Dever Design & Build makes big changes happen

By Patricia Nugent

Last month we introduced you to Jack Dever, of Dever Design & Build, who for the past 30 years has been remodeling homes and commercial properties throughout Lake County and beyond.

He’s taking us behind the scenes on a job he just broke ground on at McMahon-Coyne-Vitantonio Funeral Home in Mentor.

This is the first time any updating has been done since it was built in 1978 by one of the current owners, Tony Vitantonio’s father. The facility is home to the largest viewing room of its kind in Lake County.

Another owner, Mickey Coyne, says that when they started looking for someone to do the job, “When we asked 10 people which contractor they’d rate the highest, seven or eight of them would say Jack Dever. And he’s impressed us throughout the initial planning stages as a confident, hands-on, detail-oriented fellow.”

After the initial walk-through, the project snowballed from just replacing flooring to a complete transformation of the interior and adding space to the existing garage area.

Jack and his architect and designer put together everyone’s input in blueprints and mood boards.

“Esthetically, the main goal is to create a lighter, brighter, more modern space, so we are adding windows and layers of fixtures,” says Jack. “From a functionality standpoint, we’re also adding space for meetings and a family gathering area where they can prepare and serve food. We’re completely renovating the bathrooms, too.”

For the color palette, they have opted for complementary pale colors of amber and cream with pops of black and tan for a warm and inviting feeling.

“We scanned the building’s original drawings to use as a starting point,” says Jack. “Then based on the schematics, we were able to present a scope of work to the owners.”

The first phase of the project includes removing fixtures and doing demolition. Then they’ll move to tearing out the bathrooms. Look for these monthly updates on this transformative renovation project running through its completion this summer.

Dever Design & Build is based in Willoughby. Jack offers free consultations. Just fill in your information on the Contact Us page at DeverDesignAndBuild.com, or call Jack at 440-477-2338. To see more photos from the funeral home renovation, visit the company’s Facebook page.