John, who operates his own business, John K. Garvey Masonry Restoration, had big plans for his little house. He and Lisa had already remodeled one house and he was looking for a new challenge. “I’m not one to sit and watch television,” he reports. Instead, he derives pleasure from sitting and “staring at a wall” in an attempt to formulate a creative way to improve upon a room. “I’m a tinkerer,” he states. As a result, it’s not unusual for Lisa to arrive home from work and be greeted with, “Honey, I’m ready to tear the side of the house off!” The only time he takes a break from home-improvement projects is to go hunting.

John obviously adores Lisa’s easy-going attitude toward his never-ending projects. “I joke that when they do my autopsy, they’ll find drywall dust in my body,” she says. Thus far, John has added a second-floor master suite (the bathroom includes such amenities as a whirlpool tub, walk-in shower and an under-counter refrigerator and microwave oven). He also created a small man cave in the basement and added a fireplace in the living room. Next on the to-do list was designing a five-zone heating and cooling system. Outdoors, he refaced the front of the house with stone, improved upon the landscaping and took down some large black-walnut trees in the backyard.

The walnut trees are where Joel comes in. John invited him to take the trees and dry them, with the hope that the wood could be put to use when his latest brainstorm – the great-room addition – took shape. Joel accepted the assignment, initially cutting the trees into two-inch planks, which were later re-sawn into one-inch planks. The wood ultimately provided the material for a corner cupboard, fireplace mantels and trim. “Lisa and I were ‘green’ before there was such a term,” John says of their fondness for reusing and repurposing things.

Out of necessity, the great room would definitely include a new kitchen. While John and Lisa don’t claim to be gourmet cooks, they had finally had it with the kitchen – all 8x10 feet of it! “You couldn’t open the door of the stove all the way because it would hit a cabinet,” John recalls. “And, there was no room for the microwave, so we kept that in our bedroom.”

John and Lisa collaborated with Joel on the design of the kitchen. While the space didn’t grow in size by a lot, the more streamlined layout, coupled with the elimination of the side wall (to create space for the dining area), helped to create a more open feeling.

In order to make the wood – maple for the framework and tiger maple for the doors and drawers – shine, a raised-panel design was chosen for the cabinet doors. Joel also incorporated into the design old-fashioned touches such as a bread drawer, a towel rack at the sink and cabinet/drawer hardware that appears to be from another era. For a change of pace, beadboard wainscoting was used to create the curved bar that divides the kitchen from the dining area.

Storage, which was an issue in the past, was also addressed. In addition to traditional cabinets, the design includes a pantry, a lazy-susan in a corner cabinet and storage cabinets on both sides of the bar.

The wood theme continues with the countertops. Here, a touch of the exotic was utilized, as the three agreed that zebra wood (a West African species) would provide a departure from the country look of the cabinets and the primitive accessories that are Lisa’s style. Indeed, the counters are the first thing that catches your eye when you walk into the great room. “So many people tried to talk me out of it,” John says, explaining that many naysayers warned that the counters would be high-maintenance. They have proven to be anything but, thanks in part to the addition of six protective coats of an oil/varnish finish. “It not only offers superior protection, but it is easily repaired,” Joel notes of the finish.

Joel’s craftsmanship is also obvious in the dining area that is situated in the addition that John designed. Here, the lodge look sets the tone for styling. Joel also used the walnut wood to create a custom corner cabinet and trim for the room. He also built a rough-hewn oak table that clearly exhibits his signature dovetailing and mortise-and-tenon techniques.

The vaulted, cathedral ceiling adds to the grandeur of the space. It’s here where John’s talents are obvious, as he designed the fireplace and installed the beadboard wainscoting that lines the vaulted ceiling. “I ended up using birch and black walnut,” he explains, noting that in addition to zebra, Australian cypress was also on his wish list.

John’s masonry talents are evidenced in the design and execution of the fireplace. The interior of the Rumford fireplace is lined with soapstone. Belgium blocks – from Philadelphia – travel from floor to ceiling and serve to define the width of the fireplace. Some of the blocks were also cut in order to create an arched veneer over the hearth. Hand-cut bluestone from upstate Pennsylvania was used to top the elevated areas that flank the hearth. Mantels were created by using pieces from the downed walnut tree. Stucco – and a hunting trophy – finish off the custom design.

The final design element was the addition of a cork floor. “I like the feel it provides,” John explains. The fact that radiant heat was included makes the space all the more cozy.

Credits:
Design/Build: John K. Garvey/John K. Garvey Masonry Restoration
Cabinetry/Counters/Furnishings: Joel A. Bare (jbcabinetmaker.com)
Fireplace Design/Installation: John K. Garvey/John K. Garvey Masonry Restoration
Belgium Block Source: Rolling Rock Building Stone, Boyertown
Zebra Wood Source: Groff & Groff Lumber, Quarryville
Cork Floor: General Floor
Tile: Daltile
Lighting: Yale Lighting Concepts
Appliances: Martin Appliance
Stylist: Diane Raymond/Color Collage

To read more see the September issue of Lancaster County magazine.