“I remind myself of all the times I have thrown up my hands at the primary problem: there is not, and there never has been enough space!” said Kelsie Hyden, owner of Free Play, a retro arcade with multiple locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Lack of space in a home is an issue as old as time and is often one of the primary reasons people call Alair Homes to renovate and remodel their homes. As our families grow, we outgrow our homes. Sometimes this can be heartbreaking, as it can be hard to leave homes filled with some of our best memories. On the other hand, having more space leads to more memories, and this is exactly what these Alair clients wanted in their new home. The adventurous Free Play arcade entrepreneurs, Kelsie and Corey Hyden, wanted a home with more space to play, cook, and create new moments with their growing family.
In 2019, the couple decided to purchase a 1965 mid-century modern home in the sought-after Canyon Creek neighborhood of Richardson, Texas. This home was untouched for more than 50 years, and the Hydens chose our team to design and remodel their ‘new’ home. “We wanted to remedy all the issues and make the space a clean slate for our family, while keeping as many of the original mid-century elements as possible, which to us, were the charm of the house in the first place.” Major concerns with the home included: the fire hazard of the electrical box, carbon dioxide leaking from the oven, and the logic defying three-story master bathroom.
“We knew there were going to be some challenges while renovating a 54-year-old home,” said Chad Hatfield of Alair Homes Plano. There were quite a few non-decorative renovation upgrades to be made to make this home safe and bring it up to modern residential building codes. Alair’s trade partners replaced all the plumbing and supply lines, relocated and replaced the outdated electrical panel, and made sure there were no other safety hazards in the home.
However, for every negative, there were lots of positives. One of the amazing elements in this mid-century modern renovation was the preservation of the clerestory windows pre-existing throughout the home. Hatfield’s team replaced the single panes on the original windows with insulated panels. These windows bring in beautiful, natural light and showcase the large creek lot surrounded by mature trees. The original layout of the home was preserved along with the original elevation changes in the living spaces. Both the kitchen and the children’s rooms, especially the bathrooms, are now favorite spaces in the Hyden’s new home. The kitchen is now an area fit for a chef and baker and allows room for the whole family to celebrate together. The children’s bathroom is decked out with bright wallpaper, and custom accent tiles were specifically made and installed in the bathtub surround to match the wallpaper.
Like many other entertainment venues, Free Play closed its doors temporarily when the Covid-19 pandemic hit Texas, but that didn’t slow down this family. Shortly before the pandemic hit, the Hyden’s Richardson home remodel was complete, and the family was able to move in. Kelsie and Corey cleaned out belongings once stored in the attic, shared childhood toys with their children, downsized their book collection, listened to every record in their collection, did crafts, and spent lovely time together. Now, with businesses open again, the Free Play owners and staff are working above and beyond to get through this difficult time. “There are so many challenges, but the biggest challenge is truly the reality that what was a wildly successful operation in growth mode in February of this year has become one on life support. We built our company and undertook obligations based on the world that then existed, and this radical and unforeseeable change has kicked us, along with everyone else in our industry, in the teeth.”
“We are proud to have been able to partner with Kelsie and Corey. Their easy-going nature, unique style, colorful selection choices, and desire to preserve the mid-century modern details were a great combination,” said Diane Hatfield of Alair Homes. “We love remodeling Dallas area mid-century architecture homes, especially one where Living Better Starts Here.”
Ready to Remodel? Contact Alair Homes
Whenever you’re ready to get a remodel project, home addition, or new custom home underway, contact Alair Homes! Alair is an award-winning custom home and renovation company currently with three offices serving the great communities of Park Cities, Preston Hollow, North Dallas, Plano, Richardson, now Frisco and beyond. Utilizing our proprietary construction management system, Client Control™, Alair Homes Plano builds a transparent partnership with its clients by allowing customers to maximize their involvement in the home building and renovation process. Alair Homes Plano truly believes that Living Better Starts Here™; from multi-million-dollar whole home remodels and custom builds to major kitchen and bath renovations, all with the same level of care, craftsmanship, and top-notch customer service. When you work with us, we’ll take the time to fully understand your vision and needs while guiding you at every phase of your project.
To get started, call (214) 281-8800 or tell us about your project here.