Skyhawk remodel: Making it their own

In remodeling a home for a family of five, it would seem that function would have to supersede style. But not for Jenny Romeyn. She has a natural instinct for creating style and character that’s practical. And though she has a degree in interior design from Arizona State University, she admits her passion for design comes second nature.

“I’m constantly inspired by design and trends, and observe them wherever I go,” said Jenny, the owner of Cupcake, a children’s clothing and maternity boutique that she designed, with stores in Santa Rosa and Healdsburg. “I’m always collecting ideas and snapping pictures of what I like.”

After collecting the designs she loves, she seems able to put them together effortlessly, and her design sensibilities have rubbed off on her husband, Ramin Ramhormozi, an entrepreneur and principal at aOa Commerce.

The family originally lived in the historic McDonald Avenue neighborhood, in a 2,100-square-foot, 1920s farmhouse-style home that they’d remodeled. Despite their passion for homes with history and character, Jenny and Ramin have a practical side as parents of three young children - Owen, age five; and his sister, Avery, and brother, Asher (twins), age two. When the twins arrived, it became apparent they needed more space and a neighborhood with children.

They began their search and found a place in Santa Rosa’s Skyhawk development, a Mediterranean house with a turret that featured five bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, beige walls, carpet and tile. It had nearly everything they were looking for - more than 3,700 square feet, plenty of neighborhood children and sweeping views of the mountains. The only problem was the layout of the first floor of the house.

“It didn’t feel like ours,” Jenny said.

They bought the house anyway and, with the help of general contractor Brent Svendsen of Solaris Construction, gutted the first floor. The goal was to create a home with a clean, crisp feel and old-world style.

One bold change was moving the kitchen and family room. Swapping the rooms transformed the space, allowing a natural flow by centering the kitchen between the family room and dining room. Since the two rooms are destined for heavy use in any family, a great deal of thought went into the details.

“The kitchen and family room are the heartbeat of the house,” Jenny explained.

The result is an open kitchen-family-room combination that showcases the mountain views. They kept the oversized accordion doors, which lead to a patio. An oversized window was added over the kitchen sink to take advantage of the view.

Maple cabinets and tile countertops were replaced with white cabinets and quartz countertops that are “pretty indestructible for kids,” according to Ramin. A kitchen island features a prep sink with its own garbage disposal, which is convenient and allows two cooks to work at once, Jenny said. The standard pass-through wet bar was converted into a spacious “secret pantry” with a wine bar.

They switched out the original appliances for stainless steel, including a six-burner Wolf range with a backsplash of large-scale subway tile and built-in “pot filler,” allowing them to fill a pot with water at the stove. They also added a built-in Miele coffee maker, which stores coffee beans, has its own filtered water source, and brews coffee with the press of a button. Ramin took the lead with the electronics in the house, and a built-in sound system was included in the kitchen, family room and patio area. A custom Spanish-tile fountain was added outdoors.

Throughout the house, they incorporated elements of Mediterranean design with a modern feel. All maple woodwork, including the original handrail on the staircase, was painted black; and with the original wrought-iron balusters, it creates a dramatic entryway. The walls are painted two shades of gray and white. Crown molding and casings around first-floor windows add character. The flooring throughout the house was replaced with dark, hand-scraped, oil-rubbed floors.

The living room was enclosed with French doors brought from their McDonald neighborhood home and transformed into a playroom. Its original fireplace brings character to the room.

“It’s a super fancy playroom,” Jenny quipped, with a smile. An inset, arched niche was closed and converted into a coat closet. The upstairs loft was enclosed and transformed into a fifth bedroom, and a row of cabinets in the hallway was replaced with a wall and another closet for storage.

Twelve weeks and $120,000 later, the house on Sailing Hawk is now home for the family, with its old-world style and eclectic mix of vintage and modern furnishings. While most of the work is complete, they plan in addition to remodel the upstairs bathrooms and transform the turret into a craft room.

While Jenny and Ramin enjoy different features of the home, the setting remains the draw, even for young Owen.

Said Ramin, “It’s the view - looking out to the mountains when you need that moment of serenity.”