Lindleigh Luxury

As they were building their home at 106 Lindleigh Drive in Clays Crossing, Joy and Kurt Tritsch often heard their builder repeat a particular phrase in response to some of their requests.

The Tritsches wanted to make several unique tweaks to the plan they had chosen, such as adding square footage for a pantry and an extra bathroom off the kitchen and switching room configurations to better fit the mental picture they had of their soon-to-be house. They also wanted to move the laundry room to the second floor, closer to the bedrooms.

“We thought through the different stages of our lives while we were building,” Joy said. “We built this house specifically for our family.”

“The builder would say, ‘We’ve never done that before,’” Kurt recalled. But he was game to give the couple’s ideas a try. The result is a luxurious five-bedroom, two-story home on a private cul-de-sac that met and even exceeded everyone’s expectations.

A Rustic Look

“We were going for a rustic look,” Joy said. “With a little one, we didn’t want everything to be all formal. We wanted to make it real homey.”

Accents such as faux beams from Mexico on the ceiling of the great room helped them achieve the look and feel they sought. Mantels that match the beams adorn the fireplace, a soaring tower that reflects the stone used on the exterior of the house.

“We tried to bring the stone from the outside in,” Joy said.

One significant change they made was to the first-floor bedroom. It has its own full bath and could have served as an office, but Kurt and Joy had turned the formal dining room into their home office. So they converted the bedroom into a playroom for their 8-year-old son, Kash. It features beautiful barn-style sliding doors that close the space off while still allowing Kash’s parents to keep an eye on him.

“We showed a picture to the man who did our trim work and he built the doors for us,” said Joy. “Then I ordered all the hardware and put it on myself. It was a fun project.”

Because they enjoy entertaining, the Tritsches relish their huge kitchen. It is anchored by a larger-than-usual granite countertop and fits the open flow of the house perfectly.

“This is the hub of everything, so it’s really nice,” said Kurt. “The word everyone uses for it is ‘warm.’”

“Everybody’s spread out but we’re still all together,” Joy added.

The family especially loves the covered back porch located off the keeping room, where a fireplace and outdoor furniture create an ideal space for grilling, relaxing and enjoying the sounds and sights of nature all around them.

“This is our favorite place in the whole house,” said Joy, pointing out the treeline at the back of their 1.25 acres. “We spend so much time out here, even in the fall, because the fireplace gives off a lot of heat. It’s so nice to come out here with our coffee in the morning.”

But the ground level isn’t the only place where they find a chance to revel in the outdoors. Right off the owner’s-suite bedroom on the second floor is a covered deck, complete with fireplace, that creates a perfect haven for winding down in the evening.

“After we put Kash to bed, we come out here and turn the fireplace on and just hang out,” Joy said. “I’ve fallen asleep out here so many times. It’s so peaceful. In the summertime you can hear the frogs and cicadas.”

A Hidden Gem

The Tritsches chose the Lindleigh lot because they wanted to have a walk-out basement and, eventually, an outdoor kitchen and a pool.

“We had great plans for the basement,” Kurt said. “It’s set up really nice. It’s hard to find a basement that’s open like that where you can pretty do much whatever you want as far as placing things.”

The basement is roughed in for a full bath and a wet bar. Two large sets of windows flanking the doors that open to the side yard bring in lots of light.

“We designed it to have just one huge open space,” Joy said. “We were planning on putting an extra bedroom down here but keeping everything else open.”

However, because they are downsizing and moving across Harrodsburg Road to Firebrook, the basement remodel will have to become a project for the next owners. The move is bittersweet, Joy admitted, because the subdivision where they live, just past the Jessamine County line, has been a wonderful place with good neighbors .

“We love this side of town; it’s so close to everything,” she said. “Clays Crossing is a little hidden gem. A lot of people who have been out here since we listed the house didn’t realize this development is even here. It’s so close to everything, to Keeneland, to UK, to Bellerive Plaza.”

“We were one of the first ones out here,” Kurt said. “This is a self-contained area. Back in here you just don’t get all the traffic. And at night it’s quiet. If someone really likes to spend time outside and really values their privacy and space, this is the place for you.”

When all the construction was finished and they finally moved in, Kurt and Joy were glad they followed their instincts. Their builder and his workers appreciated their input and imagination, too.

“Afterwards they were really happy they had a chance to do something different,” said Kurt.