More than two decades ago, Philip and Caroline Moise renovated and added to their 1919 Druid Hills home. Updating and enlarging the kitchen were among the changes to the residence, where they had lived for a couple of years. "At the time we thought, 'This is the biggest, best kitchen ever,' " Caroline Moise said.

But the years elapsed, and as Caroline Moise did more entertaining and cooking and their kids grew up, the couple decided this year that it was time to remodel again.

Mikki K. Harris / mkharris@ajc.com (ENLARGE)

Caroline Moise (center) speaks with workers from the HammerSmith Construction Co. about her home renovation project.

Philip Moise / AJC Special (ENLARGE)

The kitchen before renovations. Workers ripped out the white cabinets, dining area and floor. The new kitchen is designed for cooking and entertaining.

Philip Moise / AJC Special (ENLARGE)

The exterior of the 1919 Druid Hills home. In addition to a new kitchen, the home will have new master and guest baths.

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"We started spending a lot more time around the kitchen. We thought it would be nice to upgrade the home. It would be wonderful to have a real cook's kitchen," said Philip Moise, vice president and general counsel of Immucor.

Work began in mid-June on a two-story addition that will add about 200 square feet to the house — enough room for an expanded kitchen and master bathroom plus a new guest bathroom.

The white cabinets, tile back splash, Corian counter tops and tile floors have been ripped out of the existing kitchen. The appliances and breakfast room table have been moved to a makeshift kitchen in their dining room, where Caroline already has tested out a small borrowed stove by baking chocolate chip cookies and a cake.

They've moved their living and dining room furniture to storage. Two leather chairs, a blue couch and a flat screen TV that were in the den create a cozy setting in the living room. Their hope is that construction will be finished by Halloween, in time to host their family for the holidays.

"It's certainly possible. It's not a horrible time schedule," said Eric Rothman, lead designer for HammerSmith, a Decatur-based design-build firm. "It's definitely faster by a couple of weeks than maybe we normally do."

We'll follow the project in our three-part series, but first, here's an idea of what it took to get to this point.

THE DECISION

The couple had considered making the changes a couple of years ago, but Philip Moise said it wasn't the right time, partly because of his job change. But after last Christmas, they decided it was time to replace their 20-year-old cook top, and possibly the counter tops. That's when Philip brought up the idea of doing a complete redo, with room to expand the home.

"I was thinking too small," Caroline Moise said.

The Moises looked at two contractors who had done work in the neighborhood, seeking a company that understood the challenges of older homes. She made a cold call to HammerSmith and set up a meeting for February.

The couple said the first question was: "If we push out, will it make a difference, or should we just upgrade what we've got?" They were told expanding was a viable option.

"They just walked in and kind of got it right off," Philip Moise said.

That didn't mean HammerSmith's first plan was right on.

After the company provided three plans, it took four to five months of going back and forth with designers.

"I just thought we would be overwhelmed by the first set of drawings, and we just weren't," Philip Moise said. "We found pieces of those three that we liked."

They sought ideas, buying home magazines and attending events such as the Junior League of Atlanta's Tour of Kitchens in March. Every week, they received their latest revision, poured over it and e-mailed or called HammerSmith with suggested changes within three or four days.

"All of us worked hard and just carved out the time to keep it rolling," said Caroline Moise, a consultant, community volunteer and activist.

Important features in the kitchen were a big pantry and storage space. They measured the counter space. They tried to determine whether all their pots, plates, glasses and other necessary items would fit.

"We walked around looking at every single thing," Philip Moise said. They were worried they were being too particular or too demanding, but "we really knew clearly what worked for us, what we needed," he said.

The Moises made decisions quickly and they knew what they wanted, Rothman said.

"It's fun to design a kitchen for somebody who truly is a connoisseur," he said. "They truly use their kitchen. We would have these design meetings, and she would bake cookies for them. She's an excellent cook and she loves to cook, so this is truly a working kitchen."

Once the island was turned around, the stove was moved against a wall and an outside door was added, "it all fell into place," Philip Moise said.

"I could see myself in that kitchen," Caroline Moise said.

In the bathroom, they have updates such as a bigger, glass-enclosed shower, double vanities and marble countertops.

THE NEXT STEPS

The couple had to seek a certificate of appropriateness from the DeKalb County Historic Preservation Commission before work could begin. The expertise that HammerSmith brought to this process was a factor, Philip said. The preliminary plans were submitted about May 5 so the commission could consider it at its May 19 meeting. There was a time crunch — approval at the first meeting was important; otherwise, they would have had to wait until the June meeting. Philip Moise said they got relatively easy approval because the changes can't be seen from the street.

Another major task before construction could begin: choosing everything to make the space complete. In a two- to three-hour meeting, they selected appliances, counter tops, cabinetry, back splash, flooring, lighting, plumbing and other fixtures. "They knew what they liked, they knew what they didn't like," Rothman said. "They have different opinions, but they work really well together."

The Moises selected a Sub-Zero refrigerator and a Wolf range with six burners, a grill and two ovens. But they were concerned that having two ovens near the floor would be difficult to use, especially as they get older. So they added another wall unit with double ovens, knowing all four could be hard at work for casual entertaining and holiday dinners. "I'm really committed to doing a bunch of cooking now," Caroline Moise said.

"We decided to go ahead and spend the money on appliances to really have a cook's kitchen," Philip Moise said. He would not disclose the budget, saying only that it probably equates to the "size of a small house in Macon."

For the Moises, having four ovens is not about excess, Rothman said. "It's about the way they live, the way they function," he said.

A CONSTRUCTION ZONE

The Moises decided to live at home through the construction.

"The most difficult part of our job certainly during the construction part of it is dealing with a client who's living in their house," Rothman said. "We spend a lot of effort to try to keep the rest of the house covered and comfortable."

Caroline Moise said one concern is keeping their Husky, Forrest, safe. "The hardest part is dealing with a 14-year-old dog who wants to snoop around," she said.

Doors between the den and living room block the construction zone and help give Caroline Moise peace of mind, she said.

Workers have been at the house every day since mid-June. The couple stays informed on the progress in weekly Wednesday morning meetings. They've also been encouraged to write things down stemming from conversations outside of those meetings "so there's no confusion," Caroline Moise said.

With the demolition done — and a second Dumpster already filled — the Moises aren't spooked by the Oct. 31 deadline.

"They feel like they can finish the job then, so I trust them at this point to do what they said they're going to do," she said. "Everything's progressing like it's supposed to."

PROJECT DETAILS: Expanded kitchen with a butler's pantry, island and work space on the first floor; expanded master bathroom and new guest bathroom on the second floor. Adding 200 square feet.

WORK SO FAR: Demolition done in June. Framing beginning in July.

DEADLINE: Oct. 31

Editor's note: The AJC will follow the highs and lows of this major kitchen remodel in a Druid Hills home from start to finish. Look for more installments as the project progresses.