A refresh and remodel for a Russwood Acres Home

Tucked into an enclave bordered by Inwood and Northaven Roads, Royal Lane, and the Dallas North Tollway, Russwood Acres epitomizes Preston Hollow. Family homes line streets studded with shade trees, perfect for jogging or biking or walking the family dog. Generous lots and manicured lawns whisper “quiet luxury,” even as the neighborhood echoes with the sounds of children playing outside.

For these reasons, and more, the owners of the mid-century ranch pictured here planted their roots in Russwood Acres in 2019. After living in the home for several years, however, the young family identified several challenges presented by its 1964-era layout and features. Enter Dallas-based Kitchen Design Concepts. The award-winning firm stepped in to execute a clever renovation that would allow the home to meet the family’s needs while staying true to its original character.

“Our job is to make the lives of our clients so much easier,” says Rebecca Sutton, a residential designer with over a decade of experience at Kitchen Design Concepts. “This family wanted to make the home cleaner and brighter, and they wanted to be able to add personal touches throughout the years as they grow into the space.”

A specialist in spatial planning and cabinetry design, Sutton’s role in this Russwood Acres renovation focused on the kitchen and primary bath.

A Beautiful and Hard-Working Kitchen

Sutton partnered closely with her clients to update the hardest-working room in the home. She began by asking several key questions that she believes must be answered before any kitchen renovation: Where am I going to be cooking? Where am I going to store my equipment and dishes? And, where is my dedicated prep space?

The answers in this case involved two hungry kids, outdated storage, and plenty of underutilized, if irregularly shaped, extra space. Though the list was long, Sutton and the family ultimately decided that “less is more.”

“We had a lot of conversations about how they’d be using the kitchen,” she says. “It turned out that they didn’t need to invest in taking down walls.”

Instead, emphasizing “ease of use,” the designer started by swapping the kitchen’s decades-old cabinetry for European-style frameless cabinets and deep-box storage drawers. In alabaster white, they complement the Mediterranean-style ceramic backsplash tiles and subtly veined quartz countertops.

The gas cooktop was relocated to a new island, and set in brushed stainless steel. Additional storage was added beneath the range, along with a perpendicular quartz-topped seating area. The unique T-shape of the new island maximizes the kitchen’s existing available space, while drawing the eye to a fresh central detail.

“We used the island’s waterfall edge as a main visual feature,” Sutton says. “When you’re looking into the kitchen from the living room, that’s your focal point.”

A Spa-Like Primary Bath

The home’s neutral palette extends to the primary bath. As in the kitchen, Sutton and the homeowners selected frameless cabinetry and white quartz countertops. Oversized porcelain wall tiles in a warm topaz grain create a striking contrast; each was painstakingly seam-matched by the designer.

“We wanted to ensure that we got that nice seam to flow across the wall, then wrap around the shower,” says Sutton. “We then picked up some of the undertones from the walls and utilized them in the darker tone in the floor tile.”

The centerpiece of the room is undoubtedly the Japanese freestanding soaking tub. It represents another smart and stylish solution to a unique challenge.

“The window on the exterior wall in the primary bath was still in great condition,” Sutton says. “We pivoted to the soaking tub so that you still get a full soak, but it takes up significantly less floor space and provides that spa-like look and feel.”

Indeed, as afternoon sunlight streams through the carefully-preserved picture window, it’s easy to imagine relaxing in this sanctuary at the end of a long day.