HOME SWEET AHWATUKEE HOME 10
H OM E U P DAT E | HOM E + DE S I GN
AFTER
AHWATUKEE LUXURY HOME REALTOR CYNTHIA WORLEY OFFERS RENOVATION TIPS Cynthia Worley, CEO and Founder of Stella Realty Group and Keller Williams luxury home Realtor (WorleyTeam.com), opened up her home to showcase her own stunning remodel and offer remodel advice. Worley has remodeled her home twice, noting that home fashion trends change every 10 years. "I've owned the house for more than 25 years. We purchased in 1996 and, typical of the mid-90s, it had tile counters, whitewash cabinets, light Berber carpet and a sunken living room. Ten years later, in the mid-2000s, we remodeled to the popular Tuscan look—dark stained cabinets, travertine floors, Verde granite slab counters, stainless appliances and oilrubbed bronze fixtures."
Worley's latest remodel was much more extensive. Today, it's all about open concepts, huge kitchen islands with pot drawers and LED lighting. Getting to a more open concept required removing some things that initially cost extra when the house was built, including decorator niches and pot shelves. She removed the fireplace to open the kitchen and family room. She eliminated the sunken living room by raising the floor and removing the pony wall separating the living and dining rooms. She also removed several niches to enlarge the entrance and a hallway. "Not everyone wants to move walls, and not every house requires it," explains Worley. "There is a great remodel project for every house. Love your home and have fun!"