Personal Expression of Home - Kansas City Homes & Style

Robert Pascuzzi, author of the book and upcoming movie The Ravine, and his wife, Kelly, fill their home with family memories and meaningful treasures that tell an ever-evolving story.

Story by Jeanne de Lathouder | Photography by Matthew Anderson

There is an unmistakable sense of adventure and surprise as you walk through the Kansas City home of Robert and Kelly Pascuzzi. Appropriately so, it unravels the story of their lives — the places they’ve traveled, their eclectic tastes, their own personal journey — room by room. More importantly, it is a sanctuary of creativity, where Robert penned his first book, The Ravine, which is now becoming a feature film that will release later in 2020.

“The Ravine was our response to a personal tragedy we endured involving our dear friends,” tells Robert. “We responded to an inner calling to begin the journey toward a greater understanding of why these events occurred but also how to process our devastating loss from a personal perspective,” he notes.

The premise of the story is Rachel Turner and her son, Evan, are brutally murdered, while Danny Turner — the father — is found dead in his car at the bottom of a ravine after taking his own life, leaving no explanation as to why a loving father and husband would suddenly commit this act.

“Our grief turned into peace as we were eventually able to hold on to God’s promise that all things will be used for good,” says Robert. “The Ravine is the physical representation of that promise. The message of our story provokes many questions regarding faith, hope, and forgiveness. The project was a lengthy process from start to finish, and we self-published the book after three years of working on the writing phase. The movie opportunity came after Phil Goldfine of Hollywood Media Bridge was introduced to the story through a mutual friend. The movie is in the final stages of post-production, also after a three-year process. Kelly and I are extremely proud of the book and the movie — many lives will be positively impacted,” he adds.

As the book and movie took shape over the years, the vision for Robert and Kelly’s home and their overall design concept centered upon the idea of creating a livable, comfortable, and inviting space. It has always been important to them that their three boys have a home that feels lived-in and their guests always feel welcome. Their house is a colonial on the outside, but you certainly might be surprised when you open the front door.

“Crazy as it sounds, the inside of our home embraces a modern feel,” says Kelly. “We love introducing different and interesting pieces to bring a sense of adventure to each space, and the hope is that when you turn the corner, you never know what to expect,” she laughs. “Our style obviously has evolved over the years, so there is quite an eclectic feel throughout. I always try to pick up something for the house when we travel as a reminder of those places, and we have some very special pieces from Ireland, Italy, and New Orleans,” she adds.

The family’s creative approach is that the number one rule is: There are NO rules when it comes to decorating. Their direction has always been to think outside the box and trust that the process will work. The idea is to always do something different.

“Designer Jan Long of Long Interiors and I decided to travel to different markets around the country to locate a few of those interesting and one-of-a-kind pieces,” says Kelly. “I love that over the years our styles have definitely complemented one another. Since we shopped at multiple markets it allowed us to acquire a collection of items over a period of time instead of in one setting. I enjoy the collection of pieces so much more because they have an eclectic feel since they have evolved along with my style. My relationship with Jan started as a business relationship but has developed into a friendship. She is extremely talented at bringing everything together. We appreciate that we can bounce ideas off one another no matter how far-fetched they may seem at times — and any idea is always up for consideration,” she notes.

One of Kelly’s favorite memories was discovering a piece of art for her master bedroom. She and Jan were at the Atlanta market and were only in town for half the day. The intent of the trip was to design an office space, but when they came across an extraordinary original piece of art, they knew that it had been created specifically for Kelly’s master bedroom. The colors in the painting were spectacular. All plans went out the window and they immediately decided to go into a completely different direction. By the end of the day, selections were made on additional pieces for the master bedroom and the room was complete. To this day, it is one of Kelly’s favorite rooms in the house.

“What I enjoy most about styling this home is that it allows me to share a personal expression of who we are as a family right now,” says Kelly. “We recently did a remodel update to our outdoor entertainment and pool area. It was so enjoyable to accent this space with an antique planter I uncovered from one of the markets — it was an absolute one-of-a-kind find that day. The piece brings such interest and character to the patio, and I love using this area because we experience it as a family and with our friends. It’s such a fun and relaxing space with beautiful, vibrant colors, and I love creating new looks,” she adds. “It has become a joke between my husband and I over the years that our house is almost done — knowing there will always be a new project that emerges.”

The movie The Ravine expects to release in late 2020 and has a star-studded cast including Eric Dane, Teri Polo, Leslie Uggams, Peter Facinelli, and Byron Mann.