Mixing the old with the new

A wall of windows gives the Kalins an unobstructed view of Lay Lake.

Story by Katie McDowell and photos by Jon Goering

Olivia and Jack Kalin’s Wilsonville home is only about four years old, but it’s filled with hundreds of years of history.

They turned to the past when decorating the house, using family heirlooms to hang on the walls or nestle in corners.

There are the multi-colored quilts made by Olivia’s great-great-grandmother and the steamer trunk that belonged to her grandfather. Two shadow boxes are filled with a collection of antique pens and hat pins that belonged to family members.

Olivia Kalin’s grandmother made this quilt using her father’s ties.

In the foyer, another quilt hangs on the wall – this one made by Olivia’s grandmother with her father’s ties.

The heirlooms keep past family members present in a home that is often visited by the current generation of the Kalin family, including Olivia and Jack’s two grown children.

“We didn’t want to be real formal here,” Olivia said. “We just wanted a place where everybody was together.”

The Kalins moved to Wilsonville about four years ago. They’d lived in the Birmingham area for years and loved it, but Jack, a Canadian who grew up visiting the Rideau Canal, wanted to move to a house on the water before the couple retired. They began searching for a home within 45 minutes of Jack’s work in Hoover.

“He had some criteria,” Olivia said. “He wanted to be fairly close to a town so we could get groceries. He wanted a paved road, and he wanted to live on the water.”

They began looking on Lay Lake and finally found a lot on Highway 416 in Wilsonville. The lot is almost peninsula-shaped and water surrounds their yard on three sides, which keeps Jack happy.

Olivia also loves their new home and the slower pace of life in Shelby County.

“It took me awhile to adjust to being out here,” she said. “Now that I’m adjusted, I love it. It’s peaceful. It’s calm. It’s soothing … I’ve been able to do things I never would have done in Birmingham.”

That includes playing bridge with neighbors and joining a book club. The Kalins are also members of Lay Lake Home Owners and Boat Owners Association, and they take water readings of the lake each month for Alabama Water Watch.

The Kalins also host family often in the home. Their children visit for family dinners every few weeks and other family and friends come for extended stays.

The house was built with visitors in mind. Jack worked with an architect to create an open floor plan.

The kitchen and the living room are open on the ground floor. The Kalins used a neutral palette with red accents to decorate. A wall of windows overlooks Lay Lake and offers plenty of light, even on overcast days.

“My biggest delight is getting up early and watching the sun come up,” Olivia said. “When we moved here, for a solid year, I got up early and watched the sun come up.”

Two guest bedrooms are located on the ground floor, as well as Olivia’s study. Each of the three rooms has a bathroom attached, so they can be used as bedrooms for visitors.

The second floor of the home includes the master bedroom, a den and another laundry room.

A screened porch is adjacent to the living room on the ground floor and is a favorite gathering place for the Kalins and their 13-year-old dog, Dodger.

After four years, the Kalins have settled into their new home and love the slower pace of Shelby County living.

“It’s a beautiful area,” Olivia said. “It is rural and I think because it is rural, they have a greater sense of community.”

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