More Than Words
Author:Lindsey ShookAmy Sklar Design enhances the charming home of a multi-talented, creative family.
When meeting Karen Harryman, the critically acclaimed author of Auto Mechanic’s Daughter and her Emmy award-winning writer husband who penned shows including Family Guy and The Cleveland Show, Amy Sklar was inspired immediately. They wanted to expand and refresh their 2,000 square foot home while maintaining the authentic character. “It was important for the home to feel updated, but not too modern,” says Sklar. “There’s a fairy tale cottage feel to the house that we wanted to uphold by making sure the materials had a handmade feel to them.”
The clients wanted more space for themselves and their two young daughters in addition to a new look and feel. Avid entertainers who love to play music, Sklar envisioned beautiful dinner parties and sing alongs when crafting the new design. She created unique spaces to showcase the wife’s rare collection of Jade ware and tea sets in the dining area, while putting the families array of instruments on display in the new music room
Sklar began by enclosing an exterior side yard to make room for the new master suite. She recalls, “Previously the clients had a toilet that was in a closet, no joke!”
The team then enlarged the once pass-through kitchen to a fully expanded, eat-in family area, installing new appliances and custom cabinets.
The clients gained a new walk-in closet and a beautiful bathroom with a soaking tub, creating an all-encompassing master bedroom suite.
“This project was enjoyable because the clients were so delightful to work with, and they had the most incredible collections (jadeite, hand thrown tea pots, musical instruments) so we made sure we kept ways to display all their magical items,” says Sklar. “This was such an incredible transformation, in terms of what we were able to add to the house with a minimal amount of square footage.”
The clients were so pleased with round one of renovations, they tasked Sklar and her team with the design of the other guest quarters in addition to the converting a sun porch into a game room. “This renovation has allowed them to open up their house to friends and family in a way that they were not able to before,” says Sklar on how happy the family is with their new home.