Featured Homes
It's Modern, Naturally
Luxury, family and nature live together at this Lenexa estate.
BY
Kathleen Leighton
PHOTOGRAPHY
Alistair Tutton; exterior images by Eric Linebarger

When Richard Carrothers began the process of building a new home for his brood, which includes two kids and 15 rescue dogs, he invented what, for him, was a new term: family-centric.

“I wanted everything in the house to function as a way of keeping the family together as a unit,” he says. “There are no isolating areas. The dining room is part of the study, so if one of the kids is working on a project, we are still together.”

Richard’s home, which sits on a Lenexa hilltop surrounded by 40 acres, was also built to become part of the landscape. “This house celebrates nature as well as the quality of life Richard and his family enjoy,” says architect Bob Berkebile of BNIM, who walked the property with Richard several times, listening to his ideas. 

“We drew the diagrams directly on the site plan for the sun views and landscape, imagining where the sun would be in the morning when they woke up, where the breezes would come from,” Bob says. “We (he and colleague Ryan Warman) organized a living system around their lifestyle in that specific piece of nature. The warmth of the home comes from the connection with nature and the play of dappled daylight.”


One would not expect a contemporary home to exude such warmth, but this home contradicts any preconceived notion about what “modern” architecture looks and feels like. The cube-like structure is built mostly of glass, concrete and aluminum. Such uber-modern materials would suggest a cold, forbidding place, but the effect is quite the opposite. The interior is made up of clean lines, warm wood tones and understated, earthy colors. The greens, browns and blues are all colors of nature, making it inviting and homey.

When builder Jeff Robinson of J.S. Robinson Fine Homes first took a look at the plans, he declined the job, telling Richard that his firm didn’t build contemporary homes. “Then he brought it to us a second time, and that’s when I found out how passionate Richard was about this design,” Jeff recalls. “This home is an art statement. It’s a whole different level of expression of our ability as a firm, and I was intrigued. There was definitely a learning curve because this is so different from any house we’ve ever done, but it was exciting, kind of like working on a sculpture.”

Richard is as practical as he is creative, however, and he knew his home would have to withstand the activity of two children and five dogs (the rest of the pack lives in the barn). For instance, he wanted wood floors but didn’t want them to scratch so he sought an alternative. “None of the laminates I looked at seemed authentic. Then I found a vinyl that is installed in planks, just like wood. And it looks beautiful. It’s also the most durable floor you can put into a home,” he says.

While the materials mimic nature, Richard’s sense of ownership and gratitude are genuine. He calls his home a greater blessing than he deserves, but then stops and rethinks that statement. “I was brought up as a poor farm boy, so sometimes this seems like such a luxury,” he says. “But the farm kid in me knows that after a lot of hard work comes the harvest. I’ve worked hard all my life, so this is my harvest. And I’m very happy with it.”

Resources
Architect: BNIM
Builder: J.S. Robinson Fine Homes
Excavation: Reike Grading/Jim Schlagel
Foundation: Joe Thoele Foundation
Framing: Calyn Construction
Lumber: Sun Lumber
Windows, Glass & Mirrors: Janssen Glass
Sheetrock: Wallboard Specialties
Roofing: Century Roofing 
Trim Work: Don Ellis Construction
Paint: Morrison Painting
Cabinets: Shamrock Cabinets
Countertops: Top Master
Appliances: Factory Direct Appliance 
Hardware: Home Hardwar
Tile: Kenny’s Tile and Floor Covering
Hardwood Stair Treads & Landings: Acme Floor Co. 
Vinyl, Vinyl Hardwood Flooring: Nebraska Furniture Mart
Aluminum Metal Work & Interior Stairway: Janssen Glass
Heating & Cooling: Tempcon
Plumbing & Fixtures: Fred Pflumm Plumbing
Plumbing Electrician: Integrity Electric 
Light Fixtures: Wilson Lighting Locks & Fans
Fireplace: Complete Home Concepts
Garage System: Accent Doors
Home Theater & Security: Architronics
Landscaping: Paramount Landscaping
Elevator: ThyssenKrupp Access