The Entertainment Center - Kansas City Homes & Style

An Olathe kitchen and basement become a must-see hangout spot.

Story by Michelle Mastro | Photography by Matt Kocourek

Back in the 1990s, a home’s major entertainment space would be the entertainment center. Think built-ins or colossal shelves dedicated to the TV, stereo, surround sound, and more. While this Olathe home had this type of entertainment center in the basement, the family who newly bought the house wanted more than a bulky piece of furniture to stand in for all their entertaining needs. In fact, they wanted their kitchen and basement to totally transform to maximize their entertainment spaces.

This home renovation story began when Sara and Dan Nielson were looking for a home they could retire into. They had toyed with the idea of a new build. “But Dan and I didn’t want to do this because of the expense,” says Sara. “The more economical choice was to remodel a house into our dream home.”

The couple found a property in Olathe they liked but were unsure if they could transform it into the dream entertaining spaces they craved. “They called four years ago on Labor Day,” says Brenda Freebern who had been working for Picture Perfect Interiors at the time, though she has since retired. “They said, ‘We found the house we want to buy. Can you jump online and let us know if you think we’d be able to renovate it?’”

From the start, Brenda was involved in many of the home’s crucial renovations, from helping select paint choices and light fixtures to reconfiguring kitchen cabinets and countertops. “I helped with converting all these spaces,” she says.

This included turning the existing kitchen into a spot built for entertaining. “The kitchen had stained cabinets and a dog-legged island. We used the cabinets but incorporated them into a separate area, which had been an office, into a new pantry, almost like a catering kitchen,” Brenda says.

There, in the new pantry, Sara would be able to prep for guests. Brenda made sure there were ample counters, storage space, and even a double oven and oversized refrigerator. Meanwhile, the island was swapped out for a massive new island. “It wouldn’t fit though the door. It had to be angled just right to be manually carried in off the rollers,” says Brenda. There was also a wet bar area complete with ice maker and wine fridge.

In the lower level of the house, the old entertainment center had to go. Brenda designed the space to instead have a bar in the main living area and a wine cellar and whiskey tasting room nearby. The inspiration was bourbon, as Dan likes to collect the drink and share it with guests. “The space has a speakeasy type of quality,” says Sara. Brenda agrees. “The wine cellar and whiskey tasting room exceeded all my expectations,” says Brenda. “As you descend the curved staircase and see that wall of glass — it’s just a really unique space.”

The trick was knowing what Sara likes. The two had collaborated on other past projects, including an office renovation and work done on Sara and Dan’s prior house. “Brenda can walk into a countertop, tile, or stone place and be able to spot exactly what I’d want,” Sara laughs. “In fact, Brenda was able to pick out a new countertop slab for me, three days before install, after my first choice fell through.”

Thus, Brenda knew Sara wouldn’t like the basement’s original Tuscan-style interiors. “She has a much more relaxed, classic style,” says Brenda, “so we made sure to ditch all the gold colors and curved surfaces.” Tuscan style, like those large entertainment centers, was big in the 1990s. “Downstairs everything was that style — curvy metal light fixtures and golds and browns and curved elements to the architecture,” says Brenda. So, she added brick around the posts to render classic design elements. “We gutted the entertainment built-in wall.” In went an electric fireplace and standup bar with a live walnut edge for texture.

Knowing Sara’s style, Brenda understood how to revamp the basement. “There were to be no hard, cold grays. We kept it all very neutral in terms of color palette, no golds.” Brenda also ushered in many elements of texture to create visual interest. Different textures can be found in the throw pillows, brick around the posts, the mix of metal details, and the wallpaper adorning the wine cellar. “This last one was a string cloth to give even more texture,” says Brenda.

All in all, the many redesigns improved upon the home’s previous layout. And the couple loves entertaining friends and family in the house. Since the culmination of all the home’s renovations, the family has held a prom dinner for 30 kids, graduation parties, and many family holidays. They hope many more such occasions will follow.

The space has become the designated hangout among friends and family. “My husband said the house had good bones,” says Sara, recalling when the pair first set eyes on the home. “We wanted to keep the kids here with this space, make the home a place they’d want to come back to for visits.” She adds, “We love hosting gatherings and welcoming loved ones into our home.”

The home has certainly come a long way. “This is our forever home now, our dream house,” says Sara. “We remodeled it into our dream spaces.”

“Our house sits on a private 2 acre lot. The backyard was basically a blank canvas when we moved in and we made it into an outdoor oasis with a pool house, pool, fire pit, basketball/pickleball court, and outdoor patio. There is also a full-size baseball hitting lane. It is our ultimate outdoor entertaining area.” ~ Homeowners