Stewarding Space: Designer Grace Start Transforms a Historic House into a Functional Family Home

Grace Start has a thing for her former tiny hometown of Zeeland, Michigan. “It’s like Mayberry. It’s walkable, with great houses and an adorable downtown,” she says. “When we moved away, we really missed it—and wanted to have a hand in making an impact there.” 

Start and her mother, renowned interior designer Jean Stoffer, run a growing family of design brands and co-host The Established Home on Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Network. Start and her husband, Ted, have also renovated three homes of their own. The couple jumped at the opportunity to buy a Zeeland home built in 1910. She shares how a few layout updates, plus some gorgeous Stoffer-esque design touches, transformed the space into a beautiful, functional family home that still honors its past.

How do you describe your design philosophy?
Our job is to be good stewards of the space we’re given, no matter the budget. We could do the highest-end design or keep things approachable, but we’re thinking about what’s the very best value—and also the very best design for a space. Listening to the client is so important, because we want a home to be beautiful but also functional for how they actually live.

How did you reimagine the layout of this home?
We got all the measurements on paper and started playing around with the pieces. Without changing the footprint, we knew we’d need to be very economical with space. Everything had to be purpose-placed.

What shifts had the biggest impact?
We carved out an entryway with an enclosed coat closet, a command center nook with a mail slot, and a powder room that’s perfect for guests. We also moved and stacked the staircases to place the kitchen in the heart of the home, creating a larger gathering area that’s really intentionally designed.

What were some decisions you made to honor the age and mood of the home?
The home had settled over time, and nothing was square. We kept the original interior doors and hardware, and Ted had to custom-make jams to get them to work. They don’t make things like they used to, especially woodwork! We went with period-correct trim, older-style windows, and hardwood floors. We were always trying to harken back to what the home could have been like originally.

How did you land on Cambria’s Annaleigh quartz design for the kitchen?
We knew there was a good chance of a family with kids buying this home, and we needed to create a space everyone could love. Cambria is universally the best choice! It’s durable, beautiful, and a product people know and trust. And the Annaleigh is so pretty. It’s warm and cool, with great movement. We just absolutely love it.

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