Columbus July 2022

Homeowner Sarah Nickol
elaborates: “When we bought the
house, it had been vacant for several
years and was kind of a time capsule,”
she says. “Everything was maroon,
tan and green. It was a small space
with dark floors and very little light
coming in.”
READY FOR A RE-DO
Sarah and her husband Seth engaged
contractor Todd Ross and kitchen
designer Melissa Kehayes to create
and implement the new layout. Of
particular consideration as they
began the plans was the supporting
beam that runs across the top of
the room. Too thick to be recessed
into the ceiling, the beam could not
be hidden and thus needed to be
incorporated into the overall design.
Melissa, who works at Western
Custom Cabinetry, explains. “I knew
we were going to have to find a way
to embrace the beam, so it was not
randomly in some open spot over a
window,” she says. “I told Sarah that
if she was open to it, I could make
the design look really awesome by
centering the hood on the beam.”
They did just that, and next,
Melissa and the homeowners worked
through choices around the kitchen’s
spectacular island. Sarah was clear
that she wanted a large island, as
the family often entertains and, as
is typical in most homes, everyone
congregates around the island. In
order to create an island out of one
continuous slab, one typically has a
limitation of ten feet. Using the same
ingenuity she employed with
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1
2
1 Behind floating shelves in the dining
area, watercolor floral wallpaper adds a
soft, pastoral touch. 2 A custom paper
towel dispenser is tucked in a convenient
spot near the sink and dishwasher.
3 Double doors provide easy access to
the walk-in pantry.
30 housetrends.com