Elegant Firebrook home boasts architectural detail, staggered levels

When they first moved to Lexington’s Firebrook subdivision, Bob and Evelyn Clark and their children lived on Firebrook Boulevard.

Then in 1998, the Clarks found a lot a few blocks away at 4876 Waterside Drive that they liked. It was situated on a court overlooking a lake.

“Part of the reason we liked the lot was because it was on the water,” said Bob, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon with The Kentucky Center for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. “Part of it was because it was on a court. It was secluded, and we liked the pine trees out in the back and the view.”

The footers were already in place when the Clarks bought the property.

“Since there was nothing there, we kind of made it our own,” Bob said.

The couple decided to adapt the existing house plans, since they had several ideas about what they wanted.

“We had received a trade magazine at our old house that had a lot of ideas in it,” Bob said. “We did a lot of research about different things we wanted in the house.”

One of the most important items on their list was a large kitchen.

“We did a lot of entertaining in the old house and everybody was always in the kitchen,” Bob said.

“When you have company, they usually try to congregate in the kitchen,” added Evelyn, a semi-retired prosthodontist, who also makes jewelry as a hobby. “So we knocked out walls (on the original house plans) so people wouldn’t just be in one area.”

The gourmet kitchen is spacious with a huge center island, custom cabinetry, granite countertops and an abundance of recessed lighting.

In the flow

Spaces throughout the approximate 8,335-square-foot house were designed to create an open and inviting atmosphere.

“I like the openness of the downstairs,” Evelyn said.

With the exception of the half bath and French doors leading to the Florida room, there are no doors on the first floor.

“All the rooms kind of flow together,” Bob said. “The original plan had a staggered vibe and we kept that. We wanted the house to be very bright and airy.”

The home features hardwood floors, marble and Mexican tile on the main floor and Durango stone in the lower level.

Just off the kitchen is an octagonal breakfast room featuring a coffered ceiling and windows that provide a tranquil view of the lake.

To the left of the foyer is a stunning music room with a grand piano. Demarking the different living areas are beautiful columns and gentle archways, a design element Bob added.

“The arches and the columns were a way to separate the rooms without closing them off,” Bob said. “When you walk into the house, you’re going to see the arches, but there will not be any intervening walls. We very much wanted everything to be open and just draw you into the house.”

The front doors help achieve this effect. They look as though they were taken from a castle. Their arched lines match those of the windows.

“The windows bring a lot of natural light in here, which keeps the house happy,” Evelyn said.

“We talked to the Andersen (window) reps and came up with these units with three windows and an arched transom,” Bob said. “We wanted to repeat that (design) in the rest of the house to match the doors.”

Theater room

A few years after moving in, the Clarks finished out the basement. It now features several distinct spaces, including a bedroom with a full bath and doors leading to the multilevel deck.

“The whole idea was to make it not seem like a basement,” Bob said. “We wanted this to be like a hotel room for our guests.”

“A whole family could live down in the basement, or it could be a mother-in-law suite,” Evelyn said.

The lower level also features a state-of-the-art theater room with a large HDTV and a projector mounted in the ceiling. It has a cork floor that helps to absorb sound.

The perfect area for entertaining, there is also a wet bar, a microwave, a mini refrigerator, an icemaker and a wine cooler.

Bob had hoped a side alcove might become a work-out area or be roomy enough for a pool table, but instead it is a cozy sitting room with a Durango stone floor and fireplace.

Upstairs, the owners’ suite on the second level features a lavish bathroom space with a Jacuzzi and a walk-in closet. The children’s bedrooms are also on the second floor.

When their second child moved out to attend the University of Kentucky and live with friends, the Clarks converted their son’s room into a sitting room and study, complete with built-in bookshelves and a skylight.

Evelyn uses a bedroom on the main level as a workspace to make her jewelry. It features a black-and-white checkerboard ceiling, a favorite pattern of Evelyn’s, beautifully hand painted by a local artist.

Now, after nearly 17 years, with two older children grown and moved out and their third child now 15, Evelyn and Bob have placed their house on the market.

“This has been great for us,” Evelyn said. “We’re just going to downsize so there aren’t so many levels.”

This story was originally published February 28, 2016 at 1:00 AM with the headline "Elegant Firebrook home boasts architectural detail, staggered levels."