Open, contemporary floor plan brings nature insideOwners’ personalities reflected in simple, elegant décor

A blank canvas both inside and outside awaited Dianna Spahn and husband Paul Engel when they moved in to their new home at 205 Morgan Ct. in Jessamine County in 2009.

The contemporary open floor plan and nearly half-acre lot in the Clays Crossing development suited them to a T.

Well, almost. The couple dated long-distance for five years before Dianna, a lifelong Iowan, relocated to Lexington. “She brought an enormous amount of eclectic, cool art,” Paul recalls. “We’d been here about a month when she said she wanted to repaint the whole house.”

Paul, who owned a tech company at the time, didn’t find the existing colors offensive. However, he knew Dianna had a vision for the house and the talent to bring it to life, so decided to “stay in his lane” while she worked her magic.

To add warmth and provide the right backdrop for her extensive art collection, she chose Sherwin Williams “latte” for the main floor and spiced things up with “pennywise” for a few accent walls. Upstairs, she used mostly neutral tones; in the basement, “sticks and stones” and splashes of plum on accent walls.

As expected, the wall colors stay in the background and let the art displayed on them do the talking. “When we travel, we buy art that we like and has meaning,” Dianna explains. ”In many cases, especially in distressed parts of the world, it helps those artists put food on the table.”

The largest work of art in the house commands attention from the entryway, dining room, kitchen and second-floor catwalk. It’s the great room’s floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace, the focal point of the 5,511-square-foot home. On the back wall, perpendicular to it, three generously-sized windows topped with transoms balance the height of the fireplace and let in lots of natural light. A Big Ass ceiling fan, hardwood floors, granite countertops and black wrought iron spindles on the catwalk railing enhance the home’s earthy, organic feel.

Double doors off the great room lead to the owners’ suite. The spacious bedroom, bathroom and closet caught the eye of both Paul and Dianna as they were house hunting. Builder Jim Ernst of Artique Custom Homes made sure there was plenty of light by putting in two big bedroom windows and a door for views of the back yard and access to the sunny end of the deck. Dark wood cabinetry and granite countertops like those used in the kitchen blend with the ceramic tile floor and step-in shower. A drink cooler tucked into the cabinetry is one of the best ideas ever, the couple say. After all, it’s important to stay hydrated during long soaks in the whirlpool tub.

The kitchen features top-of-the-line stainless appliances, including a five-burner gas stove, granite countertops, ivory wood cabinets and a built-in hutch with a dark finish. A half-wall visually separates it from the family room. There’s also a bar with seating for four. The breakfast nook and adjacent deck provide more seating when the couple entertain.

From the deck they enjoy watching water fowl, including blue heron, splash and play in a pond a few feet from their property. “Ours was one of the first homes out here,” Dianna said. “We love wildlife. We needed an oasis, and we have it. We live out here from March to October.”

It didn’t take long for the couple to decide to enlarge the 6-foot-by-8-foot deck. They put a roof on the section nearest the kitchen and a four-panel sliding screen door between it and the new open-air section. The screens can be pulled back partially or completely to accommodate larger parties or closed to keep bugs out.

Outside, the couple created their own personal arboretum from nothing. “We put in 130 trees, mature trees, right at the beginning,” said Paul. “By getting all of these trees in the ground when we did, we now have total privacy most of the year.”

Featured in Kentucky Homes & Gardens magazine in 2015, the nearly half-acre yard is like a mini-arboretum. Surrounded by a farm fence, it also holds dozens of shrubs, perennials and a built-in firepit with boulders for seats. Like the home’s interior, its gardens also are peppered with unusual finds. “Most of the pieces were purchased with an occasion or person in mind,” said Dianna, the gardener in the family. “Paul’s learned to love my quirkiness about our yard art.”

This week’s featured home is listed with Jeanna Wright of RE/Max Elite Realty. To schedule a showing, contact her at (859) 489-3266 or jeannawright@remax.net.