A professional realtor who has almost always lived in brand new homes through the years, Brent Sledd creates a stunning new dream home amidst the lush natural beauty of Mills Farm in Overland Park.
Story by Jeanne de Lathouder | Photos by Matt Kocourek
After having built seven of his own homes over the years and also representing clients on approximately 200 new construction homes during his career, Brent Sledd, Senior Sales Executive at ReeceNichols Realtors, had endless ideas of what his dream home would look like.
“I had a home built here in Mills Farm in Overland Park more than 10 years ago,” Brent said. “One day I was talking to Kit Starr from Starr Homes and he told me about a three-quarter-acre wooded and private lot that was coming up in a future phase. I had sold many homes for Starr through the years, and I ended up deciding to build my dream home on this lot with them and stay in my beloved Mills Farm subdivision,” he added.
Paying meticulous attention to architectural detail, Brent built his new home with a wide footprint that was designed specifically to fit the lot. He also angled the house just right to ensure he had the best possible view of the trees from every room including the windows in the master shower where he starts his day. A hot tub deck off the master bedroom – half under cover and half open air – was precisely designed to have the most private, heavily wooded views.
“I approached this particular project as my ‘forever home’ since I loved the unique lot and intend to live in Mills Farm the rest of my life,” said Brent. “I absolutely love the friendly and fun people, architecture, amenities, activities, and everything about this subdivision. I also sell quite a few homes in this area and joke about being in a position to pick my neighbors,” he laughed.
Brent worked very closely with Kit and Gerry Starr for many hours to make sure no detail was overlooked. The team approached the project with a sky’s-the-limit attitude and budgeted to get everything Brent wanted so he’d never have to look back and think he had cut corners anywhere. The energy-saving features are over the top, with two-by-six walls, blown insulation, R-64 in the attic, and 95-percent-efficient furnaces. The one-and-a-half-story house was built with 5,400 square feet on the first floor and lower level. There is also 1,800 square feet of unfinished attic space set to accommodate three bedrooms, two baths, a huge loft, and a laundry room.
“Even though I was living by myself when I had this bachelor pad built, I didn’t want to put an average house on such a spectacular lot,” said Brent. “I wanted a house that I would never outgrow and would provide plenty of room for my grandkids when they come visit. I don’t really need this much attic space right now – and the biggest reason for creating the upper level had more to do with curb appeal than extra space – but I do plan to finish a golf simulator or something upstairs at some point,” he laughed.
For his interior color palette, Brent started off with predominantly tan hues throughout, but over the past couple of years, he’s transitioned to a serene mixture of gray tones and decidedly more modern decor. He used a combination of Sherwin Williams paint colors that include Amazing Gray, Mindful Gray, and Perfect Greige, and also changed out much of the existing granite to complement the new palette. Adding a pool out back was also a major addition.
“I’ve always been so in love with the natural beauty, deer, sounds of wildlife, and everything about the views from this house,” said Brent. “The huge yard where I play with my four grandkids is just priceless – we play catch, hit baseballs and golf balls, throw the Frisbee, ride scooters on the large driveway, and just have fun running around. Every day, I look out in awe of the natural beauty from my office, but over the winter, I decided I could give up part of my backyard and tuck a pool into the area closest to the house. There’s still plenty of space to play like we always have,” he noted.
Designed by Scot Fuester, owner of Skyton Pools, Brent’s pool was expertly designed with awesome features including water-spray jets and a stone fire pit with three waterfalls.
“I really built it as a bribe to make sure my grandkids would always want to come visit Papa – and it really worked,” laughed Brent. “This is now the favorite family activity and something my grandkids will always have fond memories of.”
Resources
Development: Mills Farm
Builder/Contractor: Starr Homes
Pool: Skyton Lawn & Landscape
