on the person who operates the cabinet design software at the home center to offer a cabinet solution that will take a big bite out of your kitchen remodeling budget. Sure, the storage will be more efficient and accessible and the room will look updated. But you’re not as likely to get a floor plan that truly re-imagines the space.
From my experience, remodeling projects that transform homes take the acute listening skills, keen eyes and creative mind of an experienced and talented designer. At Murphy Bros. that’s Cherie Poissant.
Hundreds of people just tour a home that Murphy Bros. remodeled in New Brighton and entered in the Parade of Homes’ Remodeling Showcase. It’s a great example of how Cherie heard the homeowners and found solutions that no one imagined and everyone came to love.
Over the years, the house had had multiple additions that included an entertainment area with a bar and sauna that looked out on the backyard pool but made the interior rooms dark. Meanwhile, the kitchen was small and dated and there was no place to land when you entered from the garage.
Cherie proposed the homeowners banish the unused sauna and move the kitchen to the entertainment area. The larger space enabled her to add a big center island/breakfast bar and custom banquet seating. She tied the spaces together by introducing a second cabinet finish that matched the structural post and beams that defined the new eating area. Next, she repurposed the old kitchen area for a bathroom, laundry closet and entry. Last, she eliminated the wall to the interior den and updated the brick fireplace wall with accent-colored drywall, a smaller stone hearth and surround, distinctive sconces and a wall-mounted TV.
To help the family envision the transformation before they signed off on the plan, Cherie developed 3-D computer renderings and shared samples of actual surface materials. Today, they’re living the dream.