{House and Home Magazine}—While some homes have original beauty and comfort, often a change is in order to put a personal touch on a new house or a modern spin on a fixer-upper. In some cases, the change could be small-a fresh coat of paint or an addition of crafty accessories. Other times, homeowners make the decision for a major flip; a remodel. For Deborah and Vance Gibbs, their remodeling project was a blessing in disguise.
Last summer, the Gibbs were enjoying lunch at their round table in a nook nestled by a bay window in their kitchen. It was a routine they had practiced for years, in their house located in the Southdowns area of Baton Rouge. However, this morning was different-fifteen minutes after the lunch plates were cleared, Hurricane Gustav pushed a tree into the Gibbs' home.
The tree, a 7500ft Water Oak, was rooted about 20ft from the Gibb's back patio. It crashed through the roof of the upstairs bedroom first, then into the ceiling of the kitchen, where the Gibbs had enjoyed a meal moments earlier.
Deborah describes her original kitchen as a galley kitchen, built in the 1960s. She considers the kitchen the center of her home, as she enjoys cooking and hosting family gatherings. In June 2001, the Gibbs made a few changes to their kitchen, putting in modern appliances and granite countertops. She says for the amount of money that was spent, they regretted not making the kitchen any bigger.
"For the size of our house, the kitchen was rather small," Deborah says. "So in a way, I'm thankful the tree hit the kitchen."
Southdowns, like many other Baton Rouge neighborhoods, was hit hard Deborah says, describing the sound of the storm was like a tornado. When the Gibbs saw the damage to their neighborhood, they made a quick call to their contractor Richard Jackson of Baton Rouge-based company Jackson Construction. Jackson had worked with the Gibbs on two previous projects.
"One thirty was the height of Gustav," Deborah says. "We called Richard at three, before Gustav had blown through. I wanted to be first on his list."
Jackson said the Gibb's kitchen was around 200 square feet to begin with. Jackson and Baton Rouge architect William Powell made a 10ft by 30ft addition, putting the expanded kitchen at 500 square feet. Vance and Powell picked the materials to be used in the remodel, which makes for an antique, Southern kitchen.
Riverside Custom Cabinets in Baton Rouge designed and constructed the Cypress cabinets. They were glazed with an antique stain, which makes them look natural, while refined. Salvaged Pine creates the floor beams, which are covered with a clear, natural finish. Vance came up with the idea for the ceiling beams, which were made from old Pine and fitted to the 10ft ceiling. The wood was salvaged from a warehouse, sanded, and notches were carved in the beams so they would interlock.
"The beams look original to the house," Jackson says. "That was the look they were trying to go for."
The island, which stands out from the natural wood finishes in the other areas of the kitchen, was designed by interior decorator Holly Harrison of Interior's Inc. The base of the island was painted gold first, which was then covered with black paint. Sand paper was used to expose the gold beneath the black, giving it a warm, antique look. The granite countertop has a creamy ivory background, dotted with flecks of black, orange, and red.
Other elements to the Gibbs' kitchen include a fireplace, which is set in a brick wall. There is also a coffee cabinet, which can be hidden with pullout doors, similar to those on an entertainment center.
Deborah says the entire remodel took about eight months, with cleanup and construction beginning in October of last year. The Gibbs moved back in April 30, 2009. Jackson says, after the tree fell, water seeped into several of the homes' walls, damaging sheet rock.
"We had to re-insulate and rewire everything," Jackson says. "We basically had to start from scratch."
Jackson works with about six other workers on his projects. He says he's done about four remodels because of Hurricane Gustav, and this was the average size job he has worked on, although he does several entire house remodels.
"I'm content with what I do," Jackson says. "The kitchen turned out great and they were very happy with everything."
Since moving into their new kitchen, Deborah says they have taken full advantage of the newly added space.
"We had a wedding reception for my 80-year-old father in August," she says. "There were 50 people in the kitchen and none of them were touching. The kitchen can fit all of our family."
Deborah says her old round table that could barely fit five people, now comfortably fits six. There is room for sitting chairs and she says she hasn't even filled all of her drawers yet.
"It's just a great kitchen, I lose myself in it," she says. "It's the kitchen I've always wanted."