The Art of the Update: Bringing New Life to a Mid-Century Gem

photos by Robin Bouricius and Peter Nosbisch

For the inexperienced, remodeling a home can be an almost impossibly daunting

task. Coming up with a plan, choosing the right designers and contractors,

selecting features, materials, and appliances, all while managing a budget that can get out of control quickly and navigating the myriad unforeseen issues that are sure to arise. To say the least, a major remodel is a lot.

Fortunately for Kevin and Michelle Ancell, when they decided to update their

newly purchased home in Fort Collins, it wasn’t their first rodeo.

“We had remodeled a house before, so we had the benefit of knowing what we were getting ourselves into,” reflects Michelle.

Moving from Denver to the more laid-back college town an hour to the north, the Ancells already had a relationship with an architect from their previous neighborhood. That architect referred the couple to Concept 32, the firm that would lead the design of their new kitchen. Additionally, the Ancells’ realtor was kind enough to introduce them to a general contractor that Michelle describes as a “straight shooter” with great communication skills. “So much is about expectations,” says Michelle. “Work with people you trust and respect. Remodeling

is a huge commitment in time, money, and emotional energy. It’s a guarantee that you will encounter challenges.”

With a team in place, the couple was ready to undertake the challenge of a home remodel once more. Moving into the basement of the house and cooking meals using a plug-in air fryer and Instant Pot, the Ancells settled in for a months-long journey.

“There is a bit of apprehension when your house is under construction and there’s sawdust, paper, tape and wires everywhere,” recalls Michelle. “But when the carpenters installed the cabinets, we could see the kitchen come together and it just got better and better every step of the way.”

Beautiful windows in the kitchen flood the space with natural light, and Michelle says she appreciates the home’s sensible layout. It just needed a bit of an update to bring those elements into the modern era.

The house was originally constructed in 1966 and certainly had its charm, but

Michelle says she wanted to modernize the kitchen with some lighter colors. Of course, you can’t hope to achieve modernity without modern appliances, and for that, the Ancells drew from their previous experience.

“We had GE Café appliances in our last home that we enjoyed, so we chose them again,” Michelle explains.

A must for the project was a double oven, so the couple decided on the Café

professional 30-inch French-door convection oven paired with the Café 30-inch five-in-one to sit above it. The French doors of the lower oven give it a distinct look that is also ergonomic and can be opened single-handedly. A built-in smart system automatically tracks cooking progress and can modify temperatures and cook times. The smaller oven above is built for speed cooking, blending convection heating with microwave capabilities to produce amazing results in a fraction of the time.

The Café counter-depth French-door refrigerator offers up 23.1 cubic feet

of storage space. A brilliant array of LED lights illuminates the interior, and

TwinChill evaporators manage separate climates between the fresh food and

freezer sections.

The kitchen island houses the Café dishwasher, which features convection

drying and interior LED lights. With three highly customizable racks, this

39-decibel dishwasher can be arranged to fit any odd container or utensil.

Just around the corner from the kitchen’s main area, the colorful beverage bar houses a Café beverage center capable of storing 14 bottles or 126 cans. Michelle says the separate beverage area works well when hosting get-togethers outside, and functions beautifully for serving hot drinks during colder months.

With the black granite countertops, the kitchen comes together as colorful

and modern, while holding on to the home’s original charm. Overall, Michelle says they are very happy with how it all turned out.

“We love the final outcome. It’s probably better than we expected because when you are making all of the decisions, there’s uncertainty about how everything will look together,” she says. “The original owners cared for this home and we hope to honor them by caring for this home for a long time as well.”

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Concept 32 Custom Cabinet Studio, a locally owned and operated business in Longmont, Colorado, specializes in crafting custom cabinet solutions for every room in the home. With two decades of design expertise, Jenny Morrow excels at collaborating with homeowners, designers and builders to create tailored solutions that harmonize with individual styles and budgets. The materials featured in this kitchen project include Mirlux Super Matte Willow, Kronospan Sand Barbera Oak, and FENIX Verde Kitami, exemplifying a perfect blend of sophistication and functionality. www.concept32designs.com

#mid-century #remodel