A Creative Collaboration Leads to a Striking Contemporary House

The ashlar-laid native-limestone fireplace wall amps up the texture in the living room. Maggie, the couple’s Bernese mountain dog, enjoys her spot on the Restoration Hardware leather club chairs. Ottoman/coffee table is from Nebraska Furniture Mart. Photos by Aaron Leimkuehler

The Prairie Village couple found an ideal spot for their house: a corner lot with tall trees in a cozy neighborhood within walking distance of shops and restaurants. They knew it was important to work with an architect so they could build a dream home that lived up to the location.

This house, with its personalized details, will be featured April 18 on the fifth annual Homes by Architects Tour, a sold-out event each year at KC Design Week. All homes on the tour are designed by American Institute of Architects (AIA) Kansas City member firms and selected by committee.

Bruce Wendlandt of Wendlandt & Stallbaumer Architecture designed this Prairie Village house.

The front entryway is designed with a sense of arrival and welcoming, but “doesn’t give away the whole show,” he says.

Custom kitchen cabinets are by Studio Build. West Elm leather and brass counter stools pull up to the island. Appliances are Dacor.

“The homeowners love how Frank Lloyd Wright made a transition from outdoors indoors,” Wendlandt says. “This is a gorgeous backyard in a neighborhood of deep lots, beautiful no matter the season with its foliage.”

So the living room was designed with a generous bank of nine-foot-tall windows to showcase the scenery. A floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace adds another prominent natural element.

The space is open to the kitchen and dining room.

Slabs of deeply veined quartzite used on the countertops and backsplash in the kitchen were a point of contention between the couple. She loved it; he did not. “But once he saw it in place,” the wife says, “he thought it was perfect!” Black leather and brass counter stools and a pair of oversized black pendants with gold lining bring a touch of sophistication to the sleek space.

In the dining room, an Alec Vanderboom photograph hangs on one wall. Floors throughout are wire-brushed white oak.

In the dining room, an airy glass chandelier hangs over the bold geometric round dining table from Restoration Hardware. Tall sliding glass doors lead to the patio, and a long swath of inset matte black cabinetry that matches the kitchen finishes holds dining and drinking accouterments at the ready.

“Check out the utility areas,” Wendlandt says. A room with a door off the kitchen is a cozy nook that serves as a playroom for the family’s 3-year-old daughter.

Top: Just off the master bedroom, two wine-barrel Adirondack chairs offer a secluded spot to relax. Bottom Left: Light streams through the tall, stained-glass window in the master bath. The design was a collaboration between the homeowners and Jamie Jones of Leaded Glass Studio. Bottom Right: In the powder room, the backlit mirror highlights the black, three-dimensional tile that punctuates one wall.

The bedroom in the master suite is compact with only a bed and nightstands. Floor-to-ceiling sliding doors open to private, outdoor sitting space. But the bathroom is a showstopper with a dramatic, tall stained-glass window, vanities, and a shower room enclosed with a tub.

“We wanted a house that reflected our lifestyle, and to have zero wasted space,” the homeowner says, and motioned to Wendlandt. “He made it right.”


Homes by Architects Tour

What: Talk to architects at homes they designed, both new construction and remodels. Architecture firms include Wendlandt & Stallbaumer, Studio Build, and Dan Maginn in a collaborative renovation of interior designer Lisa Schmitz’s home.

When: 1 to 4:00 p.m. Saturday, April 18

Where: Homes are on both sides of the state line; addresses provided at registration.

Tickets: $35 each, kcdesignweek.org. They go on sale later this month.


KC Design Week

The 11th annual event is April 17–24, 2020
Since 2010, KC Design Week has informed, connected and inspired the community. Thousands of designers and design enthusiasts have experienced thought-provoking and creativity-boosting programming in all areas of design including architecture, graphics, interiors, products, fashion, landscape architecture, planning and urban environments.

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