Brad and Ouida Aday purchased their house in 1986 and continued to develop the spacious property in the North Valley. They added a beautiful pool with landscaped backyard and a shop for Brad to work on his passion, custom auto restoration. They raised three sons in the home, Brian, Jordan and Brandon. Like many family homes, the life style was frenetic and the house was utilitarian. Brad was busy developing his dental practice and Ouida was working everyday in special education with Las Cruces Public Schools. This, and juggling the needs of their sons, dominated their time. Now, two of the sons are attending Texas Tech and the third is off starting his own family. It is, in Brad’s words, now that the house is down to two full time custodians, it is time to “fix everything that annoyed them.” The Adays and the Hines’ maintained a friendship over the past twenty plus years, so the call to Robert for the home makeover was natural.

The makeover of a home built over twenty years ago typically requires the most attention directed towards the kitchen, bath and family relaxation areas. This is the mandate Brad and Ouida gave to Robert. The starting point was the kitchen. The original kitchen was small and closed in by walls separating it from the dining room and flanking family room. As in many earlier homes the ceilings were a low eight feet and the workspace was limited. Robert recommended pulling the roof up to eleven feet and pushing out the kitchen wall facing the rear pool area to provide the space and height needed to make the kitchen the center of the new family entertaining space. This was a major step – not just replacing cabinetry and appliances. The Adays agreed to this major change and soon learned to survive without a kitchen for a few months. “It’s amazing what you can do with just a microwave and a refrigerator,” Ouida reflected.

With the new ceiling height, skylights were added as an attractive new feature. The expansion of the back wall of the kitchen allowed Robert to reconfigure the flow of the kitchen and install a large window opening up the kitchen to an attractive back yard. New Wolf Sub-Zero appliances were brought in as the core of the kitchen. Cabinetry with a light Pecan finish was designed and hung, new “Copper Canyon” granite counter tops finished the work and seating space. Custom light fixtures were installed, which add elegance and open lighting to the room. A beautiful backsplash of travertine tiles mixed with copper inserts set the cooking area with a special visual focus. The floors received new tile with a nutmeg color. Everything now flows and balances in both aesthetics and function.

The remodeling required the movement of the existing fireplace and the redesign of the adjacent family area. With the separating wall removed and the fireplace relocated, the family room and the kitchen now link themselves together. The addition of new decorative stone around the fireplace and hand-scraped wooden flooring quickly transformed the old closed-in den to a great place to relax. The closed dining area wall was also removed and the dining area transformation included new floor lighting and a very attractive dining room set from Simply Amish. With the completion of the three adjoining rooms, Ouida and Brad now have an open and comfortable place in which to relax and entertain.

There was still more work to be done in the hall bath and master bath to bring in the modern fixtures and look. Each bathroom received new cabinetry, counter tops and tile tub and shower areas. Robert’s arched design of the shower areas with tile finish makes a dramatic difference. Rooms that are used every day are transformed with a brand new feel without tearing out walls, windows or floor.

The final steps of the remodel tied together the living and entertaining areas to the bedrooms and baths. In the hallway connecting the ends of the house, new nutmeg colored tile flooring went down, doors and jams were refinished and new bronze door hardware was added.

Not only have the Adays “fixed everything that annoyed them,” they have added a new life and feel to their family home. Now they can enjoy all elements of their home, both indoors and out, for years to come. Good job Robert; you did come home again and extended the lifeline of this family home.