Homes of the Year 2017

Each year, we ask 417-land builders to submit their best work. That invitation unfailingly results in a diverse array of drop-dead gorgeous homes for us to drool over. This year’s batch of impressive projects was no exception. To help us determine the cream of the crop, we turned to Home Builders Association of Greater Southwest Illinois, who were blown away by the craftsmanship, expertise and creativity they saw on display in this year’s entries. Challenging as it was, the judges whittled down the nominations to a trio of top-notch projects with designs and features that set them apart from the pack, like dramatic floor-to-ceiling fireplaces, envy-inducing kitchens, gorgeous decks perfect for drinking in the surrounding scenery and much more. We delve into the backstory behind how these builders and their teams made their clients’ dreams a reality and what you need to know before diving into a custom home project of your own.

Lakeside Luxury

Open Living Space 
With plenty of room and flexibility for entertaining, the main living area allows groups to gather comfortably. Thompson’s plans created some separation within the room with varying ceiling treatments. For example, there are rustic beams in a square tray above living room, and the ceiling above the dining area is vaulted to echo the shape of the dining table. Meanwhile, the kitchen is delineated by cool, contemporary pendant lighting.   

Rustic Fireplace
The dramatic fireplace provides an eye-catching focal point in the open, high-ceilinged living space on the first floor. It features a natural stone veneer with a concrete mantel that’s made to look like wood. That mantel material avoids fire hazards without sacrificing style. 

Contemporary Exterior
Modern touches like dark windows and natural materials like stacked stone are contrasted, mirroring the contemporary combination of elements inside the home. The distinctive exterior also features prairie-style elements like long, horizontal lines and a relatively flat-pitched roof with overhanging eaves that extend out roughly three feet. 

Porch Living
Home to comfy seating and a fire pit, this is one of three porches on the back of the house. Two others include an enclosed sunroom with nearly floor-to-ceiling windows and a screened-in porch where the homeowners can eat and enjoy the scenery without bugs hampering their comfort.

Master Bathroom
A main feature of the master bathroom is the large walk-in shower, which also has views of the lake. That view can also be enjoyed from a deck adjoining the bathroom featuring privacy screens and a hot tub. “They can walk right out of their bathroom, sit in their tub and look all the way down to the lake,” Holman says.

Contemporary Comfort

For Julie Miller and her husband, building a new house was all about creating a space that worked for their modern-leaning tastes and lifestyle, which includes frequent entertaining. To accomplish that, the couple assembled a team including builders Keith McKee and Justin Adkins, a family friend. The duo had worked together in previous years and linked up once more for this special project. “We just work well together, and we always have,” McKee says.

Architect Geoffrey Butler drew up the plans, which interior designer Erica Lea Hendrix honed and embellished based on the homeowners’ habits and design sensibilities. Creating 3-D project renderings was an important part of that process. “Renderings are a really important tool that we use at our firm to show the design and what we are dreaming up as far as how things will coordinate,” Hendrix says. “A picture is worth a thousand words.”

Using that framework, Adkins and McKee brought the project to life, from mounting floating shelves to constructing a hidden Murphy bed to installing the jaw-dropping, waterfall-edge kitchen island. Although those and other features were challenging to execute and required countless hours of planning, the entire team relished the opportunity to unleash their creativity. “To me, it was a really special project because I think everybody really enjoyed doing something different,” Adkins says. “We all care a lot about what we do. It’s not just a job. We love what we do.”

Rustic Modern
Builders Keith McKee and Justin Adkins worked closely with interior designer Erica Lea Hendrix and architect Geoffrey Butler to customize an open, functional space. Executed in a modern aesthetic that was warmed up with rustic materials, the home includes standout features such as the sleek, stunning fireplace and walls covered in reclaimed walnut. 

Welcoming Entryway 
Throughout the home, the team kept the color palette neutral for any of the fixed pieces and major bones, allowing punchy pieces to pop, like the urn and pretty patterned ottoman in the entryway. “In order for the room to not be drab, we added color in fabrics and in some accessories, and it really livened up the space,” Hendrix says.

Open Floor plan
The builders worked with Hendrix and Butler to ensure that the kitchen, dining area and living room flow together seamlessly and allow plenty of space for guests to congregate when the homeowners entertain. “The living room is so cozy,” McKee says. “It’s not overly large. But the kitchen and the living area together are large enough to handle more people. It has a nice flow.” 

Sleek Exterior
Inspired by a photo the homeowners liked, the exterior draws on the prairie style pioneered by Frank Lloyd Wright. It has long, clean lines thanks to a variety of elements like Norman brick, which has a slimmer shape than other types of brick. Every six courses, the bricks are pushed in about a half an inch, which adds an appealing visual element to the facade. “It has this nice, linear look,” Adkins says.

Design Details 
Hendrix added pops of metallic in the kitchen and dining area with hammered metal light fixtures. “I believe that all light fixtures are like jewelry, and you dress a space like you would with jewelry,” Hendrix says of how these and other light fixtures were used to complement the design.

Dining Room 
A variety of floating elements are incorporated throughout the house, including the reclaimed pine floating shelves in the dining area. The shelves stand out against a backsplash of marble tiles. Featuring a basket weave motif, the backsplash runs up the entire wall. “It really made a statement,” says Hendrix. “Every wall is covered with something really important, and I love how it turned out.”

Island Seating
“One of the things everyone likes to do when the homeowners entertain is belly up to the island,” Adkins says. “People sit there and talk while they cook. Basically it’s a nice area where everyone can sit and hang out and just really have a good time.” Designed by Hendrix, that island features a waterfall edge and a floating stone kickboard. That and other elements were challenging to execute, which Adkins did through means such as incorporating steel into the structure.

Powder Bath
Featuring a bold, dramatic geometric pattern, specialty Italian tile is a striking feature in the powder bath. “It just jumped off the page at me,” says Hendrix of the dazzling flooring. Imported from Italy, the tile took many months to arrive, and was particularly challenging for Adkins to lay out. “It was worth waiting for,” Hendrix says.

Multifunctional Space
Thanks to a Murphy bed tucked behind a raised-panel design, this stylish space is both an office and guest bedroom. “The Murphy bed was definitely a challenge,” Adkins says. “The idea was to basically conceal that for everyday life.” The homeowners’ daughter is in a wheelchair, so it was important to them that this and other rooms of the house be handicap accessible and wheelchair friendly so that all guests are comfortable.

Wallpaper
The project includes rich details that were carefully chosen for maximum impact. For example, the team invested in a luxurious faux-crocodile wallpaper to blanket the wall that conceals the Murphy bed. “We spent money on wallpapers that were incredibly beautiful,” Hendrix says, citing the real cork on the walls in the entryway as another impactful selection.

Master Bathroom
The large, spa-like bathroom features clean, simple lines, which are complemented by materials that give the space dimension, depth and texture. For example, one wall has warm, rustic stacked stone, while another includes a combination of tiles, such as one of small interlocking hexagons. 

Stylish Touches
In keeping with the sleek, modern style on display throughout the house, most of the main features in the master bathroom are simple and neutral, with small touches giving the space a little extra flair. For example, Miller selected this group of eye-catching orbs to reflect the glow of the back-lit mirrors.

French Country with a Twist

Category:  Less than $500,000
Homeowners: Danny and Maddy Scanio
Winning Builder: Mike Harkins, Harkins Construction, 417-839-2243

A young, active couple, Danny and Maddy Scanio dreamed of having the perfect setup for hosting loved ones, whether for watching a Cardinals game, playing pool or simply having a meal together. So in 2015, the pair sought out Mike Harkins of Harkins Construction to make that dream a reality.

The first step was finding the perfect location—a cul de sac lot on Rivercut Golf Course’s 12th tee—and orienting the floorplan. “The biggest thing to overcome was getting that house on a cul de sac lot where it would be turned to face the fairway and get the views that they wanted,” Harkins says. Those views take center stage throughout the home. Tall windows frame the landscape in the open kitchen and great room. Those vistas, together with grand features like a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace and rustic wood beams, set a striking scene. “It has a very impressive look,” Harkins says. 

Dreamed up by Maddy, the dining room’s coffered ceiling is equally as impressive. “They aren’t just boxes on the ceiling,” says Harkins of the ceiling’s contrasting panels and beams. “They were trimmed to the hilt, and to me that was a really outstanding feature.”

That feature is emblematic of the partnership between Harkins and the Scanios, who collaborated closely on numerous concepts throughout the project. “They were definitely very involved,” Harkins says. “A lot of the ideas came from them, and then we just tried to incorporate them into the floorplan and find places to make it work.”

Great Room
When entering the home, guests see the great room as one of the first areas to come into view. Uniting the kitchen and dining room in an open floor plan, the showstopping space has several standout features, including a 16-foot-tall stone fireplace, rustic beams stretching across the ceiling and large windows looking across the deck and golf course. 

Master Bathroom
The soothing, stylish master bathroom balances style, comfort and function. For example, power outlets were installed in some of the drawers so tools like curling irons and blow dryers are ready to be used and cords can be conveniently tucked away. The shower features glass doors and floor-to-ceiling tile that resembles wood. Nearby is a freestanding tub that’s perfect for soaking and unwinding from a busy day. 

Master Bedroom
The richly decorated master bedroom is a restful retreat where the Scanios can escape and relax. A soft color palette serves as a backdrop for eye-catching details like a dramatic chandelier assembled from crystal and wrought iron. The same weathered hardwood flooring from the rest of the first floor extends into the bedroom. Stained and sanded to rustic perfection, the wood is coated with a clear veneer to smooth its surface.

Back Deck
Overlooking the 12th tee box, the back deck is 20 feet long and extends 14 feet. An ideal spot for eating or enjoying the scenery, the deck sits off the great room and has subtle embellishments like custom stone railing caps. 

Front Door Courtyard 
Having a welcoming porch was a priority for Maddy. “That was one of the features that she really wanted right from the get-go, so the depth of the house and garage were determined to make that courtyard work,” Harkins says. Guests enter that courtyard by passing through an antique gate and under a stone archway as they approach a stunning wrought-iron front door that’s embellished with hammered glass.

Kitchen
Thanks to a large island with a massive, curved granite countertop and plenty of seating, the kitchen provides a comfortable gathering place for guests. The striking countertop is contrasted by cabinets made from dark, knotty cherry wood. Those cabinets feature 4.5-inch crown molding, which further elevates the space’s elegance and sophistication.

Deluxe Dining Room
Harkins installed an ornate coffered ceiling that Maddy had selected and designed for the dining room. One of Harkins’ favorite features in the house, the decorative ceiling gives the warm, inviting space additional visual interest and depth. “It’s different from anything I’ve ever done, and it turned out really well,” he says.

Decor Details
Maddy’s mother, Cindy Yates, who owns Springfield’s La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries, helped the couple flesh out the home’s interior design, which strikes a balance between Old World elements and youthful, modern touches. For example, a large-scale pocket watch clock adds a touch of whimsy, while the great room’s leather furniture has a soft, neutral color palette, allowing other elements like the ceiling beams and hardwood floors to shine.

Builder Q & A

Justin Atkins & Keith Mckee

Category:  $500,000 to $750,000

Mike Harkins

Custom Homes 101

With a custom build, the design possibilities are endless, but the process can seem daunting. We talked with custom home experts to shed some light on how to have a successful project that results in the home of your dreams. 

Choose Your Team
To select the right professionals, builder Rick Ramsey of Ramsey Building Company (201 N. Main St., Nixa, 417-725-5545) recommends reviewing builders’ portfolios and asking for current and past clients that you could speak with. “It’s important to know that they’ve got a good overall track record with customers,” Ramsey says.

Consider Interior Concepts Early
If your team includes an interior designer, Arianna Stanley Mueller, an interior designer with Slone Architects (1200 E. Woodhurst Dr., Suite J-100, Springfield, 417-887-4575), advises including them in the early planning stages. “Whether you are remodeling or if you are doing a new construction and building from scratch, including your interior designer in the planning stage makes sure that the whole team is on the same page design-wise from the very beginning of the project,” she says. 

Research Ideas
Use sources like Houzz, Pinterest and magazines to share concepts you like with your builder. “Gather information that would help me to better understand some of the things that you like and why you like them,” Ramsey says. 

Budget Wisely
Talk openly with your team about the financials of the project and be sure to leave a little budgetary wiggle room for any changes or additions that may arise down the line. “What I would recommend is, on the budget estimate process, that there is area of cushion,” Ramsey says.

Think Ahead
Allow your team the time to carefully consider every aspect of the project before jumping ahead. “Plan enough time for planning,” Mueller says. “A smooth project is a well-planned project. And a budget-friendly project is one that makes changes on paper, not in the field. It’s a lot less expensive and time consuming to move a wall on paper than it is to move one after it’s been built."

Find Your Priorities 
Your priorities may affect the progression of the project and the order of the steps that need to be taken, so highlight the features or elements that are most important to you. “If you know from the beginning that you have found the most fabulous bed that you will ever find in your life, and you absolutely want that one, the benefit of working on a new construction home or even a remodel is that you can custom tailor that room to that piece of furniture,” Mueller says. 

Celebrate Progress
Ramsey recommends reviewing selections and celebrating accomplishments with your team along the way to help you see the light at the end of the tunnel and look forward to the final product. “It at least allows you to check off items and have closure to some of those areas,” he says. “That closure tends to relieve the pressure to some degree.”

Home Resource Guide

French Country with a Twist