The Grafts, a Westerville family of four, are reaping the benefits after completing a hefty renovation project on their home. This undertaking entailed a newly designed ground floor with major changes to their kitchen and bathrooms.
The couple bought their house back in 2014, just a couple of years after they both graduated from The Ohio State University. They built the house into a home by adding their two kids and a couple of dogs and soon realized they had outgrown their kitchen.
“Before, we had a teeny, tiny little kitchen,” says Kristine Graft, mother and wife. “And the kids and us all trying to be (there) at the same time, tripping over each other and getting angry at each other.”
Dave Fox
Dave Fox
Dave Fox
They considered their budget-friendly options and found it best to eliminate the dining room and powder room connected to the kitchen to make space for a larger kitchen. The old kitchen space was closed off and converted into a walk-in pantry. The laundry room space was converted to a mud room and powder room, assuring they would still have a bathroom on the first floor.
The planning process went smoothly, but some complications arose, which is common with renovation projects. They found it hard to stay within the budget, not to mention the challenge of living there while the changes were being made to the home.
“It’s not like a TV show where, you know, 30 minutes and it’s done,” says Deric Graft, father and husband. “The renovation started in August (2023) and ended on the first of the year, so August through December… Four full months of pure renovation going on in the house. Yes, we could live here, but it was difficult to live here.”
However, despite the inconveniences brought on by construction, the Grafts look back on the project and are satisfied with the results. They felt Dave Fox, the remodeling firm they worked with, did not hold back when building the best place for the family to live and thrive.
Dave Fox
Dave Fox
Dave Fox
Dave Fox
Dave Fox
Dave Fox
“It allows for family to congregate here,” says Deric. “We got a big, ten-foot island that allows cooking, kids to do schoolwork, and me to do my work in the evenings.”
Kristine agrees with her husband.
“Now we can all kind of be together in one space, and it is so seamless,” she says, “I would say we wanted a kitchen that we could all be in at the same time and still be functional and we definitely got that.”
Elliot Fryman is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
