As co-owner of Twin Construction, William Seigel has garnered plenty of knowledge about what works and what doesn’t in a family home. When it came time to renovate his own place for his family of six, his family’s needs and wants were most apparent to William and his wife, Kim.
When William bought the house, it was pure bachelor pad. But enter a wife and the arrival of four children and the need for change was a must. Working with designer Shea Bryars and architect Debbie Simmons, the Seigels implemented a wish list that included an open floorplan centered around the kitchen. “William and I both love to cook, ” Kim says. “We wanted a house focused around the kitchen. It was formerly just a box—two people couldn’t even move in it. Now, it’s open to the living area so we can be with the kids.”
And when the kids want to be near them, but mom and dad need a little breathing room, there’s a craft corner just off the kitchen (right) stocked with crayons, paper, and scissors. “No matter how large your house is, the kids still want to be near you. This way, they can all be near each other and the kids can be occupied while William and Kim cook dinner, ” Shea says.
For more images of the Seigels' home, scroll to the bottom of the article.
William agrees, “This room was really important to us. We extended the original house two feet to gain this space. It was the only change we made to the basic footprint.” Other changes required the reassignment of walls and rooms, and a furniture overhaul. “Shea has three kids of her own so she was completely attuned to what we wanted, ” William says.
Shea also knew that with kids, things get banged up, spilled on, and rooms get cluttered quickly. Furnishings and upholstery include pieces that will survive the kid’s younger years while still remaining stylish. “I didn’t want it to be too nice becuase I didn’t want to have to fuss at my kids everyday, ” Kim says. Shea chose fun paint treatments, durable surfaces, washable slipcovers, and stain-resistant upholstery. She splurged on lighting, permanent fixtures, and designer fabrics for pillows, that, she says, offer a lot of punch with little investment.
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The kitchen is truly the heart of the home. Open to the main living area, Kim and William have plenty of room for serving up Kool-Aid and chicken fingers while the kids play upstairs or in the adjacent craft room (above). For smart storage, and to hide clutter, cabinets are assigned to each child in the craft room. In the kitchen, cabinets beneath the island hide larger, less-used service pieces. |
William’s position as a contractor came in handy for architectural details. “We salvaged the beams from my brother’s house and the wood ceiling in the keeping room came from another teardown, ” Willam says. The kitchen, designed by Classic Cabinets, a Twin Construction company, offered the Seigel’s exactly what they wanted—William’s goal for buying the company in the first place. “Often we work with homeowners that need more than just a contractor, ” William says. “While people can work us and bring in any architect, designer, or cabinet company they like, we do offer all of those services for our client’s convenience. The synergies within the relationship between contractor, cabinet company, and designer turn what could be an intimidating process into a fun partnership.”
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I try to keep things simple and classic. I don’t want to do interiors that people are going to get tired of in a few years. It’s always easier to update accessories than large pieces of furniture. —Shea Bryars |
MEET SHAE BRYARS
Designer Shea Bryars design experience has taken her from Brookwood Kitchens in Atlanta to Birmingham’s Cyndy Cantley, to managing idea house projects for Southern Accents and Southern Living. Though she stands alone as Shea Bryars Interiors, she’s also partnered with Twin Construction to form Twin Interiors.
“Shea brings a whole new level of service to Twin Construction with her knowlege in kitchen design and interiors, ” says William Seigel. “With her expertise, and the addition of our cabinet company, Classic Cabinets, we are able to offer clients a full-service experience.” Shea works with clients on electrical plans, kitchen design, finishes, paint colors, furnishings. “When we are going forward with a plan, Shea looks at the whole picture, often tweaking ideas to suit the interior spaces. This way, a client can have a complete package—and we can all stay within their budget, ” says William.
RESOURCES
contractor: TWIN CONSTRUCTION, INC. Twin Construction, Inc., 205.802.3920 • twincompanies.com kitchen design and cabinets: Classic Cabinets, Twin Construction, Inc., interior design: Shea bryars / twin interiors 205.533.2268 • 205.802.3920 • [email protected]
Text and Styling by Cathy Still McGowin, Photography by Jean Allsopp
