Outdoor Living Feature
A Classy Compromise
He likes ultraontemporary and she prefers an earthy, warmer look.
by Carol McGarvey, Photography by John JohnsonWhen Nancy and Dave Long purchased their 1979 brick home three years ago, they were impressed by its sturdy bones: 2x6 wall construction; copper roof, gutters, and downspouts; and copper-clad garage doors. However, they knew they wanted to make some major changes, such as turning it into a walkout ranch.
So “gut away” they did, redoing the lower level and making some huge changes inside and out on the main level. Their project involved repositioning the stairway to the lower level, moving a wall or two, adding new flooring and cherry trim, and gutting the kitchen, master bath, and guest bath.
The Longs also added new windows; low-maintenance deck and railing, along with a new brick patio in the back; and a welcoming new front entry, complete with boulders, new steps, and perennial plantings.Country Setting
The couple fell in love with the bucolic West Des Moines setting with 1½ acres. It sits on a wooded cul-de-sac of five homes. “We call it our city/country acreage,” Nancy explains. “We feel as though we live in the country, but we are just a few minutes from every place we need to go.”
The Longs could have turned the whole-house remodeling project over to a contractor. But,
because of the experience they both have, Nancy and Dave acted as their own contractor. Nancy is designer/office manager for Accurate Development, and, at the time, Dave was the manager of Kitchens and Fireplaces. They knew whom to call for the many tasks they decided to undertake.
The whole process took six months, speedy for all they completed.
“The home, having been built in 1979, really needed some updating and redoing,” Nancy
explains. Since she and Dave are in the design field, the resulting look is what she calls
“transitional contemporary.”
When they looked at the home the first time, Nancy says,“I truly fell in love with the great-room. The huge windows on east and west give it an open, airy feel. It truly feels as if you’re right in the middle of the woods.” In fact, the Longs had to install some blinds—not to keep out the summer sun (the trees take care of that) but to provide shade from the winter sun when the trees are bare.Contemporary Kitchen
Dave had great fun with the kitchen design, his specialty. Contemporary cherry cabinetry with a dark, dark stain makes a bold statement in the large galley-style kitchen. Frosted glass on several
cabinet doors adds a light look. The appliances are stainless steel, and sleek frosted-glass bars form numerous drawer pulls. Granite counters, polished-quartz backsplash, and slate-looking porcelain floor tiles complete the look. A reconfigured laundry room offers lots of storage, a computer desk, and a three-quarter bath.
A pass-through from the kitchen overlooks a sunken sitting room, which could be a breakfast room. The Longs enjoy reading there in two contemporary purple and burgundy chairs. There’s a bistro table and chairs for breakfast or light meals.
In good weather, they often have meals out on the extra-long deck, which spans the length of the kitchen and great-room.
One end of the great-room acts as a dining room, perfect for large family holiday meals. The other end, a full brick focal point wall, holds a wood-burning fireplace. “With such big windows, this room is beautiful in all seasons and is particularly awesome in winter,” Nancy explains. She acted as her own
interior designer and chose a teal and brown color scheme, with large textured sectional and patterned slipper chairs from Wicker and the Works. Artistic and family pieces create a pleasing eclectic look.
At the other end of the home is the getaway master suite. The large room was made even bigger and more usable when a den wall was removed by a previous owner to create a sitting area. It opens onto a lower portion of the huge deck, and another wood-burning fireplace and brick wall create a feeling of warmth. The cherry look carries through in furniture pieces.
The Longs gutted the oversize master bath and created a walk-in closet and added a cool walk-in Jacuzzi “rain shower” with body sprays. Down the hall, next to a guest room, is the redone guest bath. It features two free-standing vanities with soft teal Avonite counters and textured-glass vessel sinks. Rope lighting underneath the vanities creates a night-light effect.
In reworking the space on the lower level to create a walkout situation, Dave and Nancy created a family room, another guest room, and a bath. Dave’s pride and joy is a four-car double
tandem heated garage with a decorative finished floor.New Look Outside
With the help of Matt Hosier of Des Moines Landscapes, the outside took on an updated look as well. In the front, the sunken entry now is more welcoming with the addition of boulder wall.
Plus, in the back, just off the sitting room, is Nancy’s favorite spot. “With a new brick patio and some pleasing landscaping details—to say nothing of my twin fawns—I just love being out there.”
As fate would have it, now that the remodeling is completed, Dave has taken a new position with CBS, a cabinetry and bath supply company in the Springfield, Missouri, area, and the couple will be moving. “Needless to say, we wish we could take this spectacular home with us,” Nancy says.Welcome HOME Magazine, Television and Radio
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