Featured Homes
Reinventing the Ranch
A Mission Hills home shed 35 years of outdated style for a comfortable, contemporary look.
BY
Bridget Heos
PHOTOGRAPHY
Alistair Tutton

Wood paneling was hot, hot, hot. Now it’s not, not, not.

So when Jean-Paul and Heather Wong bought a Mission Hills ranch with more paneling than a station wagon dealership, they had some updating to do. Removing the paneling was just one of the many changes they made. They also tore down walls, laid new flooring, added windows, and splashed the walls with their colorful, contemporary art collection. With the help of designer Bill Poole, owner of driftworks, inc. design studio and Hudson Home, they reinvented their ranch.

Contemporary Curb Appeal
Stepping onto the Wongs’ lawn, you know you’re entering a contemporary space. The pathway is made up of large geometrical slabs of concrete, artfully placed amid the landscape. Entering the house, the same artful style continues in a warm, contemporary fashion. The house has the easy flow of a bungalow and the modern flair of a loft.

That’s new. Before the renovation, the house was compartmentalized. The entrance was an enclosed room, for instance.

The Wongs knew from the start that they wanted a more open floor plan. They didn’t realize how much freedom they would have to create it, but soon learned that the bones of this house were a renovator’s dream come true. The trussed roofing held the home together, meaning no interior wall was weight-bearing and any one of them could have been removed.

“We bought it to be a contemporary home to entertain and so the kids could play,” Jean-Paul says. “We didn’t know it had a trussed ceiling. We just lucked into that.”

kitchen in kansas city remodeled homeA Classy, Glassy Kitchen
For one thing, the Wongs removed the wall that divided the kitchen from what is now the dining room. It used to be a wood-paneled den. At that time, the dining room was at the front of the house in a more formal setup — that is, you couldn’t see the kitchen from the dinner table.

Today’s families prefer a more casual setup, and the Wongs are no exception. Their new dining room features a large farm table and rich-colored Ipe wood floors. White globes hover over the table like the two moons of Mars.

At the end of the room, an antique dark wood bar brings an old-time, upscale saloon to mind. It’s juxtaposed with a steel fireplace designed by Poole. The room is perfect for the couple to have meals with their kids — Travers, 3, baby Isabelle and another one on the way, and for entertaining friends.

“Nothing about the house is formal,” Jean-Paul notes. “But if I wanted to have people to dinner, this room is big enough to do that and nice enough to do that.”

The kitchen is streamlined and stylish, with custom walnut cabinets from CF Wood Products, a division of Contract Furnishings, an office furniture company that Jean-Paul co-owns, light-colored Quartz countertops and stainless steel appliances.

The most unique aspect of the room is the glass backsplash. The iron in the glass gives it a subtle greenish tint. Using the iron glass was a risk; the Wongs didn’t want it to be the color of sea foam. But Poole encouraged them to go with the iron version, which offers a more dramatic look.

Formerly Formal
Prior to the renovation, the den shared a wall (and fireplace) with a formal living room.

You remember the formal living room of yesteryear? Children weren’t allowed. The furniture was to be seen, not used. It was more like a museum exhibit than an actual room.

Well, like most families today, the Wongs wanted their living room to be, well, livable. They also wanted it to be more accessible to the most popular room in every house — the kitchen. Keeping the shared fireplace, they tore down the rest of the wall, leaving a partial wall and painting it a rich chocolate color.

While the couple’s contemporary art collection makes the living room elegant, children are definitely allowed, as evidenced by the children’s books on the coffee table, and baby Isabelle sitting with Heather on the couch.

The Wongs say that changing the layout of the house doubled their living space.

Now, says Heather, “It’s homey.”

The neutral furnishings and carpeting allow the art to take center stage. On the red accent wall, a colorful abstract piece by Boulder, Colo., artist Stash Capponi, sets the tone for the contemporary collection. Elsewhere in the room, an Albert Artwell painting from Jamaica depicts Jonah and the whale, and a painting by Robert E. Smith, a famous Springfield folk artist, gives a whimsical twist to John Brown’s historic house. However, most of the art in the home is local; many pieces were created by Kansas City Art Institute students.

family room in kansas city remodelFinding, Not Adding, Space
The Wongs originally planned to add on to the home. Instead, they finished the basement, adding a TV area, a playroom and a guest bedroom. Bamboo floors, white walls and glass block windows give it the clean look of a dance studio, but you won’t see ballerinas down here. Rather, this is where Travers’ toy trains and dinosaurs reside.

Moving the playroom downstairs was key to managing the toy situation, Heather explains. When the toys were in the former den, they trickled into every room on the main floor. Now, they only fill the playroom, which is what it is for.

Poole, landscape consultant Laura Stack and Jean-Paul collaborated to create “rooms” outside: a gathering area, a dining area, and, of course, lots of play space. They added an Ipe deck and concrete patio, again using an artful geometric design, to broaden the home’s living space.

Now the Wongs have a home that is contemporary — and livable — inside and out. Who knew a ranch could be so versatile?!