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Thursday, January 7, 2016

Worth the Wait


Picture a house nestled on twenty beautiful acres surrounded by tall trees and ponds. Add in a gorgeous pool and you have a dream home. Pressed for time due to a relocation and the start of the new school year, Dedra and Tommy Goodson needed to find a house quick. They fell in love the moment they drove by this property and they knew it would someday be theirs.  Unfortunately, the home was not for sale.

While not willing to entirely give up on their dream, they purchased another home. After more than two years of patience and persistence, Tommy had a chance encounter with the owner while shopping at a home improvement store.  During the conversation he informed Tommy that he was ready to sell. Although Dedra and Tommy were in love with the exterior, they had yet to see the interior of the home.  Without hesitation, they drove to the home to see the inside! After looking through the home, they immediately made an offer.


The 13 year old house was small with only three bedrooms and a closed off floor plan. They knew that they needed to make some changes to fit the needs of their family. A remodel was planned to add another bedroom, an extra bathroom, and an office for Dedra. An updated kitchen was also high on the list.
Before shot of kitchen

Faced with a tough decision of what to keep and what to change in the space, Dedra knew the dark kitchen had some serious potential. Her vision was to create a kitchen that would be open and bright. Dedra’s Interior Design degree was put to use when she planned out a space that her family would love and use for many years to come. She was able to keep much of the old and bring in some new in her plan to create the kitchen of her dreams!


When demo day arrived, they began by tearing out all of the upper cabinets and the vent hood. To give the appearance of higher ceilings, the new upper cabinets were brought all the way to the ceiling. In addition, she designed a new set of cabinet uppers with glass fronts and LED lighting.  This change brightened up a dark space and lifts your eyes upward toward the ceiling making the space appear taller than it really is. To make room for the new square counter height island, the existing island was torn out. The new island is packed with lots of storage.  Clever use of space was made for the microwave, which is stored on the back side of the island.


Definitely a favorite feature of mine in the remodeled kitchen is the paneled covered refrigerator. Cabinets were added above the refrigerator where only sheetrock was before. More kitchen storage is always a bonus! Carrying the same design on the new island up to the new vent hood mantel gives the new kitchen a polished, finished look. The addition of a new backsplash, flooring, and lighting also helped to transform the space.


Ten months after they began their remodel, they were able to move in and enjoy the space they created.

Dedra Goodson has been married to her college sweetheart for 21 years. They have 3 children, 2 dogs, 1 spoiled cat and 2 ponds full of fish. She has a degree in Interior Design and loves to repurpose anything she can get her hands on! She has a passion for recreating spaces by tearing down walls, adding architectural interest and texture using a variety of materials. In her spare time, she loves to do hand lettering, drawing, painting, and DIY projects. You can find Dedra on instagram at: @roomforwonders

I originally wrote this article for the December issue of Everything Home Magazine, but wanted to share it here too! Dedra's kitchen is stunning. It was a pleasure to get the chance to share her beautiful remodel with you!