This week, we are thrilled to share this "Meeting of Minds" project showcased in the January issue of Kansas City Homes & Style. Our clients, Jeff and Samantha Puckett, a commercial interior designer, already had a clear and compelling vision for their Overland Park home. After exploring the galleries of our past work and learning about our remodeling process, Samantha and Jeff felt confident entrusting us with their home and vision. Donna Kirsopp and Kenny Choikhit worked closely with these clients to update their kitchen, dining, and entry area, while Project Director Shannon Washam brought this collaboration to life.
Not only is this project worthy of our friends at Kansas City Homes & Style, but this transformation also garnered a prestigious Silver REMY award from the Professional Remodeling Collective in December 2024.
A Cramped Space Lacking Style
The home was a classic 1960s split-level design, with the main floor comprising a living room, dining room, and kitchen. At some point, a back room was added and repurposed as an office, but beyond that, the house maintained its original layout—small, compartmentalized spaces divided by walls and doorways. While the Puckett family had made various cosmetic updates over the years, the kitchen remained largely unchanged, still adorned with original cabinets. They were ready to put their stamp on the home and make it work for their lifestyle.
Finding the Perfect Floorplan
We presented the Puckett's with three distinct layout options, each designed to open up the main floor and enhance the home's functionality. They decided on a plan that blended the best of several layouts.
The new kitchen now boasts an L-shaped cabinetry perimeter, with a spacious rectangular island. The new design includes a coffee bar and dual pantries in the dining area, providing much-needed storage. This carefully crafted layout maximizes efficiency while creating a smooth, cohesive flow between the kitchen and dining spaces.
If You Can Dream It: Implementing the Open Floor Plan
With the plan in place, we turned our attention to the mechanics required to bring it to life, as it involved significant structural considerations. The wall separating the living room and kitchen served as the home’s central support, housing all the HVAC feeds. Given the split-level design, with a second story above the kitchen and dining areas and an attic over the living room, we needed to determine the appropriate beam size and how much could be recessed into the ceiling. After extensively exploring the bearing points, we concluded that an eighteen-foot beam was necessary. While this beam was too large to recess fully, we incorporated it as an opening, creating a seamless transition from the living room into the kitchen and dining area.
Where Minds Meet: A Transformed Mid-Century Living Space
The transformation of this home is amazing! By opening up the space and addressing structural challenges, we delivered a design that not only meets the family’s functional needs but also reflects the Samantha’s design expertise. The result is a beautiful, cohesive space that strikes Puckett's perfect balance of mid-century character and modern style.
The cabinetry is crafted from white oak with a straw finish. Samantha selected the countertops and the island countertop is Cambria Delamere, a stunning dark chocolate surface with white veining. The hardware throughout is matte black, while the plumbing and lighting fixtures introduce a touch of sophistication in brass. Samantha also procured all the light fixtures using her own resources, and they perfectly captured the look she envisioned. The range wall is now a striking focal point, showcasing a sleek new range, vent, and counter-to-ceiling quartz backsplash.
Fabulous, Functional Dining & Living Rooms
Now fully integrated into the living and kitchen space, the dining area features two large floor-to-ceiling pantries that flank a coffee bar with a round undermount sink and bank of drawers, adding so much more storage. We love the mid-century style pendant lighting fixture Samantha chose over the dining table.
Mid-Century Dreaming Entryway
For the new entryway, Samantha knew what tile she wanted to use after featuring it in one of her recent commercial interior projects. This graphic tile served as a bold base to create the new entry. We removed the built-in bench and racks to make space for our their unique furniture piece. Overall, the transformation turned a once cluttered landing zone into a more welcoming and personalized space.
We are so grateful for the continued recognition our team receives for all of the hard work and heart they put into every project! We love working so closely with our clients to create spaces that are truly unique. Projects like this one inspire us to keep striving for excellence, pushing the boundaries of creativity and craftsmanship.
To read more about this project in Kansas City Homes & Style click here!
To explore more of our 2024 REMY winners, visit our blog post here!
Cited:
Goppert, Judy. Meeting of Minds. Kansas City Homes & Style. January 2025.