Uniquely Designed - Kansas City Homes & Style

This Westwood house has become the dream home of a couple looking for extra space for their growing family.

Story by Michelle Mastro | Photography by Matt Kocourek

One of the most common reasons to buy a new home is having outgrown the prior house. In the case of homeowners Brandon and Julie, they had been renting an apartment they loved for several years, yet two kids later, they were starting to realize that they were in need of extra elbow room. What started out as wanting a new home turned into building the house of their dreams, complete with modern amenities and must-have accessories.

“We had just had a baby and needed more space,” Brandon reveals. “It was at the start of COVID and we were taking lots of walks with our new baby. We walked by a lot in Westwood and saw that an old house was being torn down.” The couple reached out to the builder who had a working house plan for a new build.

Brandon and Julie loved the area for its proximity to the Kansas City metro area and its quaint neighborhoods of tree-shaded Tudor and cottage homes. The area was steps away from different activities and entertainment options. More than that, the couple was intrigued by the builder’s working house plan and the builder was okay with them heavily modifying it.

It took a leap of faith, but the couple figured, if they were going through all the trouble and expense of a new build, why not construct themselves a dream home? The house would be filled to the brim with all the amenities and features they wanted.

“Covid taught us and a lot of people that your home is your castle, and you ought to make it just what you want,” says Brandon. “When we went into the project, we had little concern for resell value. And so, we didn’t worry about being safe in our design choices. The couple wanted the house to feel like their house, their design, with plenty of features to reflect how they live.

For the couple, this meant leaning into ease of access. “We wanted to make things convenient for us,” Brandon explains. “We have a lot of under-counter refrigerators, ice makers, and dishwashers all over the house. If you’re in the primary bath and you want to grab a bottle of water, there’s a fridge there and an ice maker too.” The primary bedroom also includes a coffee station to fit their lifestyle.

While the three-story home isn’t a massive house, being at 3800 square feet, the home still makes the most of every space. “We decided we wanted to live in Westwood, but you just can’t get a two-acre lot in this area. So, we decided to make the most of the square footage we had,” says Brandon. They decided not to bother with any rooms they didn’t plan on using regularly: the house has no guest room, no formal living room, nor music room. Yet the house plan was adapted to utilize the outdoor space.

Thus, another special feature of the house is the backyard bar and outdoor kitchen. It too blends convenience with how the family lives. “My wife went to the French culinary school in New York after college to be a trained chef. She used to cook professionally but doesn’t anymore, yet she still loves to cook, and we love to entertain our guests.” Having an outdoor space for grilling and completing messier recipes on the griddle just made sense to Brandon and Julie. “We decided on a large space out there, which includes a sink, grill, refrigerator, ice maker, charcoal grill, so many things. Our final goal was to really make this space feel like a full kitchen outside. We even have a dishwasher out there.”

In terms of design style, the home is transitional with pops of dramatic modern color and patterns. Black accents like the window frames juxtapose well against stark white walls punctuated with decorative wall art and grand light fixtures. “We wanted designs that wouldn’t looked dated in 5 years,” Brandon says. “We wanted something a bit modern, a bit classic, so something that felt transitional.”

The couple worked with a designer named Buck Wimberly with Ulah Interiors, who helped with everything from determining paint colors and countertops to tile, flooring, and basically any selection for the interiors. But initially, Brandon and Julie weren’t sure they wanted to go with all the design choices Buck had suggested.

The house designs have a rich style all its own and spares no expense. The kitchen, for example, comes in a modern black hue and has a waterfall edge island, wood-tone cabinets peppering the walls, and moody lighting abounds. Square One Studio created the cabinetry, although traditionally they are a commercial fabricator. “They did a fantastic job,” says Brandon.

The kitchen, like most spaces, leans heavy into high performance. “We also used a material called Dekton for our countertops. It is highly resistant to scratches, stains, and heat — and is usually used for outdoor spaces — but it can be very hard to work with, so it takes a special fabricator to install this, and Central Services installed these countertops for us.” Other special features in the home include the smoked or amber glass mirrors, made possible with the help of Fountain Glass.

Sticking with the old meets new aesthetic, Brandon and Julie went with Restoration Hardware for their furniture selections. “We wanted the house designs to be tough for the wear and tear that two young boys bring, but we still wanted everything to look nice so that we could be able to enjoy our home,” says Brandon.

There are no painted cabinets, they are laminate-covered instead, adding extra durability and hardiness. Meanwhile, the Restoration Furniture is all made in high-performance fabrics impervious to staining, tearing, and any other common issue that might befall furniture used by two young boys.

Three years on, and the couple can’t imagine being back in their old apartment. “Compared to apartment living, the level of finishes in the house is so different,” says Brandon. “There are no apartments in Kansas City that go to this level of work in terms of appliances, flooring, etc. We love that we were able to design our home just the way we wanted it. And we love all the indoor space and additional outdoor space we now have.”