CBJ's Lure 3.2018

Renovating a 1900
farmhouse was
a worthy project
for newly-married
couple Mitchell and
Kelly Manning, who
purchased an acreage
just north of Iowa City
that sat vacant for 10
years before they took
possession in May 2017.
After living with Kelly’s parents for eight
months, the Mannings were excited to
move in to their “modern farmhouse” in
January and begin using their new kitchen,
which is the focal point of the home.
After demolishing the old kitchen
themselves, the couple had a clear and
shared vision for the space. It included
knocking down a west wall to open the
kitchen and living room area, vaulting
the ceiling above the front door and doing
away with wall-to-wall cabinets.
“It felt like it was never ending some
days,” Mitchell said of demolition. “Finally,
we stopped and said, 'we need to get
someone here to put this back together.'”
That’s when McCreedy-Ruth Construction
took over, and the Mannings
focused on making decisions about
details such as countertops, cabinets,
appliances and flooring. >
Mitchell and Kelly Manning choose a
farmhouse sink along with modern touches
like deep gray quartz countertops and a
gray and white marble backsplash.
12 LURE SPRING 2018