"When we first looked at this house, one drawback was the kitchen and family room," explains Courtney Schaeffer, speaking of her home in east Memphis. "They were totally separate. The kitchen was chopped up, and the family room was dark." And for her husband, Fred, the arrangement just wouldn't do. "The main thing Fred wanted was a modern family room that flowed into the kitchen," she says. Lucky for Fred, his wife could see the possibilities in this older house. As an interior designer, Courtney knew the house had potential.
Coordinating After Construction
Opening up the wall separating the two rooms was their first move.
It had a doorway leading to the kitchen, but the wall was otherwise unnecessary. "It also made the stairs awkward because you had to turn to avoid the wall," says Courtney. However, the wall was load bearing, so she worked with their builder to remove enough for a cased opening without eliminating the lateral support beam.
Once the construction was complete, the Schaeffers found their space had been reborn. The next step was cosmetic. Courtney and her mom, Carol Covington (who is also a designer), used all their design tools to make the two rooms look and feel like one. For example, the kitchen's hardwood floor was stained the same color as the one in the family room.
