When Jill Koch and her family were looking for a new house earlier this year, she came across a beautifully built home in Maineville that was erected two decades ago.
“It was one of the original houses built in River’s Bend. Right away I noticed all the molding and trim detail and loved it. You just don’t see houses being built like that anymore,” says Koch.
“But being 20 years old, it needed a lot of love!”
Koch, a professional interior designer with Designs on Madison, instantly saw the home’s potential and wasn’t afraid to take on the project. In the end, Koch was able to turn a dated, drab interior into a sophisticated beauty just by making cosmetic changes and upgrades throughout the house.
“You don’t necessarily have to demo everything if you see a room you don’t like,” says Koch. “You can revive a space just by adding a few changes here and there.”
She had no plans to knock down walls or tear anything out. In-stead, she decided to go room by room, painting cabinets, adding trim details, hanging wallpaper, and upgrading all the light fixtures.
“The home needed a facelift,” says Koch. “I was able to update it without doing major work or going over the budget.”
The home has a large foyer with marble floors and previously had gold walls. She added wainscoting and painted the whole room white. She also hung wallpaper in the dining room with linear silk panels.
“Now it’s gray with white wainscoting underneath—tone on tone but with a silk looking pattern,” she says.
The great room was originally very formal, but with a fresh coat of paint and new furniture and accessories, it has become the heart of the home where friends and family gather. Koch created an inviting and cozy atmosphere with comfortable sofas that have pillows with playful patterns and décor that is sophisticated, but also relaxed.
Built in 2001 with a traditional Tuscany vibe, Koch was looking to transform the home and find a nice middle ground style.
“My design style is very transitional,” she says. “It’s not modern and not traditional but somewhere in the middle.”
For the most part, her house is a neutral palette, but she likes to add accessories to introduce color. For instance, the dining room has an original piece of art that is bursting with color, as well as a loud rug that commands attention.
“It can get expensive to change things, so a great way to bring in color is by doing so in subtle ways with various pieces of decor,” says Koch. “For example, my foyer is all white, but I have a deep pink orchid sitting on a round table to add that pop of color.”
She looks forward to future home facelifts as she continues to transform the rest of her home into a stunning sanctuary!
Designs on Madison is located at 1743 Madison Road, Cincinnati, OH 45206. For more information, call 513-321-0545 or visit designsonmadison.com