By CAROLYN IAMON
News Writer
In January 2009, when Richard and Jean Horn purchased their Rivervale subdivision house, which was originally built in 1993, they knew they wanted to do some updating to make it “their home.”
With a lot of planning and help from designer June Faircloth at Interior Specialists, they began with the large family kitchen. It was actually a pretty simple job, taking about three weeks to complete. The wallpaper was removed and the walls in the kitchen, breakfast area and keeping room were all painted in dark brown sandscapes. The white-tiled countertops were replaced with dark granite. The two-level double sink, also of dark granite and ceramic tile backsplashes in blues and earthtones, complement and contrast with the original white cabinets, which were been retained.
A brick, wood-burning fireplace in the corner, adds a warm touch to the large, open eating area, separated from the kitchen only by the long stovetop island. The food preparation area floor is of a light ceramic tile, while the eating area is hardwood flooring.
A large dining table is outfitted with highback Amish-made wooden chairs.
The latest and most major project began in November 2010, as the family tackled the master bedroom suite. Wall space for furniture placement in the bedroom was extremely limited. One wall is all windows, providing a view of the river. A second wall was taken up by two separate doors to closets and a third wall had a double door to the bathroom.
“There was only one wall to place the bed,” said Jean Horn, “and it was right as you walked into the bedroom.”
The two doors to the closets were closed off and all the controls for the air conditioning and other utilities were moved to the hallway. Likewise, the double doors to the bath were closed off and a vanity in the bathroom taken out to make room for a new door. It leads to a hall and the newly fitted, walk-in closet and a totally redesigned bathroom.
“We’ve made use of every available space,” Faircloth said.
The walk-in closet has cabinets all the way to the ceiling and it is designed to accommodate “his and hers” storage areas. There are slide-out shelves and drawers for clothing storage. There is also a built-in ironing board and slide-out iron system in the closet for quick touch-ups.
A former linen closet was converted into a large, luxuriously-fitted, tiled shower room. This proved to be quite a challenge. Horn’s German lineage inspired her to want the ceiling to be dome-shaped — “like a wine cellar.” Small glass tiles in shades of blues and greens cover the ceiling and trim the ceramic tiles of the shower walls. The dark blue walls around the Luxury Spa jetted bathtub are trimmed in the same tiles. The tub itself is a plumbing marvel. It has a flexible drain and extra long plumbing lines that make it portable. It can be rolled out for servicing.
The master bath now has “his and hers” wash basins on opposite sides of the room. They are made of clear glass, but by changing the lighting from beneath you can make the bowls any color you desire. In the Horns’ bathroom they are a brilliant blue.
Horn said she wanted a tranquil, relaxing bathroom that reminded her of water and the sea — hence the blue/green color scheme — while the tiled flooring is reminiscent of a sandy beach.
Speaking of relaxing, the shower has a steam feature, multiple shower heads, colored lights and piped-in music — all customized to suit the bather. The Horns, especially Richard, are very much in tune with the latest high-tech home gadgets and improvements, so a new Rinnaii, gas-fired tankless hot water heater was installed to serve the bathroom.
The master bedroom, now having adequate wall space, has become a comfortable, restful room. Hidden and recessed lighting was installed in the tray ceiling. The recessed lights can be dimmed and controlled from either side of the bed to allow reading without disturbing the bed partner.
The best part of all for Horn is that she finally has her personal library. One entire wall in the bedroom — the one that used to hold the bed — now has built-in floor-to-ceiling book shelves. It is her dream library, complete with an attached, sliding ladder that enables her to reach the books on the top shelves.
The Horns and Faircloth worked together for 10 months, planning and implementing the renovation of the master suite. It was completed in September 2011.
“We ran into a lot of issues we had to deal with,” explained Faircloth, and Horn adds that all those problems were solved by “a melding of the minds.”
Faircloth said what impressed her most about the changes the Horns made was that everything they did reflects their priority of creating a comfortable family home.
The Horns have two grown daughters, including Bethany, an ordained United Methodist minister, who is married to Michael, and living in Johnson City, Tenn. She is mother to their 16-month-old grandson, Alexander.
Daughter Jordan is a gifted artist living in Florence, S.C. Her husband, Ben, is in the Army National Guard.
The family dog, Dolly, a two-year old springer spaniel, has made lasting friendships with the workers and oversaw much of the construction work, as evidenced in many of the construction photos.
