13-page photo portfolio by By Yayle Roncka
Deborah and Darry Pearson aren’t strangers to building and remodeling their homes. They’ve gone through the process several times while living in both Wisconsin and South Dakota, so after moving to Omaha and buying a home in 2012, they decided to do yet another remodel. This time it was on a 2,900 square-foot, 30-year-old, one and a half story home in the scenic Tomlinson Woods.
The Pearson’s gutted the house down to the studs and even installed new insulation. “We kept the external footprint, but changed the internal footprint,” Deborah said. “The house had good bones, it was just ready for a facelift.” Most of the changes involved opening up rooms, removing bookshelves, and rearranging the placement of items.
To help design the remodel, the Pearson’s worked with Diane Luxor, ASID, with D-Lux Interiors. Deborah had attended a designer showcase and liked the room Diane had designed. When they met to discuss the remodel project, the two clicked. “Our vision for the house was the same and we all worked great together,” Diane said.
Diane recommended Jon Ish with Jordan Michael Signature Homes to do the work, and the Pearson’s agreed. “Jon had an amazing team of contractors, from the electrician all the way to the painter,” Deborah said. “We had nothing but a positive experience and trusted everyone who was involved.” The entire remodel took six months to complete and won an ASID project award.
The most dramatic changes were to the kitchen and master bath, which were entirely opened up and redesigned. The kitchen now features an oversized center island, oversized stainless steel sink, stainless steel range hood, granite countertops, and glass doors on many of the white cabinets. A faux-painted rotunda ceiling sits above the eating area that is surrounded by large windows, which overlook the paved patio and wooded backyard with mature trees.
Faux paint treatments were used in several areas of the house. In addition to the ceiling in the eating area, the formal dining room features a faux-painted accent wall, and the guest bath walls are covered in a textured plaster treatment with metallic silver paint. “We tried to update the home with a contemporary look, but one that will also age well and stand the test of time,” Deborah said.
The large, main-floor master bedroom has warm, dark wood floors and a master bath that includes a walk-in European shower, his and her vanities, and a large free-standing soaking tub. They also included a cozy sitting room at the front of the house with built-in bookcases on either side of a fireplace surrounded in thin slate tile. “We’re empty nesters, so we spend lots of time in the front room reading, watching TV, or just enjoying the fireplace,” Deborah said.
There is an additional 330 square feet of finished space in the basement that can be used as a game, exercise, or TV room. The second story has three generously sized bedrooms with multiple closets and a remodeled bathroom. “This home is perfect for empty nesters,” Diane said. “There are large areas such as the open kitchen and great room for entertaining, as well as plenty of bedrooms for when family comes to visit, but the upstairs isn’t so big that it’s a waste of space when they’re not in use.”
Having those large areas to entertain is what the Pearson’s were trying to accomplish with the remodel. “We’ve always enjoyed having people come to our home,” Deborah said. “It is how we like to connect with people, so we wanted to have a comfortable, usable space to do that.”
