Custom-built home boasts an open flow, entertaining spaces, eclectic style

More often than not, when Karen Bell is at home, you can find her soaking in the view from her cozy, screened-in porch, which overlooks a picturesque pond and the nearby Andover golf course.

“It’s a very peaceful place to sit, with a wonderful view,” said Bell, a longtime commercial real estate broker, who moved into her Brighton Place Drive home in 2000. “I’ve spent a lot of hours reading newspapers out there.”

With an extensive background in real estate, Bell knew exactly what features were most important to her in a new build.

“I’ve built a lot of homes over the years,” she said. “I work in real estate, so I’ve always had the urge to find something better or more interesting.”

That was, until she found the perfect lot in the Andover Forest neighborhood and built a custom, approximate 4,600-square-foot, five-bedroom home.

Bell’s current home has been the perfect fit for more than 15 years — for her extended family as well as for herself.

Her parents lived with her for several years, claiming the downstairs bedroom and spacious living room space as their own. In addition, her six grandkids — three from Charlotte, N.C., and three who live in Lexington — love to come for overnight visits.

Unique spaces

Recently, though, Bell has put her home on the market, with plans to eventually downsize and relocate to Florida.

“I have very mixed emotions about leaving. I’ve loved this home,” she said. “But ultimately, I’d rather spend my winters playing golf.”

Bell worked with local builder John Atchison of Atchison Heller Construction Company to construct the home.

“It took me three years to plan, design and build this home,” she said. “One of my main goals was to have a screened-in porch. I love outside living. I also wanted a nice patio and deck, so making the most of those outside spaces was one of my primary goals from the outset.”

The home’s unique, nearly L-shaped, wrap-around floor plan — which initially caught Bell’s eye while browsing potential home designs in magazines — sets it apart and adds an architectural element not often seen in Central Kentucky homes.

“Its wrap-around, three-car garage layout was something I hadn’t seen before,” she said. “And I don’t think I’ve seen one since.”

The floor plan lends itself to an open flow between the main floor living room, dining room, kitchen and gathering room; while upstairs, it allows for a stunning catwalk, which is flanked by a custom-designed iron railing.

In addition to maximizing the outdoor living space, another of Bell’s main goals in the home’s design was maximizing natural light, which she’s done via careful placement of an array of windows of all different sizes, shapes and styles throughout the home.

There’s an entire bank of windows in the home’s formal living room, for instance, offering stunning views of the pond behind the property. The upstairs owner’s bathroom includes a skylight, and most all of the doors on the first floor boast a transom window, allowing even more light to filter in.

“I’m very aware of the natural light, and I tried to capture as much as I could,” Bell said. “I really don’t turn on lights much at all. I don’t need to.”

While describing her decorating style as “eclectic” — Bell has a knack for mixing white and dark pieces with an array of natural wood tones — her wall colors are done mostly in soft neutrals, all the better to showcase her art collection.

One favorite piece, an impressionistic, rainbow-like burst of color by a Santa Fe, N.M., artist, hangs at the top of the second floor landing above an upholstered white bench with nailhead trim. Bell said that she has moved this treasured piece from home to home since the 1980s.

Another long-adored piece — a bold, modern, mask-like sculpture, has been adapted to serve as a necklace holder on her bathroom vanity.

“I do love art,” Bell said. “Some of my pieces I’ve loved and will keep forever. Others, I’ve given away to my daughter after a few years. But I’m particular, too, about what I choose. If you’re going to look at it every day, you’ve got to love it.”

Casual living

The home has many custom, high-end features, including a see-through gas fireplace that separates the main floor living and gathering rooms. In both spaces, which feature elaborate white, built-in custom cabinetry, Bell also wanted a relaxed, welcoming feel.

“I knew I did not want a formal living house,” she said. “I wanted a causal living house with an open living area, where you could entertain and everything would flow together.”

The inviting kitchen has an eat-in area at its oversized granite-topped island as well as a dedicated, informal dining area. Bell has outfitted this space with a round, glass dining table and chic wicker chairs.

The kitchen features an abundance of storage with crisp white cabinetry, and offers ideal food storage, prep and serving space via stainless steel appliances, a separate bar sink, double ovens and a center island with a Jenn-Air gas cooktop.

Upstairs, Bell’s second-story owner’s bedroom is painted a soft neutral hue and includes an elaborate tray ceiling and an elongated bank of five windows offering a perfect view of the water feature behind her home.

The owner’s bathroom — featuring a Jacuzzi tub, a stand-alone glass shower and an oversized vanity — is done mostly in shades of white, while a faux zebra rug adds bold contrast.

Downstairs, the home’s finished basement offers the perfect “party space,” and has the extra soundproofing to prove it. It includes ample room for a wraparound couch, built-in space for an oversized flat-screen TV, a spacious bedroom and access to the adjacent outdoor patio via double glass doors.

While Bell looks forward to sunnier, warmer winters, she knows she’ll miss her Andover Forest home.

“I couldn’t ask for better neighbors, and the location is just so convenient. Everything you need is right here in Hamburg,” she said. “And now they’re building a new school and new YMCA (nearby). It’s just a great location.”

This story was originally published March 6, 2016 at 1:00 AM with the headline "Custom-built home boasts an open flow, entertaining spaces, eclectic style."