The owners of a working cattle ranch wanted to remodel their circa-1980’s house to create more open spaces and better functionality for the various areas of their busy lives, including running the family-owned business and entertaining family and friends. They wanted the house to feel warm, cozy and inviting, and convey a sense of old world authenticity, as though it had always been part of the ranch. The challenge for Interior Designer Jennifer Ball was to remodel as much of the home within the original footprint as possible to minimize the need for additional square footage and changes to the exterior of the home.

Jennifer achieved these goals by collaborating with the clients and their architect to refine the space plan, open up the existing spaces, and create the right scale and proportions for each room. This included moving and remodeling the stairway, opening up the existing dark, awkward kitchen, moving plumbing and appliances, and adding a new arched window to bring more natural light to the kitchen. The updated space plan also included a new hearth room with a fireplace, a separate dining room, and a new mudroom for the man of the ranch. To enhance the flow and create more usable space within the house, new his-and-hers offices were carved out of an unused area over the garage.