When Julie Kelley’s sister, Jennifer Eberle, purchased property in Louisville’s Glenmary subdivision more than two decades ago, Julie and her husband Mark were also looking for a change. Turns out, the sisters landed right next door to each other.
“Jennifer used to live on (another street in the area),” Julie told The Courier Journal. “(She and her fiancé, Doug) bought this lot and started to build. My husband and I were ready to get out of where we were, so we started looking for lots, (and) this lot was available. … And it’s been the most fun, being next-door neighbors.”
The sisters have spent countless hours with each other’s families, watching their children grow up together. More recently, they also completed home remodels. After Julie saw what Leslie Lewis-Sheets of LL&A Interior Design did at Jennifer’s house, she decided to make some changes to her home, too.
Bigger and brighter
“We love the open concept of the great room, dining room, and kitchen,” Julie said of her renovated one-and-one-half-story home. Each of the spaces flows seamlessly into the next, now connected by wire-brush-finish wood flooring.
“Just like Jennifer,” she added, “I had carpet in the dining room, I had tile … in the hall, I had carpet (in the great room), and I had hardwood in the kitchen. It was just so much going on. Now, it just feels like it’s always been here — this is the way it should have been.”
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The common flooring throughout helped the flow of the space. Lewis-Sheets also incorporated a common color scheme — as well as new doors and hardware — to really pull the look together.
“We wanted to lighten it up because she (had) a lot of reds, and golds, and greens, which were popular (at the time),” when it was built in 2000, Lewis-Sheets explained, adding that the home now features a more neutral palette. “As far as (color) inspiration, the two horse prints (hanging above the entry to the kitchen) help tie everything together.”
Wide-open spaces
Lewis-Sheets also embellished the windows, adding custom treatments to enhance the views they offer of the spacious backyard and pool area as well as the overall space.
“(I added) motorized shades (to the treatment in the great room),” she said, “because that gets pretty (bright) with the western sun. The sunsets are beautiful.”
Lewis-Sheets adds that in addition to the flooring, new lighting throughout also aided in providing a cohesive look in the home.
“The light fixtures and the sconces really helped pull everything together,” she said.
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The wide-open spaces and gorgeous view, Julie says, also make for a great space to host.
“The lower level is wonderful for entertaining, and the double doors slide open to the outdoor kitchen and pool area,” she said.
Keen kitchen
Though the outdoor kitchen is a great asset for pool parties, it’s the main interior kitchen — with its all-new appliances and extra-large island — that really makes a statement. “My husband loves to cook,” Julie explained, “(so) Leslie had the idea of this island.”
Lewis-Sheets explains that she wanted to create a space for cooking and entertaining, but knew she had to incorporate the cherry-wood tones of the cabinetry, as well as the pre-existing black granite countertops. “(The granite) selection was based off of the tile, and the cherry cabinets, and the black countertops,” she said.
The 15-and-a-half-foot-long island features a built-in Monogram range as well as built-in drawers. At the opposite end, the granite top is circular in shape, like a dining table connected to the cook space.
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“(Mark) likes to be with everybody when he’s cooking,” Julie said. “It’s just his thing. (This way), he gets to interact with people while he’s cooking, and not miss out on all the fun. (Plus), as you sit around the island, you can enjoy the wonderful view of our backyard and open field behind us — we have spectacular sunsets here.”
She adds that she owes her successful remodel and all the happiness it brought to her family to Lewis-Sheets.
“I want to thank Leslie … for her creativity and wonderful ideas for our remodel,” she said. “She is amazing to work with, and I love her style and her passion for decorating. She made this such a fun experience.”
Know a house that would make a great Home of the Week? Email writer Lennie Omalza at [email protected] or Lifestyle Editor Kathryn Gregory at [email protected].
nuts & bolts
Owners: Mark and Julie Kelley, of Kelley Construction. Also is in the home is their dog, Riley.
Home: This is a 3-bed, 3-and-a-half-bath, 5,000-square-foot, story-and-a-half style home in Glenmary that was built in 2000.
Distinctive elements: Open concept in great room, dining room, and kitchen; 15-and-a-half-foot-long granie kitchen island features a built-in Monogram range; double doors open to outdoor kitchen and pool area; wire-brush-finish wood flooring; custom window treaments, including motorized shades in the great room.
Applause! Applause! Leslie Lewis of LL&A Interior Design
