Few projects are as ambitious as a whole-home remodel. From reimagining the layout to upgrading every nook and cranny, the process of breathing new life into an entire home is a testament to creativity, vision, and dedication.

Summer Y. and her husband had a very clear vision for their El Dorado Hills remodel: create a beautiful, updated mid-century modern-style home that provides them with functionality and a harmonious design. To help them achieve their lofty goal, they enlisted the services of Jenny Levitsky of Ultimate Designs (ultimatedesignkitchens.com), a Placerville-based business that specializes in interior architecture, overall home remodeling, kitchen and bath design, new home design/build projects, as well as commercial and hospitality design.

For Levitsky, it’s all about the client and designer collaborating as creative partners, designing a space that’s truly personalized and unique. “We allow clients to dream about the big picture while we stay focused on detailed issues, such as scale, proportion, style, longevity, color, balance, and functionality.”

The architecture of this home was true to the mid-century style that Summer and her husband love, but the finishes were more 1980s in design. “We were looking for a home with good bones [that needed] some help so I could try my hand at supervising a remodel, and this house fit that bill. We weren't looking for an updated home with someone else's style built in,” says Summer.

The 1969, two-story, mid-century house with four bedrooms and three baths underwent an extreme transformation of bathroom and kitchen remodels, structural changes, new flooring, and interior design upgrades.

 The house was entirely gutted, and everything but the framing was completely changed. To bring the kitchen and dining room back to their original mid-century roots, a wall was removed to open up the area, and the previous eight-foot kitchen ceiling was re-vaulted to create a light, airy space. With the complete overhaul of the kitchen layout, space was created for an indoor laundry room.

With a mid-century modern vision at the forefront of this project, Levitsky sourced tile, flooring, hardware, and interiors that were sympathetic to this much-loved era of design. Striking a delicate equilibrium between functionality and aesthetics, she created a kitchen island with a sleek stainless steel island range hood and incorporated luxury appliances to complement the modern design. The island is a masterpiece in functionality with alcove seating for three as well as discretely housing the microwave, oven, and cooktop. The kitchen is now a chef's dream, with modern appliances, ample counter space, and a large island that doubles as a gathering spot for family and friends.

The open living concepts of the remodel create a casual feel, while the blend of color palettes, furniture, lighting fixtures, and decor infuse character and personality into every room.

Levitsky chose a bold geometric tile for the entryway, creating an inviting atmosphere; and with the large expanse of walls, Summer and her husband can hang their curated collection of artwork.

What advice does Summer have for anyone considering a full remodel? “Find a designer and a builder with whom you communicate well. It's important that everyone is available to answer questions as they come up, and it's always best when making design decisions to try to think things through to the end—changing your mind halfway through is sometimes just fine, but more often it's a huge problem!”

“We try to minimize the ‘struggle’ of a remodel; however, remodels do have more surprises than new builds, because you never know how well the home was built to begin with and sometimes you find the unknown surprise of bad construction, wiring, or plumbing that must be fixed,” says Levitsky. 

On this particular project, the discovery of a leaky foundation increased the time frame slightly, as new joists and stem wall work needed to be repaired. “Our goal was to make the process as easy as possible for our clients; despite the ‘surprises’ we found along the way, we kept the project on track. Once it was time for finishes, it took about three months to finalize,” says Levitsky.

“Jenny was key in designing a kitchen that functions perfectly for the way we live. She helped with aesthetic choices all over the house, too—from tile and grout to the color on the walls,” says Summer. “She was great at giving me space to make design decisions but gently stepping in when I was running off in the wrong direction. She helped us create a warm, beautiful home and was also just really fun to work with!”