Connie Schmidt has renovated not one, not two, but four separate kitchens in her homeowning journey. The latest renovation on her current home just north of Wyandotte Woods was finished in October 2020, but Schmidt wasn’t done. She and her husband, Tom, decided to update their primary bathroom and upstairs guest bathroom during summer and fall 2023.
It’s not Schmidt’s first rodeo when it comes to updating her home. When it came to her kitchen, she wanted to update the space with the addition of a mixer cabinet, a cabinet for cookie sheets and cutting boards, and a three-quarter lazy Susan.
“I wanted to make it a little more current and I wanted some of the new, cool convenient things that have come out in the last 20 years,” she says.
The Right Fit
Photo Courtesy of Haus Studio
Dublin Home Reno
Schmidt and Tom met Tyler Swartzmiller, owner and principal designer of Haus Studio at a BIA Parade of Homes while looking for ideas to refresh their five-bed, four-and-a-half-bath home.
“We saw what he had done in this fairly small house in Grandview and it was really an amazing reuse of space,” Schmidt says.
The Schmidts soon made an appointment with Swartzmiller. After a few meetings and discussions with the Schmidts, Haus Studio got to work creating more countertop space, brightening up the floors and cabinets, and increasing practicality for food preparation.
Swartzmiller was successful in giving Schmidt the kitchen she’s always wanted. She says the space is more convenient for serious cooking and has the storage space to keep tools out of the way, too.
“(Swartzmiller) put in all the little toys I wanted, so my stand mixer is not on the counter, it’s got its very own little cabinet and I pop it up to use it to have a lot more open counter space,” Schmidt says. “I just feel like it’s so much more spacious and light in there. I love to cook and I love to bake so it’s been a really wonderful workspace for me.”
Bathroom Upgrade
Photo courtesy of Haus Studio
Schmidt Home Reno Bathroom
When Schmidt and Tom decided to update their primary bathroom in July 2023, they didn’t take long to decide who would oversee the project. The project cost more than $100,000 and took two and a half months, and Swartzmiller completely reimagined the space with accessibility in mind.
“Our house was built in 1998, and it was really awesome then to put those really huge bathtubs in with the jets, the Jacuzzi-type thing,” Schmidt says. “The problem was that it was very difficult to get in and out of. Probably not if you’re 20 or 30, but at 60, which is where my husband and I are, getting in was no problem, but we were very concerned about getting out.”
Swartzmiller proposed a shift of the organization of the room, the closets, the shower and added an armoire to the bathroom space as well as an armbar in the shower. He also redesigned the sink area to remove redundant mirrors and bring it up to date.
Living in their home during the renovation was tough for the Schmidts.
“My husband loves the system,” Schmidt says. “The whole thing just flows a lot better for him getting ready in the mornings than the other bathroom did. (During the renovation) he really hated the inconvenience of not being able to be in that bathroom and obviously we had to take our clothes out of the closets. But now that it’s complete and he’s in it, he loves it.”
Haus Studio came back yet again to redo the Schmidts’ upstairs bathroom, which the grandchildren and extended family use while visiting. The project began in the fall and is projected to finish just in time for the holidays.
In the meantime, the two of them have been enjoying their newly updated spaces. Schmidt is blown away with how much more space she has in her kitchen and bathroom.
“It’s mind blowing how easy it is to get dressed in the morning,” Schmidt says. “Just everything is right where I need it and I love it. I can see everything better, so I don’t wear the same three sweaters every week.”
Ava Huelskamp is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
