Bill Brimacombe knows a great view when he sees one. And when it comes to condo living on the Plaza, that view isn’t necessarily at the top.

Bill, a noted Kansas City renovator who has an impeccable eye for high-quality design, purchased several units at the recently transformed Plaza icon, the Sulgrave Regency. He rebuilt the six condominiums into sleek, modern spaces and sold them to eager buyers who wanted the ultimate in urban living. Always ready for a challenge, he decided to buy units 105 and 107 of the Sulgrave — on the ground floor of the stylish 21-story hilltop high-rise — and combine them into one stunning condo.

The result of his redesign is a spectacular English Tudor-style condo, replete with a gourmet’s dream kitchen that features a Thermador refrigerator, double Wolf ovens, a wine cooler, granite countertops and a Bosch dishwasher. The living room’s piece de resistance is a custom English cast limestone mantel surrounded by an accent wall of old-world paneling. For ambience and comfort, Bill installed an electric, remote-controlled fireplace.

Bill even incorporated a transition of stairs from the kitchen, dining and living room areas to the family room, office work area, bedrooms and an efficient laundry room to create a separate living area. “This ‘upper level’ gives a real sense of substance to the condo,” he notes. Distressed knotty alder, wide, random plank oak flooring and textured, glazed walls are found throughout the space, in addition to plantation shutters, custom drapes and plenty of ingenious storage.

But Bill’s plans went far beyond the interior’s 2,335 square feet.

He meticulously developed the combined property’s 2,400 square feet of premium outdoor living space — and not as an afterthought. The result? An attractive urban haven that does triple duty for entertaining, relaxing and therapeutic gardening. Most importantly, it allows Bill to connect with the outside. “One unique feature of living on the ground level is that you’re in touch with humanity, rather than being cocooned in an upper-story condo, where the views are expansive, but you don’t get to converse with neighbors as readily,” he says.

Capitalizing on the opportunity to have a real sense of neighborhood in a vibrant urban setting, Bill designed a walled, private courtyard that smoothly transitions from the street into the sophisticated unit’s interior. At one end of the lush oasis stands a beautiful handcrafted pergola; right next to that is a French limestone fountain. From there, stairs lead to a raised, covered terrace outside the sliding glass doors of the family room. Bill says he often enjoys his morning cup of coffee from that vantage point, savoring the sights and sounds of the area, residents’ walking their dogs and the serenity of the surroundings.

At the other end of the courtyard, he carved out a patio area conducive to casual entertaining: It’s equipped with a state-of-the-art stainless steel grill and rotisserie, strategically located outside the condo’s kitchen and dining area. He notes that the courtyard can easily accommodate a party of 100 guests, adding, “On a beautiful Kansas City evening, you can have the sliding glass doors open on either end of the condo and have a flow of traffic between the interior and the custom, up-lit courtyard.”

The courtyard is perfect for a simple barbecue, an elegant cocktail party or an intimate family dinner. Bill was careful to design an outdoor living space that was compartmentalized for different types of activities and functions, but came together as a unified space.

He installed an underground sprinkler system and plantings reminiscent of an English garden. While the courtyard boasts a luxurious plot of land that runs the length of the condo, it’s easily maintained.

One of Bill’s favorite features of the outside courtyard is the entrance from the street. “You get a real sense of presence when you come through the brushed aluminum doors leading into the space,” he says. “Add that to the ultra-convenience of first-floor access and street parking, and you’ve got an unbeatable lifestyle in the epicenter of Plaza living.”