Rustic & Refined - Kansas City Homes & Style

A magnificent custom home situated within the picturesque landscape of Woodland Acres offers modern luxury living in a scenic rural setting.

Story by Jeanne de Lathouder

Perfectly positioned on three sprawling acres amid some of Missouri’s most beautiful countryside, this exquisite home is located within Woodland Acres, one of Cass County’s premier neighborhoods. Meticulously crafted down to the last detail by Grant’s Custom Homes (GCH), this spectacular dwelling is the ideal place for the active family who loves to gather together often and entertain friends.

“The construction of this extraordinary home took just under 11 months to complete,” said Michael Burns, Director of Operations at GCH, winners of the Gold Award in the 2018 Spring Parade of Homes American Dream Home Challenge. “Like every house we design, we focused on the quality, the details, and the craftsmanship of this residence more than the speed in which we built it,” he added.

Custom designed for the homeowners who desired lots of space to spread out, relax, cook together in the kitchen, and entertain both large and small groups, the floor plan, design, and selections for this home required an extensive creative collaboration that was all achieved in-house by GCH.

The design elements and overall approach for this home stemmed from a dedicated and collective effort. The talented team at GCH took the homeowners’ feedback from their 2018 Parade of Homes entry and blended that with innovative solutions and top-notch industry trends. They also worked above and beyond expectations to ensure this spectacular home would complement the natural environment, the neighboring landscape, and the entire geographic region.

Soft neutral colors incorporated throughout and distressed six-inch oak hardwood floors give this home a warm and decidedly rural feel. Elegant light fixtures, a 48-inch gas fireplace, and a mixture of stained and painted cabinetry provide the perfect blend of modern-traditional and rustic-country style. Tongue-and-groove ceiling inlays, both in the rear deck and outside the front door, coordinate with a tongue-and-groove barrel-vaulted ceiling in the foyer and a box vault above the kitchen island.

“We had also planned on doing a tongue-and-groove ceiling treatment in the master bedroom, but the more I thought about it, I wanted to do something I hadn’t seen before,” said Michael. “So, out came the notebook paper and pencil,” he laughed. “I worked closely with our carpenter and craftsman, Matt Danner, who was essential in creating this unique design, and we ended up modifying it several times before we felt it was right.”

Using stain-grade finished wood, Matt and the team crafted a clever three-tier star for an eye-catching ceiling detail in the master bedroom. To create a dimensional look, they built each tier — totaling 13 individual pieces — with a different thickness. For visual interest, they stained each tier differently, so the brightness of each layer would vary.

“The opportunity to create custom features that people haven’t seen before or take something and improve how it has always been done is what I truly enjoy about building custom homes,” shared Michael.

The spacious and inviting kitchen is undoubtedly the heart of the home and features GE stainless-steel appliances, a wine refrigerator, a 36-inch cooktop with an elegant custom wooden hood, and an enormous walk-in pantry with a coffee station. Lustrous quartz countertops were used throughout the kitchen as well as all the bathrooms. A beautiful Brazilian granite was chosen for the basement bar and accented by floating shelves, a stone archway, and accent lighting.

The elegant master bathroom emits a serene, spa-like feel with a free-standing soaking tub, custom vanities, and a luxurious tile shower that includes a floating tile bench and LED accent lighting. “The tile work in this home is absolutely stunning,” said Michael. “Floating tile benches, elongated tile shelves, hidden shower drains, and custom-shaped tile niches — there is no area of tile in this entire home that doesn’t have a custom feature.”

“Every aspect of this extraordinary home was overseen and guided by Michael, and all involvement was at his direction,” shared Scott. “Basically, this project was all his and without him and his skills, heart, and passion for what he does, none of this would have been possible.” The homeowners feel the details of this home have been specifically crafted to truly create the home of their dreams.