Stars 2021: Benmar Construction

Luxury Contemporary Home Builder

Story by Ann Butenas | Sponsored Content

Although the company was officially established in 2016, Benmar Construction has roots as deep as they are wide. Founder and President Ben Sumada essentially cut his teeth in the home building industry, sketching his first floor plan while he was still in elementary school.

“Ben began making drawings of home designs when he was seven,” recalled Mark Sumada, owner and President of the long-standing and award-winning contemporary home building firm, Suma Design and Construction, and also father to Ben. “Ben has been working for us the past eight years and starting his own company was a natural evolution for him.”

Working alongside his father at Suma Design, Ben has a vast background in all aspects of the home building process. He followed his dad to various job sites as a kid and has now taken what he has learned to create a unique vision of his own.

“My goal is to build the best house we possibly can to make clients as happy as possible,” emphasized Ben.

With Mark as the self-described “guy behind the scenes handling various management aspects of the business,” Ben goes all in on his innovative design work, meeting with clients and overseeing all other essential operations.

“What I love about this business is being able to see a project transition from start to finish, making something out of nothing,” explained Ben, whose unique style has drawn upon certain influences of his father’s craft but confidently emerge with their own unique spin. “My work is not quite as contemporary as his and tends to lean towards a more casual contemporary look.”

One of Ben’s current designs is the head-turning Cypress, a 3,100 square foot reverse floorplan featuring four bedrooms and three-and-a-half bathrooms.

Boasting an expansive lower level living room with a bar, this home is perfect for entertaining or just relaxing with family. The master suite enjoys a spa-like bathroom with an open shower accented by a wall that allows you to walk to the shower or the tub with ease while still maintaining the privacy of the overall shower space.

“The shower features tile on the dropdown ceiling, accented with indirect lighting, a rain shower head and a wall-mounted shower head,” noted Ben.

The great room pops with personality with its floor-to-ceiling fireplace, flanked by three floating shelves on both sides to create a clean, linear appearance.

The expansive kitchen is highlighted with many eye-catching features, including a waterfall quartz countertop on the island; floor-to-ceiling cabinets; and six floating shelves that flank both sides of the range, mimicking the style in the great room. The unique box vault ceiling presents in lap siding painted with black accent for a dramatically unique effect.

Ben also makes use of the square footage in his designs, and this home is no exception. If you have small kids, then the under-the-stairs playhouse on the lower level is the perfect place to let their imaginations expand. (This could also double as a great place for your pets to relax.)

From front to back, Ben’s designs are expressively unique and unforgettable. The covered entryway makes a bold statement with black accent paint and two black vertical box columns balanced by the geometric patterns on the front door. These same geometric elements match the deck on the rear of the home, which also stands out with innovatively-applied appointments such as a vaulted ceiling with black and white accent box beams.

Ben pulls his inspiration for new ideas and concepts from builders throughout the world and hopes to be someone who stands at the head of the pack in terms of creative expression and innovation.

“It’s best to be at the leading edge and have people follow your lead,” he said.

Mark fully supports Ben’s aspirations and puts his full faith and confidence in his work.

“I know clients are in the best of hands with Ben,” Mark asserted. “By taking some influences from my work and making them his own shows how creative he can be. It’s a gratifying experience to see him take his work to the next level. You never know what he will come up with next.”

Ben currently builds in the Thousand Oaks community in Kansas City, Missouri and in the Chapel Hill subdivision in Overland Park, Kansas.