By Jon Theiss


When Marilyn Bates moved into her home 11 years ago, she knew right away that it needed some significant remodeling.

“There was a ten foot galley kitchen right in the middle of the house with a skylight above, but it was just very small. There was no storage. From the very minute I moved into the house, I started imagining which walls could come out,” she says. “Now it’s so much larger and so much brighter. I can see right out onto the deck, to an acre of wooded area.”

But this wasn’t any easy weekend remodel; Bates had her work cut out for her. In addition to structural changes, she also had numerous design choices to make. To help her through the process, she contracted Dave Fox Design Build Remodelers.

“My friend’s daughter had a kitchen done with them (Dave Fox) and they were so pleased.” When she met with Design Consultant Wendy Sorenson, she was sold. “Wendy was so great,” Bates says.

Sorenson, a design consultant who has special expertise in kitchen remodels, was up for the task, suggesting they choose new cabinetry first, the focal point of the room, and let that choice influence their other design options. While Bates had some ideas, she definitely was willing to let the experts guide her.

“It was really just a cooperative working situation,” Bates explains.

“I must admit, I did not go into this project thinking I would go with granite countertops, but in looking at all the samples and comparing the virtues of the materials, I just couldn’t be more pleased with it,” she says.

After all was said and done, the process went rather smoothly, says Bates and the creative and design teams at Dave Fox.

“She wanted to open up her kitchen first,” says Sorenson. “She wanted to open up the space, remove and replace the cabinets, remove the walls, lighten it up – she also wanted two ovens, a gas cook top, separate microwave and to replace the flooring with oak hardwood flooring. This project was all about making it easier to cook and work in the kitchen; to have those work areas and make everything accessible.”

After all, the kitchen is the heart of any home.

“I do enjoy cooking, so having the space to do it is really nice. That old galley kitchen was just so small and cramped, I’m so glad we did this,” Bates says. The end product, complete with ceramic tile backsplash with green slate accents, light oak floors and darker oak cabinetry (both picked up in the hue of the granite), L-shaped island, high bar and tons of storage make Bates beam with pride.

When it was fully complete, even she was surprised. “It was just astounding,” Bates says. “I had no idea it would look this good.”

Jon Theiss is contributing editor for Westerville Magazine.