Metro Home

“I actually started decorating in September – the trick-or-treaters were confused!” Janet chuckled.
The first story features an open floor plan with a large living room, kitchen, dining room and a second formal living room where the children practice on a polished baby grand piano with a walnut finish.
“I like the livability of [the floor plan],” Janet acknowledged. “My husband is the cook in the family – I can wash dishes, but he cooks every night. It’s just very family-oriented and we like to entertain as well, so it’s a very open house for entertainment.”
An accomplished seamstress, Janet also hand-sewed all of the curtains and tablecloths, as well as the slip covers on the chairs.
Upstairs, the Kenningtons share an enormous master suite which includes an ornate, mahogany walnut, canopy bed frame with distinctive scrollwork decorated in pine leaves.
The master bath houses a pair of walk-in closets as well as a spa tub and oversized flat screen television.
“I feel like the whole master suite wing is sort of my quiet space at the end of the day,” Janet mused.
The second floor also houses separate bedrooms for the children as well as a guest suite with a walk-in closet and private bath. A third story, though unfinished, boasts an additional 900 square feet.
The family’s favorite attribute of the sprawling home, however, is probably the backyard which includes a large patio space where Corey often cooks on his trusty Big Green Egg smoker, as well as the resplendent saltwater pool.
“We built the pool about four years ago,” Janet said. “In the summertime, that’s my favorite place to be, floating in my floaty chair with a good book. There’s nothing better!”
Corey designed most of the pool, including the attached spa and the rock wall which doubles as a waterfall. The space also includes a tanning ledge where guests can relax and soak up a little sun without dampening the pages of their reading material.
“We spend a lot of Sundays out here just having a good time with family and friends, cooking up stuff on the grill,” Janet marveled. “A few drinks are usually flowing. We definitely like to entertain and share our home with our family and friends.”

Written By: Josh Davis

Janet and Corey Kennington’s home in Eden is a picture-perfect example of the American dream.
The couple lives with their two children, Wil and Caroline, in a spacious five-bedroom, five-bath colonial estate where they spend weekends cooking out in the backyard by the swimming pool. Janet is the marketing director at Wor-Wic Community College, and Corey is a broker with Kennington Realty.
“We moved here in 2002; we were the second house in the neighborhood,” Janet said. “Our family was growing and we wanted a little more elbow room. We had sold our house and we were living at the beach, looking around, and Corey found this neighborhood and we really liked it.”
The home was just a frame when the Kenningtons first saw it. Changes were made from small alterations like the location of certain doors and windows, to the sweeping redesign of the stairs.
“It was framed when we found it, but we made quite a few changes,” Janet explained. “The staircase was completely redone. It was a more traditional closed-in staircase and I opened it up a little more with the wrought iron. I like the drama of the staircase.
“We also changed up a few other things, just to suit our style a little more. I’m a graphic artist by trade, so I’ve always felt like this house was a nice canvas to work with. I’ve really enjoyed that aspect of it.”
The house absolutely swims in natural light, which lends itself well to the vast amount of organic flourishes; Janet is a member of the Town and Country Garden club and enjoys flower arranging and gardening. The archway over the front door is decorated in fresh magnolias, and the rest of the house is outfitted in timeless, shimmering Christmas decorations.