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home o April 2023
A special supplement to The Globe
Contractor Jeff Meinders renovates space in Ingenthron home | Page 6
CREATIVE CONCEPTS
Repurposed, reclaimed and whimsy combine in Widboom renovation project By Julie Buntjer The Globe
WORTHINGTON — When Matt and Teresa Widboom transformed their existing farmhouse in 2015, they sought the expertise of Johnson Builders to mesh the historic elements of a home built with plans purchased from a Sears catalog with the modernday space needs of a family of six. When planning for the construction, the Widbooms met with Worthington contractor Kyle Johnson, who spoke of the importance of a good relationship between homeowner and contractor. “Both parties have to be comfortable with each other,” said Johnson, who co-owns Johnson Builders & Realty with his younger brother, Jason. “I want to build homes and do projects for people who want me to do them because you spend a lot of time together. You get to know each other really well.” Construction on the home addition was the start of a great friendship, shared Teresa. So, when it became time to finish the basement seven years later, there was no doubt that Johnson would be tapped for the job. It was a fourth-generation construction company working with a fourth-generation family farm. “I think it’s a good example of, ‘Here’s what we’ve got,’” said Matt. “We wanted to keep the house in the original project. Kyle was up front and said it was easier to do a complete new build, but it was the house my grandpa had built and my dad grew up in.
Julie Buntjer/The Globe
The showpiece in the lower level of the Matt and Teresa Widboom is the oak slab tabletop and kitchenette counter, both of which Kyle Johnson put many hours of work into, with assistance from Richard Phelps of Colonial Cabinets and Josh Peterson, who works for Johnson Builders. The wall behind Kyle Johnson features reclaimed Chicago brick that his grandfather purchased years ago. To the left of Johnson is the bottom portion of the three-story spiral slide the Widbooms wanted installed in their home. “We had several challenges in tying in to a simple, country farmhouse, but he tied it in perfectly,” Matt added. The addition features elements of a rural lifestyle, such as galvanized tin for the fireplace face, repurposed
Kasota stone that was once a beloved planter box of Matt’s mom, Gloria, and a stone slab created for the fireplace hearth from a large shale rock that Matt discovered in their farm field. There’s also a bit of whimsy in the
home — a three-story spiral slide installed through the roof of the home during construction that transports both kids and adults from the upperlevel loft to the basement.
CONCEPTS: Page 9