Of character and comfort: Kenwick home weds old-world feel and modern amenities

When Abigail Dority’s husband, Jeremy, was in the midst of his anesthesia residency in Lexington, the two fell in love with the area, distinctively where trees line the middle of the road, leading to the Kenwick neighborhood.

When the house at the corner of Owsley Avenue and Richmond Road became available, the Doritys put in an offer with an extended close date so they could return to the Bluegrass area once Jeremy finished up his training and raise their family. They moved in to the 4,300-square-foot home in June 2012.

“I’ve lived a little bit of everywhere, including internationally. Lexington always felt like such a special to me because the culture is so accessible. Everyone is welcome here in the city, and in the neighborhood itself,” Abigail said. “We love Kenwick, we love Ashland Park, we love downtown, and old houses. We have a really great neighborhood.”

After many years of work on the home’s restoration by previous owners, the couple made their own contributions. They painted the house’s exterior, put in abundant landscaping, installed a beautiful new swimming pool, and re-did the kitchen as well as the floors throughout the home without losing sight of its original charm.

“The house was built in 1948. It has the soul of an old house but the convenience of a new house,” Abigail said. “When it was originally on the market, without the exterior being painted, it was so sterile. It almost didn’t look like a home at all. It was so fun to bring it back to life and make it look like somewhere you would want to raise your kids.”

She said the landscaping was her favorite project, and the finished look was achieved with the help of her design-minded mother.

“The house had been empty for a while. It didn’t even have grass,” she said. “We took (the turrets on the landscape wall) down, and we softened the house with really pretty flowering trees and evergreen bushes. There are privacy trees, and we can enjoy the family room on the side; it’s a little more relaxed. Out by the pool, there’s a brick wall in the back and the garage. We brought in climbing vines. It (feels) like an oasis back there. It’s like a little retreat from life once you’re home.”

When they first acquired the house, the kitchen was a collective shade of lackluster brown. But after a makeover with the Doritys’ vision, the area was renewed with lightened cabinets, a pale green island, and a travertine backsplash. And just off the kitchen is a second staircase, a feature that is of note to Abigail.

“I think it’s fun to have two separate staircases, and the kids think it’s fun as well. One is designated as the kids’ staircase because it sounds like elephants going up and down,” she said.

The family spends lots of time in the formal living room connected to the library. Abigail said the space is perfect for unwinding, reading, and enjoying the fireplace, which they converted to gas logs for easier use and cleanup.

“I would say that for me and Jeremy, (that’s our most-loved area of the house). But I would be remiss if I didn’t say our interior favorite part for the kids is the converted third floor, which is entirely dedicated to (them). They have their books, toys, a media center, their desk, a Ping-Pong table. They’ve always really enjoyed that space where it’s just their own,” she said.

With its many renovations and spacious floor plan, the house is conducive to small and large get-togethers with open areas to entertain and quiet places to talk, read and study — and it has become what Abigail dreamed of.

“We have always been the gathering place for all of our families and all of our kids’ friends. The house lends itself to that. There’s plenty of space for everyone — the pool, the sanctuary of the backyard, the third floor for the kids,” she said. “It’s special to us because we always wanted to be that place where everyone wanted to be.”

This story was originally published March 11, 2021 at 7:47 PM with the headline "Of character and comfort: Kenwick home weds old-world feel and modern amenities."