A Dramatic Makeover Helped This Alabama Home Bounce Back After a Tornado

Jennifer Hunt, CEO of stationary company Dogwood Hill, and her husband, tackled an eight-month renovation after a tornado destroyed their Birmingham, Alabama, home.

October 21, 2020

By: Meredith Rosenberg

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Photo By: Mary Margaret Smith

Comeback Story

You'd never guess that a tornado destroyed Jennifer Hunt's Birmingham, Alabama, home in April 2011. Jennifer, who owns paper company Dogwood Hill, decamped with her family for eight months while the house was not only rebuilt, but renovated to their specifications. This included removing a wall between the kitchen and den, and extending the den into a new screened-in porch to open up the entire space. Jennifer and her husband also opted for a large wrap-around deck. Since they work from home, they decided the formal dining room would prove more useful as an office. Finally, they added two dormer windows to the rebuilt roof (a huge oak tree crashed through the original one).

Their home now features six bedrooms, four bathrooms and 4,300 square feet, plus everything on their wish list — all thanks to a tornado.

Hello 21st Century

"When we bought the house in 2006, it had a quaint cottage feel," Jennifer recalls, but she didn't like its layout with choppy rooms, paneling in the den and an outdated kitchen. "Since we were in the renovation process anyway, I wanted to bring the house into the 21st century with updated finishes and functionality throughout the house," she says.

Traditional Approach

The home's original exterior was painted yellow with black shutters. "We didn’t mind the yellow, but I love a white house," Jennifer says. Not just any white, but Benjamin Moore Navajo White for a crisp look.

Jennifer's preference for white continues inside too. "I love white walls in most rooms and using color in the furniture, rugs, pillows, art and books." She describes her overall style as traditional with a hint of modern. "A good amount of our furniture has been given to us by family, so I’ve learned to incorporate pieces by recovering them or using them along with our newer furniture that might have cleaner lines."

Kitchen Confidential

Jennifer says watching the kitchen transform into an open galley-style kitchen was one of her favorite parts of the renovation. She took an active role throughout, from matching the paint color to the subway tile (and doubling it for the walls) to customizing the countertops. "My preference was white marble countertops, but I knew it didn’t suit our lifestyle," she says. "So I worked with a local stone company to locate the whitest granite they could find, and then had the finish removed to make it even lighter in color."

Dream Kitchen

Here, you can see how Jennifer designed the range hood with straight lines in order to complement the Shaker-style cabinets, "but with curved corbels to give it a bit of a traditional feel," she adds.

Jennifer imparts how her interior designer friend, Shea Bryars, helped design the kitchen layout. Her builder tackled everything else, but he didn't think he could execute her kitchen vision. "With Shea’s help, I was able to get the kitchen I envisioned, and I still love it nine years later."

Sunny Start

Jennifer points out that pre-renovation, a wall of cabinets separated the breakfast room from the kitchen. "It was not inviting, and we rarely used it," she says. Clearly that's not the case anymore thanks to this inviting set-up.

Fine Dining

"We learned in the five years we lived in the house before the storm that we did not use our formal living room, so we turned it into our dining room and converted the old dining room into an office," Jennifer says. However, the dining room retains a hint of the old living room's formality. "We live more informal lives, but I enjoy having a touch of formality in a way that we actually use," Jennifer says. This includes a set table that meets the eye upon entering the house.

Look beyond the table, and you'll notice a striking staircase photo taken by her mother-in-law, photographer Vicki Hunt.

Fit for a Boss

The former dining room now serves as the main floor home office. Jennifer explains how she and her husband added built-in bookshelves with deep bottom cabinets to hide printers and office supplies. On the walls, "library wood paneling was cost prohibitive, so I chose a warm green for the walls and added molding to give it a similar look," she says.

Family Matters

Jennifer notes her that her husband’s dad gave him this home office desk. "Dogwood Hill’s weekly planning notepad is an essential item we use each week," she adds, "especially now that we have kids at home doing virtual school."

Added Character

"The den is probably my favorite room in the house," Jennifer says, in part because of the character the built-in bookshelves lend to the space. She notes how the white walls help to add height to the 8-foot ceiling and make the room feel more expansive.

Heart of the Home

The renovation included this sunroom addition, created by removing the outside wall of the den and completing the former screened-in porch. They added French doors to connect the sunroom to the new screened-in porch and wrap-around deck.

"The heartbeat of our house is the kitchen/den/sunroom/screened-in porch," Jennifer says. "It’s essentially one large space and we often have the French doors open to the screened-in porch. It’s another living area for us and we spend a lot of time there in the spring and fall (and milder summer days)."

Multi-Purpose Porch

Jennifer also uses the screened-in porch as her home office. Plus, "we often eat dinner and watch TV out there too."

Great Escape

The inviting wraparound deck replaced a much smaller version that only had space for a small table and chairs. "This new deck is used almost daily and has played host to a number of parties and gatherings," Jennifer says.

Going forward, it's easy to imagine this area providing a gathering space and refuge for many years to come — essential elements when working from home.

A Dramatic Makeover Helped This Alabama Home Bounce Back After a Tornado

Related To:

Shop This Look

Comeback Story

Hello 21st Century

Traditional Approach

Kitchen Confidential

Dream Kitchen

Sunny Start

Fine Dining

Fit for a Boss

Family Matters

Added Character

Heart of the Home

Multi-Purpose Porch

Great Escape

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