ACo & The Re-Development Group: A Downtown Delight

by Christy Heitger-Ewing | photos by Dave Pluimer

When Carlie Suski, Design & Sales Consultant at ACo, and Emily Stephenson, interior designer and selections coordinator at The Re-Development Group, joined forces to convert a duplex in an historic St. Clair neighborhood in the heart of downtown into a 2,779 square foot single-family home, they did what they always do – relied on each other’s expertise to bring the project to fruition. And when challenges arose, as they inevitably do, the pair collaborated, bringing their own wealth of knowledge to the table to rectify any issues.

“It’s not a finger-pointing game. Instead, we are here to work together to solve whatever problem we might encounter,” says Stephenson, who points out that when building in an IHPC- (Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission) controlled area, the approval process is rigorous in order to preserve the integrity and charm of the old home. For this project, that included small details on the outside that needed to remain intact, as well as keeping the two front doors of the duplex.

“Opening up the space to make a duplex into a single-family home is the biggest challenge to making it feel like one home,” says Stephenson.

The homeowner for this particular project wanted to have the space vaulted and open with lots of steel in the house which lends to the home’s overall industrial design.

“Our design plan included metal accent doors in the kitchen for the wall cabinets to tie that industrial vibe in as well,” says Suski, who was careful to introduce texture but not overwhelm the space with it.

“There are a lot of details to this particular project – the steel floating shelves, the steel hood vent, shiplap on the end cap of the oven cabinet,” says Stephenson. “Rehabs can create challenges that we don’t experience in new construction. For example, the existing exterior wall was so out of whack at the end of the oven cabinet that we had to come up with a way to hide the gap between the oven and the wall. So, we added the ten-inch shiplap detail and then actually recreated it throughout the entire house!”

To soften the industrial style, they infused richer cabinets and deeper tones, and they installed metal doors with glass inserts, overlaying gold mesh to break up the dark cabinetry. In addition, ACo added butcher block tops in the kitchen and laundry room, which bumped up the warmth.

“Often when people think of the industrial style, they assume it’s cold, but mixing natural materials, natural wood tones, and natural light helps soften that look,” says Suski.

“It’s an industrial warm style that feels homey,” adds Stephenson.

Construction in the midst of COVID-19 presented its own challenges as lead times and deliveries doubled on some lines.

“What that does to a construction schedule is pretty devastating. I kept Emily informed so their team could adjust their schedule and bump up different trades to fill in those gaps,” says Suski. “That way they could make progress, and keep things moving forward.”

Although the project took a bit longer than is typical due to COVID-19, the delays were minimal thanks to a coordinated effort between the ReDevelopment team and their project partners. The homeowners, who moved from the westside to this downtown location situated close to the Bottleworks District, are ecstatic with the end result.

“It’s everything they ever wanted,” says Stephenson. “This is their dream home. They see themselves here for many years to come.”

ACo wants you to love where you live, so they work with homeowners, designers, and builders like the Re-Development Group to ensure a worry-free experience. Learn more by visiting their design gallery showroom at Hub & Spoke in Fishers or go online to LiveACo.com to schedule a consultation.