Ultimately the home, with its multi-gabled roofline, side screened porch, and character in spades, won them over. With two rounds of major renovations and help from several area professionals, the Cullens’ new home is comfortable and stylish, and a great fit for their family, which includes a daughter and son in elementary school. However, it wasn’t smooth sailing from the outset—the family moved in on the same day as the “derecho” windstorm event of 2012, and ended up spending their first night after closing in a hotel. “We were amidst all these boxes, trying to get our bearings, and the power went out. Suddenly everything was pitch black,” remembers Amy. “The kids were little, and we weren’t familiar with the house so it was worse in the dark, we couldn’t see a thing… off to the hotel we went.” The kids then went to stay with Amy’s parents in Kentucky, where she was raised, while she went about setting up the family’s new home, albeit in less than ideal circumstances. Rolling with adversity came in handy later, when the family embarked on the first major renovation, which involved gutting the old, cramped red kitchen to make way for a more functional, updated space. While the kitchen was out of commission, a stove was set up in the garage for cooking meals. “I remember a nice day when I was cooking in the garage with the door up, and I’m waving to friends while cooking a pot of chili,” she laughs.
Reworking the kitchen space was a challenge, with multiple windows cutting down on available cabinet space and an adjoining laundry area that felt misplaced. Robert Kulp of Blue Ridge Residential, Inc (and president of Black Dog Salvage) helped the Cullens solve the dilemma by creating a basement laundry room, where he repurposed the original kitchen sink and some of the cabinets. This opened up needed space in the kitchen and, along with eliminating two windows, created better storage and flow. While both Kulp and the Cullens hated to sacrifice the natural light, the kitchen retains an airy feel with a white-on-white palette—creamy semi-custom cabinets are topped with white Macaubas quartzite, and clean white subway tile finishes the look. Luckily, the remaining large window over the farmhouse sink provides adequate natural light, as well as a view of the driveway and side yard where the kids often play. Kulp also added a small kitchen island for additional prep space, which overlooks a banquette where the family eats casual meals and spreads out homework. The custom oak table, made by local craftsman Coy Hodges, is a perfect fit for the space, and the banquette is made of salvaged pews from St. John’s Episcopal, where the family attends church. Chairs that Amy already owned were painted by Creative Finishing in Roanoke to match the cabinets. Above the banquette, a rope-covered chandelier lends casual flair and doesn’t compete for attention with a Carson Price painting, a find from local design shop, Magnolia.
Robert Kulp, of Blue Ridge Residential, designed an updated white kitchen with an airy feel. 4 8
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