22 Mar 2010 2010 Idea House: A design with family in mind

“The garden community takes care of the lawn for us, so we get to enjoy our home with our kids and grandkids,” explained Linda.

Their custom-built home consists of two spacious bedrooms, a master suite, a formal dining room, an oversized living room, and a gourmet kitchen.

Bill and Linda’s home was deemed the 2010 Idea House for its particular attention to “green” building practices and unique custom features. Bill Green, a lifetime friend and business partner to the O’Briens, became the green certified builder for the project.

After returning from a conference, Bill Green was excited to implement green practices in the newly developed Cobblestone Garden Community. “One of the coolest and simplest ideas Bill brought back with him was to cut up all of the leftover Sheetrock from the building process and stuff it into the walls of the garage,” Bill O’Brien said, “It saved us the money we would pay a landfill to take the Sheetrock and we kept it from harming the environment.”

Another simple green aspect of the home is the return air vents placed above each door.  The vents allow air to circulate in and out of rooms while the door is closed, therefore making room temperatures more consistent and lowering energy costs. Other green features include complete ADA compliance, a dual-fuel HVAC system, upgraded insulation, and low energy lighting where possible, therefore creating a home that is 50 percent to 60 percent green built.

The couple chose large tiles in a brick pattern throughout the house, instead of the standard wood flooring. “Wood flooring is too hard to take care of with grandchildren,” explained Linda, “We wanted the kids to have fun without the worry of cleanup.”

In addition to the tile flooring, the house features other kid-friendly touches. The open floor plan connects the living room, kitchen and dining room into one large family space.  Bill loves the undefined spaces because it allows them to expand each area when their families visit on Sunday afternoons for lunch. “Everything was geared toward designing around family,” shared the couple.

Linda particularly enjoys the cut-in barstool space added to the middle island in the kitchen. “My grandkids like to help me cook, and the cut-in allows them to sit across from me while we make cookies.” To help make baking with the grandkids easier, Bill surprised Linda with a custom cabinet lever for the KitchenAid mixer she received for Mother’s Day.

The kitchen encompasses every woman’s dream with features that include a walk-in pantry with an automatic lighted glass door, 48-inch KitchenAid recessed refrigerator, double ovens, warming tray, five burner gas stovetop, ice maker, double drawer dishwasher, appliance garage and double trash drawer. The solid stained alder wood cabinetry features upper-lighted accent cabinets, custom pan-lid drawer, double spice drawers, a baker’s rack, and a baking center. The main sink is stainless steel and features a Delta Pilar Touch kitchen faucet that operates on the touch of your hand.

The counters are covered with solid Magma granite with extensive movement and vibrant color, which was a certain source of stress during installation. “We ordered the very last bit of granite from the quarry it’s found in, so we were holding our breath hoping they wouldn’t break it!” laughed Bill.

The focal point of the kitchen is the arched cabinetry over the stove and the perfectly designed artwork which was custom matched with home colors by Connie Baker Art of Nebraska.

The most impressive aspect of the O’Brien home could possibly be in the bedrooms, where premium custom elements were incorporated.

The “grandkids” bedroom is the best creative feature of the home. Two sets of bunk beds were designed with shelving and a lighted lamp for each child’s bunk area, including a receptacle for a monitor, alarm or iPod with two sets of ladders permanently attached to the wall for the upper bunks. A schoolhouse framed corkboard/chalkboard is built on the wall for young minds to express their work. Behind double doors there is a wall of cubicles for books, toys, etc.   

The master bedroom features 10-foot ceilings and majestic crown molding, as does the rest of the home. The amazement of the master suite is the large bathroom, where the focus is the extensive walk-in shower. 

In addition to the beautiful home, the couple enjoyed building their outdoor living space.  “We live near the community park, so we will always have a beautiful view from our back porch,” explained Linda. The breeze-way designed porch boasts an antique Razorback refrigerator and connects to Bill’s hyper-organized garage storage facility, where every tool has its own place.

One of the neatest features is the old school bell next to the garage. “It was my great-great-grandma’s bell,” said Bill, “My mom used to ring the bell for us kids when it was time to come home for dinner from playing out in the neighborhood.” 

With the help of Bill Green and his expert green advice, the O’Briens have successfully created a house that stands as an example of the many ways to make a house a home. “We are excited to spend the rest of our lives here, making memories with our family.”