Renovations help home reach its potential

Katherina Kalman could see what others did not. Beyond the blue shag carpet and walls of purple, green, pink and lavender, Katherina envisioned how she could transform her future home.

The 1,500-square-foot Springfield house hadn't sold immediately, largely because the interior aesthetics challenged most prospective buyers. But Katherina, who liked the location, large master bathroom and blank canvas offered by the lack of landscaping, saw the abode's potential.

Removing the blue carpet that ran throughout the house was one of Katherina's first changes when she moved in five years ago. In its place, she put hardwood in the living room, kitchen and hallway and neutral carpet in the bedrooms and office.

Textured walls updated the look of the home, built in 1996, and Katherina chose warm colors accented by red in the hallway, which ties into the wool tapestry in the living room. Katherina's mother made the wall hanging, which is a replica of one of the six panels that comprise the 15th-century The Lady and the Unicorn tapestries that hang in France's Musee National du Moyen Age.

All lighting is new, and Katherina customized the pantry -- a must-have change for someone who likes to cook.

"I only eat at home," she says. "I am a gourmet cook, and I cook international cuisine."

That makes sense, considering Katherina's background: She is a first-generation American. Her father escaped Hungary in 1956 and arrived in America with nothing but the clothes he wore. Her mother is German and survived World War II while her own father served on the Russian front.

Katherina has lived all over the world, from Germany to Saudi Arabia to Turkey and Switzerland. After living in urban areas like Denver, Houston and Washington, D.C., Katherina landed in Springfield in 1990.

Home is a relative term. As she says, "Wherever my shoes are, that's where I'm happy."

Still, Katherina has incorporated meaningful items in her home. Riding is a lifelong passion, and Katherina displays memorabilia that reflect her skill at eventing, a competitive sport in the equestrian world. One of her proudest moments came when she won the 2003 Bronze Medal Rider Award from the United States Dressage Federation, which is framed and hanging on a wall with other riding-related items.

The few family things Katherina has are also meaningful, such as her silver flatware. When her maternal family had to flee their home during the war, Katherina's mother, then 4 years old, had a backpack in which she was able to stow away six silver spoons. When Katherina was married, her grandmother's gift was the complete set to complement those six spoons that began in Germany and now reside across an ocean and half a country away in Katherina's house.