DAZZLING DESIGNS

Payne & Tompkins Design Renovations

Best Bathroom Renovation | $50,000 to $100,000

Best Kitchen Renovation | $80,000 to $130,000

When it comes to masterfully crafting creative, thoughtfully designed and functional spaces, Payne & Tompkins Design Renovations’ talented staff has the winning strategy — dedicated employees who love what they do and care about their clients.

“Our core purpose as a company is to make lives better,” says Dean Tompkins, vice president of the Chardon-based company.

Such was the case for the spaces that won Payne & Tompkins Design Renovations two categories in the 2022 HBA Cleveland Choice Awards.

“[The bathroom renovation] has been, to-date, one of my favorite projects,” says Payne & Tompkins interior designer Morgan Lepore, describing a client who had lived in her home for almost 20 years. She was in a wheelchair, and her primary bathroom was not functional for her.

“It was a struggle for her every day,” Lepore says, adding that she envisioned a space that would completely change her client’s life.

The first order of business was removing the hallway entrance to the bathroom. The space already had an entrance from the client’s primary bedroom, and creating more square footage was a top priority, Lepore says. Next, elements such as the freestanding tub and pedestal sink were replaced with options that better served the client’s needs, such as a curbless shower with an extended half-wall and a floating sink.

When it came to the space’s ambiance, the client’s only request was a “zen” feel.

“We updated everything in the bathroom,” Lepore says, adding that she replaced the space’s original orange walls with a stone color and brought in warmth with custom walnut cabinets and stone tiles in the shower. Horizontal, 3D-textured tile that stretches across the back wall adds a calming effect.

“She actually just put her faith in me and said, ‘Whatever you want, I’m going to do it,’” Lepore says, adding that this was a special project to design. “I’m doing something I love, and this is what I do every day, but I also made a big difference in her life.”

The award-winning kitchen renovation is another memorable project for Lepore for similar reasons. This client’s three main pain points were the lack of kitchen space, lighting and storage. She has two kids who like to do their homework in the kitchen while she’s preparing dinner, a difficult task with limited counter space.

“The dining room had great lighting from the front of the home and large windows,” Lepore says. “We were able to switch the kitchen with the dining room and made the dining room more of an eat-in area.”

The client also had a side door that was not being used and taking up valuable real estate. Payne & Tompkins was able to take that out and replace it with a walk-in pantry, which offered plenty of storage space for larger appliances and food.

“Everything was redone in those spaces, including flooring and moldings, and we also replaced some of the windows as well,” Lepore says. The cabinetry, plumbing, lighting, furnishings and appliances also were replaced. “With the new space, we definitely made it brighter with a marble-looking quartz countertop, and the cabinet color was stunning and has become my most requested cabinet color. It’s really unique because it’s a deeper blue, but it has a greenish undertone to it.”

A large island in the center of the room completes the kitchen, giving the family ample space to move around and accomplish individual tasks while also spending time together.

“I really love doing kitchens and baths,” Lepore says. “They are definitely our niche.”

North Star Builders

Interior Design of the Year | $750,000 to $1,000,000

North Star Builders is all about making a statement, so when a client approached this custom Avon homebuilder about creating a unique space on the edge of a golf course, the sky was the limit.

“The rear of the house faces a tee box,” says Jason Scott, owner, adding that his clients are friends with a lot of people who frequent the golf course, so an open, inviting atmosphere was a top priority.

Two of the most compelling features of the home are the movable glass partitions — floor to ceiling sliding or folding glass doors that create a seamless transition from the inside to the great outdoors.

“They wanted kind of an open floor plan with privacy, so the entire great room opens up to the kitchen, which then opens up to the veranda through a movable glass partition,” Scott explains. “This house was built for entertainment.”

But, the movable partitions aren’t even the most unique aspect of the home. Two years ago, the homeowners traveled to Italy to choose the tile flooring that appears throughout the entire house. For the floor to ceiling fireplace, North Star Builders chose every piece, stone by stone.

“This is their forever home, and when you’re designing a forever home, it’s whatever they want,” Scott says. “That’s why we do custom homes — we get great satisfaction being able to make people’s dreams come alive.”

When the homeowners need to wind down, they can retreat to the quieter and more private side of the house, where the primary bedroom and den are located. A spiral staircase in the den leads to the basement, which features a bar and workout room.

“Almost every home that we’re doing now, people are putting in workout rooms,” Scott says, adding that another popular element is clean spaces free from clutter. “Chaos — especially in these times — and clutter cause anxiety. They wanted a nice, clean look.”

JEMM Construction Interior Design of the Year | Under $500,000

Imagine being a homebuilder or interior designer with a completely blank canvas where your imagination can run wild. The only restraint is, of course, the budget. That was the golden ticket for this model home JEMM Construction beautifully crafted from start to finish.

“The neat part about this house is that we had a client who had the first right to purchase the house, and they bought it simply because they knew about our reputation and have been following JEMM for a while,” says Josh Edgell, owner of the Painesville-based homebuilding and remodeling company. “They had absolutely no input on the house. They were going on faith that they’ve seen our designs and knew they’d love it.”

Because this was one of JEMM’s smaller model home designs, Edgell says his team wanted the clients to get a lot of bang for their buck. That meant higher ceilings and trim details that aren’t typically found in other homes. The interior design features a Scandinavian-inspired style — light spaces with bold pops of colors.

“We were going back to some of our roots with this design, with everything being very clean looking, and the knotty alder adding a nice, rustic charm,” Edgell explains, adding that gray tones rounded out the colors in the house.

The star of the show is the home office. The entire space — walls, trim, ceiling and bump-out bay window with a built-in bookshelf — were all painted urbane bronze, a dark, neutral shade and Sherwin Williams’ 2021 Color of the Year.

“It’s actually a huge room, so we wanted to bring the ceiling down a bit and create a room that felt more like a sitting room or cigar room, but for an office,” Edgell says. “Working within the parameters of the budget, but also being on the cutting-edge of new design trends and showing off, is a fun balance and, as a team, we really enjoyed trying to pull that off.”

When the clients finally got to see their new home, they instantly fell in love with it.

“For them, it was like Christmas when they showed up and saw what we put into it,” Edgell says. “It really starts with our design team. We set ourselves apart as a new homebuilder by having that team on staff. It’s so fun to have that collaboration and work with other professionals.”

Husband and wife team Ted and Kelly Otero are an unstoppable duo taking Cleveland’s high-end homebuilding, remodeling and design industry to new, unimaginable levels. It started in 2003 with Otero Signature Homes, based in Chagrin Falls.

“The company was created out of a passion to bring professionalism and a sense of high customer service within the industry. Since then, we’ve created multiple companies, one of which is Ovation Interior Design,” says Ted Otero, who manages Otero Signature Homes while Kelly is at the helm of Ovation Interior Design. “Ovation stemmed from our clients wanting to work with the same interior designer they worked with during the design construction process to help them with their custom furniture, drapes, rugs, etc., rather than turning to an outside source.”

That collaboration and seamless transition from start to finish is reflected in the multimillion-dollar project for which Otero Signature Homes won Best Overall Custom Home and Ovation Interior Design won Best Interior Design of the Year.

The immaculate 10,000-square-foot home, featuring five bedrooms and six-and-a-half bathrooms, sits on two parcels on a cul-de-sac and overlooks a reservoir. Among the many unique characteristics of the home are three large backlit agate stone panels that add stunning texture and blue hues to the space.

“The client indicated to us that they wanted to do that as a show feature and art piece. They fell in love with this agate stone,” Otero says. “We were able to incorporate that with LED lighting. It’s a showstopper.”

While the main floor incorporates an upscale, modern farmhouse style, the basement reflects a smooth transition to a more dramatic, industrial design.

“We are huge fans of not having the entire house consistent, so we pushed the basement to a different level,” Otero says, highlighting the striking wine cellar that boasts a custom-made, lit-up tasting table. “The integration of stone and translucent granite in the center island is phenomenal.”

Outside, the backyard features private patios, an in-ground pool and a hot tub with a cabana. Otero’s favorite aspect of the home is the second-floor balcony, which overlooks the pool area and offers spectacular views of the magnificent property and adjacent reservoir, where bald eagles are often spotted.

“We pride ourselves on making our homes very functional and livable,” Otero says.