Cozy cottage is couple's 'forever house"

For the second fall since moving into their Buena Vista home, Beth and Mike Skorich emptied most of their downstairs rooms and transformed their home into a casino.

This year, they gave their party and their guests a purpose: raising awareness for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. When they purchased their home, the Skoriches looked for a house that would accommodate their love of entertaining.

Beth and Mike were drawn to Buena Vista's stately trees, the sense of familiarity and the feeling of home. When the couple discovered a 1920s house that looked like a cozy cottage on the outside but had soaring spaces inside and grandparents around the corner, they knew this was the perfect spot to raise their two young boys and provide a location to benefit their favorite charity.

A curvy S on the chimney's exterior validated for them that the painted brick home was meant to be theirs. The Skorich family moved into the five-bedroom, 61/2-bath house in January 2010 and started transforming and updating it.

Beth, 40, was 6 when she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, where the body's pancreas doesn't make enough insulin to maintain healthy blood-sugar levels. Although the diagnosis confounded her parents, Buff and Cliff Perry, they threw themselves into providing a normal childhood for Beth in Buena Vista.

Within three years , several cousins on Beth's father's side were diagnosed with the disease. Beth's mother and her aunt, Anne Hummel, founded the Piedmont Triad chapter of JDRF in 1994 to help raise awareness and funds to find a cure. The disease affects approximately 3 million Americans.

Before they could start using their home for JDRF events, Beth and Mike worked to make each room a functional part of their lifestyle. The spacious foyer, an addition by a previous owner, opens into what was probably designed to be the living room. Instead, Beth decided to treat the room as an extended foyer. They chose a rich wooden round table to anchor the space and to double as a serving area or extra seating for formal and informal gatherings.

When Beth's grandmother recently moved to assisted living in Arbor Acres, Beth realized her bedroom drapes would fit perfectly in the extended living room. Two chairs purchased at a charity auction frame the window.

"I like to buy things we love. How we live changes, so if we love the piece, it can change with us. For example, the pine chest that is now in the playroom is about to move downstairs. When we were first married, it held our TV. The leather chair that was once in our study is now in the family room," Beth said.

The biggest change has been their kitchen renovation. Mara Gardner of Cabinet Creations helped turn Beth's vision into reality.

Winter-wheat cabinets and a rich Bordeaux granite helped convert the dated kitchen. A Wolf stove complete with a griddle — the new family favorite — has Beth plotting to become a serious cook. Double pendants hang where a huge florescent box-style light once illuminated the kitchen, giving light and creating a stylistic statement.

They kept the gallery-style kitchen but maximized the functional workspace. This included flanking the large kitchen sink with two dishwashers, a must to keep up with the dirty dishes that come with large gatherings. To update the wall covering, Beth had a designer add textured plaster over the wallpaper.

"This made the most sense economically. Plus, it's very forgiving with two boys. It doesn't chip, the handprints aren't as visible and it added warmth," Beth said.

By adding a funky tile to a backsplash, Beth and Mike added interest in a small space. They also incorporated a bold print for the kitchen window treatment. Using powerful elements in small doses keeps them from overwhelming the overall design.

The adjoining family room was updated by faux-finishing the built-in bookcases to rich wood finishes. This combined with the wood-burning stone fireplace for a rustic feel.

Mike was able to carve out his own space in the "Football Watching Room." The side porch features a small, houndstooth sofa in Deacon black and gold with comfortable side chairs. Beth created an "I Love Me" wall of Mike's sports memorabilia that includes trophies, an old mitt and other treasures.

The Skoriches love their location and the space that their cozy cottage deceptively offers.

"Our plan is that this is our 'forever house,' " Beth said.