Close to town, this Nicholasville home has great views, great neighbors, high-end touches

To Carlos Bowman’s mind, there’s no more inviting place than the deck on the back of his Nicholasville home, whether he’s doing some work out there, spending time with his family, or just savoring the quiet and the view.

“The view is one of the great selling points of this house,” Carlos says. “You look out and see green farmland, a rolling hill and just over the tops of the trees toward the Kentucky River Palisades you can glimpse the river itself. The sun rises to our left and sets to the right. You might see deer walking past, foxes and other wildlife, lots of birds. It feels like you’re way out in the country, but really we’re just three miles from downtown Nicholasville.”

This one-owner, two-story home — brick veneer in front, vinyl siding in back — is located at 209 Angliana Drive in the Burley Ridge subdivision.

One of the first homes built in the subdivision, it boasts four bedrooms and four baths (one is a half bath), with a little more than 2,400 square feet of space situated on a lot measuring more than 8,800 square feet. There is an attached garage with room for two vehicles, plus a large unfinished walkout basement with lots of big windows to bring in sunlight. The spacious deck shelters a large patio located just beneath it.

The backyard is enclosed by a four-plank wooden fence, lined with wire on the inside. Handy if you have a dog, as the Bowmans do. The home has city water and sewer service. And with Nicholasville just minutes away, there is easy road access to nearby Lexington, the Bluegrass Parkway, Blue Grass Airport and two interstate highways.

Carlos and his wife, Jessica, bought the home soon after it was completed in 2017. It’s the first house they owned as a married couple and has been home to them and their children — Isabella, 6, and Jaxon, 1. But Carlos recently landed a new job as territorial sales manager in Temple, Texas, for a company that builds excavators and other equipment. The family will be moving in November, which means selling their beloved Nicholasville home.

“We were actually planning to finish the basement until this new position became a reality and kind of put a stop to it,” Carlos said. “But a new owner who wanted to finish the basement could get really creative with it because there is a lot room down there.” He noted that the basement is plumbed for easy installation of another full bath and also includes a “safe room” for shelter in threatening weather. The space could easily become a wine room, he said, or be used for storage, depending on the owner’s needs and budget.

The attractions of this beautiful home begin at the front door, or actually just before it. There is a nice front porch which, unlike some, offers usable space.

“The porch is just for aesthetics on some homes,” Carlos says. “But this one is big enough that if it’s raining you can sit out there and enjoy it without getting soaked.”

Inside, you’ll find an open floor plan, centered around a spacious living area with gas-log fireplace and custom-built shelving. Large windows fill the space with sunlight and provide beautiful views onto the deck and green spaces beyond it. The gas logs can keep things toasty on chilly days even without turning on the central electric heating and air conditioning system, Carlos says.

“On fall afternoons, with the trees taking on color, it’s a great place to be,” he says.

Just steps away is the spacious kitchen, with modern stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, and an island with seating. The dining area, a huge pantry and laundry room are nearby. There is a half bath near the entrance to the garage.

The first floor includes the master suite with bedroom, bathroom and large closet, plus a second bedroom. The master bath features a large shower and tub, his and hers sinks, and plenty of storage space.

There is a large guest bedroom upstairs plus and a bedroom for the children, a guest bathroom and a “Jack and Jill” bath for the kids. As in the kitchen, bathroom counter tops are granite. There is hardwood flooring throughout the first floor, with ceramic tile in the master bath. Upstairs bedrooms are carpeted, with ceramic tile bathroom floors.

The home was built by longtime Nicholasville contractor Marion Jones, who drowned in a 2018 boating accident.

“He had built very high-end homes, and then started building houses in a lower price range,” Carlos says. “This is one of them and the quality is terrific. The finishing touches are the kind you’d normally see in much higher end homes.”

One of the touches, Jessica notes, was putting electrical outlets along the baseboards instead of in the walls.

“It lets you have the entire wall space to work with,” she said. “You never have to design or decorate around outlets. He (Jones) also put in really nice crown moldings, and installed floor vents flush with the wood. They’re little special touches but are really nice.”

The Bowmans fell in love with the house after first seeing it online while house-hunting.

“There was just something about it,” Carlos said. “It’s been a great house for entertaining. We had family over here all the time, Thanksgiving, Christmas, watching University of Kentucky ballgames.”

He says they will miss the close-knit Burley Ridge community.

“Most of us are in our 30s with young families,” Carlos noted. “It’s normal to see four or five families just hanging out in someone’s driveway with the kids playing or riding their bikes.”

Adds Jessica, “It’s somewhat sad that we’re leaving. But we are going off on a new adventure. And the new owner will be able to do a lot with the place. This house has plenty more potential.”

This story was originally published October 22, 2020 at 9:53 AM with the headline "Close to town, this Nicholasville home has great views, great neighbors, high-end touches."