July/August 2016 Omaha Home

JULY/AUGUST 2016

ALWAYS LOCAL, ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL

WILD WILLY'S RESPITE A POOLSIDE PARADISE IN PAPILLION

FIBERS ROOTED IN NEBRASKA

Sheila Hicks Returns to Her Homeland

A TALE OF TWO COASTS

Close Friends Choose Opposing Decorating Styles

VILLA SPRINGS

Neighborhoods

washers and dryers

carpet

tables countertops sofas

loveseats

bunk beds

ellipticals vacuums

desks record players

tablets

blenders

smart watches

headphones

mirrors

music

carpet

wall décor

games bedding

chairs coffee pots tile rugs accessories toasters

dishwashers bedroom sets home automation computers stoves swivel chairs sectionals televisions baby gliders dining tables coffee makers cocktail tables

small appliances

accessories

wood flooring

recliners desks printers speakers

cell phones

soundbars

movies

pool tables

microwaves treadmills mattresses dressers cribs pillows projectors

NEBRASKA EVERYTHING MART dining tables tablets

floor lamps

headphones

on tv products equipment speakers

tables

carpet

chairs

televisions

small appliances

games sofas

coffee pots baby gliders

desks

refrigerators

record players

computers stoves wood flooring

countertops

monitors

fireplaces

massage chairs

movies

recliners

as seen workout

futons

printers

accent washers and dryers carpet bunk beds blenders smart watches sofa

bar stools camcorders charging stations

printer ink microwaves treadmills futons

mixers space heaters cribs pillows fans loveseats vacuums mirrors music wall décor bedding blinds

movie

cooking

pool

utensils

tables

recliners

bedding

laminate

tablets

portable

audio

as

on

products

seen

ellipticals players

tablets

tv

gaming

range mirrors

systems

flooring

as seen on tv products chairs

sofas

candles

sectionals

coffee pots

mounts

sleeper

hoods

accent chairs headphones printers

wall

computers stoves

televisions

games sofas

massage chairs

cards

microwaves

appliances

chairs

carpet

memory

telephones

small

massage

speakers

chairs

desks

sectionals

cameras music record televisions

Don’t let the name fool you. At Nebraska Furniture Mart, we have so much more than furniture. Find the top names and amazing savings in furniture, flooring, appliances and electronics. Replace your outdated coffee pot, get the latest game and create a home that will make your Pinterest board pale in comparison.

nfm.com Convenient Shopping Hours: Monday – Saturday: 10am to 9pm Sunday: 10am to 6pm

Store Location: 700 South 72nd St Omaha, NE 68114

Order by Phone:

local: 402-255-6327 toll-free: 800-359-1200

July/August 2016 VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 4

EDITORIAL

MCKINNIS

ROOFING

SIDING

WINDOWS

Executive Editor DOUG MEIGS Associate Editor DAISY HUTZELL-RODMAN

GUTTERS

402.513.6620 www.mckinnisroofing.com

Editorial Assistant JARED KENNEDY

13315 B Street, Omaha, NE 68144

164 S 1st St Blair, NE 68008

Editorial Intern MICHAEL NICHOLS Contributing Writers RYAN BORCHERS • MISS CASSETTE MANDY MOWERS • CAROL CRISSEY NIGRELLI KIM REINER • ASHLEY WEGNER BRIANNE WILHELM, ALLIED ASID

SPECIALIZING VISIT OUR IN COMMERCIAL SHOWROOM FOR AND RESIDENTIAL OUR DESIGNER DESIGN

CREATIVE Creative Director BILL SITZMANN

FURNITURE SALE

9300 Underwood Ave, UP TO 70% Suite 260OFF INVENTORY Omaha, NE 68114

Senior Graphic Designer RACHEL JOY

Mon - Fri 9-6PM

Graphic Designer MATTHEW WIECZOREK

402.498.8777

Junior Graphic Designer DEREK TAUBERT

Saturdays 10-2PM

Contributing Photographers KEITH BINDER COLIN CONCES SCOTT DRICKEY SARAH LEMKE AMOURA PRODUCTIONS

12123 Emmet St. Omaha, NE

info@designersomaha.com Molly Maid clean is now green!

Mon - Friday 9-6PM designersomaha.com

Molly Maid clean is now green!

Trust Molly Maid to clean your Thanks for voting us home so thoroughly, people Molly Maid clean now green!

Thank You Foris Voting Us are guaranteed to notice!

Best of Omaha BEST OF OMAHA Trust Molly Maid to clean your home so thoroughly, people are guaranteed to notice!

Trust Molly Maid to clean your home so thoroughly, people are guaranteed to notice!

5 5

5

402.498.8777

designersomaha.com

Molly Maid clean is now green!

For a to Cleaning Plan designed around why Trust Mollyis Maid clean your MollyitReasons Maid clean now green! home so thoroughly, people makes sense. your home and your lifestyle

Molly Maid’s private label cleaning your Local For a Cleaning Plan designedCall around Reasons products why are environmentally safe, biodegradable and non-toxic. it makes sense. your home and your lifestyle For fora my Cleaning PlanCall designed around Reasons why Molly Maid’s private label cleaning It’s healthier family, the products your Local Trust Molly Maid clean your are environmentally safe,to are all natural cleaners and disinyour home and your lifestyle it makes sense.

1 products home so thoroughly, people biodegradable and non-toxic. fectants, I don’t worry about fumes, are guaranteed to notice!

Molly Maid’s private label cleaning Call your Local residue build up. healthier for my family, the or products products areIt’s environmentally safe,

are guaranteed to notice!

1

5

2

1 2 3

4 5

products are environmentally safe, are and all natural cleaners and disinbiodegradable non-toxic.

I’m doing my part to help the environment. fectants, I don’t worry about fumes, Even the smallest contributions can make It’s healthier for my family, the products residue or build up. are all natural cleaners and disin- a big difference over time.

I’m doing partfumes, to help the environment. fectants, I don’t worry my about Even the smallest contributions can make Molly Maid’s “Small Efforts. Big Results.” residue or build up. a big difference over time. brochure provide additional informaI’m doing my part to help the environment. tion creating MOLLY a more MAID greenOF friendly Even the smallest can makeabout Mollycontributions Maid’s “Small Efforts.

Big Results.”

CENTRAL OMAHA/COUNCIL BLUFFS a big difference over time. home. brochure provide additional informaMolly Maid’s private label cleaning

2

3

5

3

4

4

Trust Molly Maid to clean your home so thoroughly, people are guaranteed to notice!

MOLLY MAID OF CENTRAL OMAHA/COUNCIL BLUFFS Plan designed around For a Cleaning Reasons why it makes sense. your home and your lifestyle 402.932.MAID (6243)

A clean you can A clean youfamily, can 402.932.MAID (6243) trust!

Local It’s healthier Call for myyour the products

tion about creating a more green friendly products are environmentally safe, Molly Maid’s “Small Efforts. Big Results.”

MOLLYnotice MAID OF CENTRAL OMAHA/COUNCIL BLUFFS People always how clean and home. biodegradable and non-toxic. brochure provide additional informafresh my home is, now I’m proud to

5

tion about creating more notice green friendly People a always how clean and Mollytell Maid’s private labelacleaning them it’s also Molly Maid Green home. fresh my home is, products now I’m are proud to environmentally safe,

5

2 you trust!

A clean can . trust!

2 Each franchise independently . owned and operated cathy.tichy@mollymaid.com I’m doing my part to help the environment. cathy.tichy@mollymaid.com 3 Even . the smallest contributions can make Each franchise independently owned and operated a big difference over time.

3cathy.tichy@mollymaid.com 1

Home!

are all natural cleaners and disinbiodegradable and non-toxic. tell them it’s also a Molly Maid Green People always notice how clean and fectants, I don’t worry about fumes, Home!

It’s to healthier for my family, the products fresh my home is, now I’m proud Each franchise independently residue or build up.owned and operated all natural cleaners and disintell them it’s also a Molly Maid are Green Home!

/ H76 /

fectants, I don’t worry about fumes, residue or build up.

I’m doing my part to help the environment.

Even the smallest contributions can make a big difference over time.

OmahaHome • July/August 2016 Molly Maid’s “Small Efforts. Big Results.”

4

4

Molly Maid’s “Small Efforts. Big Results.” brochure provide additional information about creating a more green friendly

1

tion about creating a more green friendly home.

5

Call your Local

Reasons why it makes sense.

Molly Maid’s private label cleaning products are environmentally safe, biodegradable and non-toxic.

MOLLY MAID OF CENTRAL OMAHA/COUNCIL BLUFFS It’s healthier for my family, the products

MOLLY MAIDprovide OF CENTRAL OMAHA/COUNCIL brochure additional informa- BLUFFS

402.932.MAID (6243)

Comments?

SEND YOUR THOUGHTS TO: DAISY@OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM

Molly Maid clean is now green!

For a Cleaning Plan(6243) designed around Reasons why 402.932.MAID it makes sense. your home and your lifestyle

1

Art Director KRISTEN HOFFMAN

2 402.932.MAID (6243) are all natural cleaners and disinfectants, I don’t worry about fumes,

OMAHA HOME MAGAZINE APPEARS AS ITS OWN MAGAZINE AND AS A SECTION WITHIN OMAHA MAGAZINE. TO VIEW THE FULL VERSION OF OMAHA MAGAZINE, OR TO SUBSCRIBE, GO TO OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM/SUBSCRIBE

For a Cleaning Plan designed around your home and your lifestyle Call your Local

Abe’s Trash Service, Inc. Quality, Dependable Trash & Rec ycling Ser vice SALES • SERVICE • RENTALS For Over 60 Years

Locally Owned & Operated

COMMERCIAL

• Waste Disposal • Rear Load Containers • Front Load Containers • Recycling

abestrash.com | 8123 Christensen Lane

402.571.4926 2B

O

HA ’

to-Busi essne ss sin MA

O

HA ’

S

2B

RESIDENTIAL

• Dependable Weekly Trash Service • Trash Carts & Recycling Bins • Weekly Recycling • Weekly Yard Waste

CONSTRUC TION & CLEAN-UP • Roll-Off Containers • C&D Landfill • C&D Recycling • Green Build Services

ne azi ag

B

Bu

M

Oma ha ’s

2016 Winner

S

B

to-Busi essne ss sin MA

ne azi ag

Oma ha ’s

Bu

M

THANK YOU OMAHA for Voting Us Best Residential & Commercial Lawn Care

COMPAC TORS

• Stationary Compactors • Self-Contained Compactors • Cardboard Compactors • Recycling • Compactor Maintenance Performed

2016 Winner

402-556-0595

www.forestgreenlawncare.com

US ON

Endless amazing interior designs to help

bring life to your home!

KAREN JENNINGS STANDING TALL FOR YOU! Jennings Team – Top Producing CBSHOME Team – 2013, 2014 and 2015 Top Individual Producer for CBSHOME 2009-2012 402.290.6296 | karen.jennings@cbshome.com

Thanks for voting us Best of Omaha TM

217 N. Jefferson St. Papillion NE

402.331.9136 • papillionflowerpatch.com July/August 2016 • omahamagazine.com

/ H77 /

From Design to Installation

Rainbow

ARTISTIC GLASS & DESIGN 3709 S 138 Street · 402-330-7676 www.rainbowartisticglass.com

Better Doors... at Better Prices

Help vote us first place in Auto Detailing & Full Service Car Wash again!

Quick Vote Code: 78803

Thank you Omaha for voting us Best Garage Doors

You’ll Love What You See. Since 1963

Carwash and Detail Center

Personal Service, Professional Results

Full Service Car Care · 2511 South 140th Street · 402-697-0650 · dolphinscarwash.com 402.331.8920 · www.normsdoor.com

/ H78 /

OmahaHome • July/August 2016

Locally owned with 26 years of service in the Omaha community

from the Editor

"In the truest sense freedom cannot be bestowed, it must be achieved."

— Franklin D. Roosevelt

I

DON’T KNOW ABOUT you, but July is my favorite month. Specifically,

the Fourth of July is my favorite holiday. I say let the summer festivities begin! Growing up in Iowa, we always went over to Clear Lake to watch the parade; then on to the carnival, walking through the midway and eating a little of everything available—cotton candy, corn dogs, saltwater taffy, and snow cones (not necessarily in that order). And the grand finale was gathering by the lake to watch the fireworks.

Sandy Matson

Dan Williams (page H88), owner of Wild Willy’s Fireworks, shows us his family’s backyard paradise…a poolside retreat perfect for sitting next to while watching a sparkling pyrotechnics show.

As coincidence has it, I now live on a small lake. We added a little extra cement to our back patio a year ago, but the mix of the old and new cement never sat well with me. Guess what I decided would be my DIY this issue? I was not sure I could take on this large project, but with a little help from YouTube, products from my new friends at Endurable Concrete (specifically Brian Hudgens), tips from Matt Melichar at Logan Concrete Supply, and my newly appointed assistant, aka my husband, we did it. Check out this makeover on page H92.

We hope that you enjoy this issue of Omaha Home, and perhaps it will give you some inspiration to tackle a new project. Or perhaps you want to just sit back and enjoy this issue. Be safe, enjoy your summer, and happy Fourth of July everyone!

Sandy If you have any ideas you would like to see us tackle, or you yourself have a project you would like to have featured, please contact sandy@omahapublications.com.

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

H84

A TALE OF TWO COASTS

H79

FROM THE EDITOR

H94

WALNUT HILL'S BACKYARD CASTLE

H81

STATEMENTS

H102

TIBURON RIDGE LANDING PAD

H88

AT HOME

H108

THE BANSES

H92

SANDY’S MAKEOVER

H112

WHERE FAMILY AND FRIENDS GATHER

H98

NEIGHBORHOODS

H116

TRANSFORMATIONS

Close Friends Choose opposing decorating styles

an architectural novelty becomes an obsession

mrs. nebraska at home

a spacious home in blackstone

The Forals’ Villa Springs Residence

A Fiery Fourth to All

Fibers Rooted in Nebraska

Wild Willy’s Respite

Colored Concrete

Villa Springs

Unifying the Outside with the Inside

Thank you for reading OmahaHome. This stand-alone magazine is also featured as a section of Omaha Magazine.

Want to read the entire magazine? Visit: omahamagazine.com/digital-flip-book July/August 2016 • omahamagazine.com

/ H79 /

sponsored content

STEVE SWANSTROM PRESIDENT/CEO OF CENTRIS FEDERAL CREDIT UNION

Q

UIET AND RESERVED, Steve

Swanstrom, Centris President/CEO, is just an everyday guy. Swanstrom is the man behind the curtain. He takes pride in the employees he has been charged with leading and shies away from the spotlight, letting staff take credit for Centris’ recent growth and success. He’s the type of leader who makes it a point to learn the names and faces of the 250 employees who work in Centris’ 13 locations, gets involved in community activities and engages with staff regularly. He trusts others to make the right decisions and in turn those who work with Swanstrom trust him.

In the seven years Swanstrom has been at Centris, he has led the Mortgage, Retail Financial Services, Indirect Lending, and Business Financial Services areas. In 2014, he was announced as President of one of Nebraska’s oldest and largest memberowned credit unions. “We are local. There are few financial institutions that can say that today.” Swanstrom said. “Centris is focused on serving the financial needs of individual consumers and businesses in the markets we serve.”” Swanstrom continued, “I’m especially proud of the local growth of our indirect auto and mortgage lending areas that makes Centris more convenient for our members who are buying a home or a vehicle. It also makes Centris available to others in our community who may not know about Centris.”

/ H80 /

OmahaHome • July/August 2016

Setting a good example for staff, Swanstrom is also involved in the community serving as this year’s ALS Association’s Mid-America Chapter Walk Chairman and on the Better Business Bureau’s Advisory Board. He also serves on the Nebraska Credit Union League Board of Directors to help promote credit unions in the state of Nebraska. “I want consumers all across the state to know the value and benefits of belonging to their local credit union. Fifty percent of consumers have no idea about what a credit union is and if they can even belong. We have a great story to share,” Swanstrom said.

“My goal as President and CEO is to see Centris continue striving to be the best that it can be. We have a great foundation that we will continue to build on”

“My goal as President and CEO is to see Centris continue striving to be the best that it can be. We have a great foundation that we will continue to build on,” Swanstrom said. While Steve aspired to be president of a bank or credit union in his career, it was a long term goal that happened sooner that he thought it would. Despite this, he has a vision for Centris’ future. “Our biggest challenges in the next five years will be increased competition and staying relevant in a very crowded marketplace. We compete against local, national, and online institutions that have no local presence. What sets Centris apart from these competitors is our active involvement in the communities we serve.

Our employees volunteer thousands of hours of personal time to community events.

Everything we do, every dollar we earn, gets reinvested in our local communities for the benefit of our members. This is often in the form of new technology, new locations, new products and services or an expansion of those services like an ATM network.”

Swanstrom knows that anytime access is important to serving the needs of those who bank with Centris. Steve and wife Courtenay have a 16 year old daughter that keeps them busy and on the go. Like many Centris members, 24/7 access to banking products and services is important to the Swanstrom family. “Even though Centris has twelve convenient branch locations, we must be able to provide a broad based suite of products and services that our members need anytime day or night. In an ever changing environment, it is important to continually evaluate the credit union’s products and services to determine if they are still relevant.

We need to continually stay in tune with our members’ needs if we expect Centris to grow and remain a viable financial institution in the future,” he said.

Centris opened their 12th branch office in Council Bluffs in June and will break ground for their 13th branch office in 2017 at 195th & Harrison. “For those who don’t bank at Centris, I would invite you to give us a try.

Stop by for a financial review and ask us how we can save you money. Our goal is to save you time and money to maximize your financial well-being.”

Content provided by Centris Federal Credit Union.

Statements story by Daisy Hutzell-Rodman / photography by bill sitzmann

FIBERS ROOTED IN NEBRASKA SHEILA HICKS RETURNS TO HER HOMELAND

T

HE WOR LD-RENOWNED FIBER artist

Sheila Hicks never forgot that she started in Nebraska.

“Why am I coming to Nebraska?” says the Hastings native. “I’m coming because I owe it to Nebraska.

It gave me so much. Such a feeling of well-being. I had an extended family of grandparents and great aunts, and cousins.”

Hicks says her formal art career, which is “sometimes relegated to the category of craft, sometimes to fine arts,” began taking shape at Yale University School of Art and Architecture, where she studied under Bauhaus artist Josef Albers.

It was a trip to South America, however, that inspired her unique work in textiles.

“Having been given a Fulbright to go to Chile (in 1957-1958), I economized and ended up visiting every single country in South America except Paraguay,” Hicks says by phone interview from her home in Paris. “I found I could go down the West Coast starting in Venezuela. One year later I had missions and tasks to complete; I went all the way down to the southernmost city in the hemisphere.

Then I came back up on the east coast. I did a show in Santiago at the National Museum. It was a great privilege. I did an exhibition in Buenos Aires.” >

July/August 2016 • omahamagazine.com

/ H81 /

Please Vote Us Best

THE TOP

Quick Vote Code: 94797

LISTING TEAM 5 YEARS IN A ROW!

LANDSCAPE LIGHTing

402.516.4498

midwestlightscaping.com

BEST REALTOR AGENT

We would appreciate your vote for

at bestofomaha.com/15936

Dan

Brent

Lesa

Chad

Kyle

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

ALWAYS LOCAL, ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL

Always Local, Always Beautiful

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

ALWAYS LOCAL, ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL

FAIRYTALE WONDER

Regal Residence in Legacy Villas

WOLF IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING

Turning Tradition on its Head in Country Club

DESIGNER ERIC JAMES

SELF-MADE, SELF-TAUGHT, SELF-ASSURED ASID AWARDS See This Year’s STORIES Best of the Best FROM HOME chip davis

NEIGHBORHOODS The Blackstone District

FUNKY-FRESH

Airbnb Space in Lincoln

MANTERIOR

Rustic Barn Becomes Man Cave

ALWAYS LOCAL, ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL

NINE AND TWO

MID-CENTURY MODERN MAKEOVER

PETER CALES

Building Relationships, Building Furniture

DESIGN WOW! putting the fun in functional

PLAINS LIVING

ON A MOUNTAINOUS SCALE

Omaha Metro

Elkhorn, Bellevue, Papillion Vista, Gretna, Valley, Bennington

September/October • 2015 | 89 | bestofomaha.com

402.676.5081 www.buyingomaha.com

True freedom isn’t about what money can buy.

Bank

But rather, everything it can’t.

Life itself, is rich. And at Pinnacle Bank, we want all of our customers to have a chance to experience it fully. We’ll work hard to satisfy your banking needs. Because banking here is just a means to getting back to living here. pinnbank.com 16_POG26_BESTOFOMAHA_FLAG_AD.indd 1 / H82 / OmahaHome • July/August 2016

5/25/16 3:17 PM

Statements

< That next year, she came back to Yale and earned her MFA, partly because Albers convinced the faculty that her trip counted as field work. She relocated to Paris in 1964, where she has continued to work for more than 50 years.

Her current art exhibit, on display at Joslyn Art Museum through Sept. 4, will give Omahans a glimpse into Hicks’ unique work.

“We are so delighted to be able to share such a large and important body of work by one of the world’s most exciting and engaging artists,” says Jack Becker, Joslyn Art Museum Executive Director and CEO. “Sheila’s work at present is featured around the globe in Australia, Asia, throughout Europe, and this year, in Omaha.”

“They will never have seen anything like this, the innovative use of materials,” Hicks says. “They are meant to go into the history of our civilization and to earlier civilizations and earlier cultures. That’s why I’ve chosen this medium because people can see textiles historically.”

That innovative use of materials includes using corn husks in her work, a tribute to Nebraska. A concurrent show running in Hangzhou, China, includes shells of things she has eaten, such as seafood.

Hicks was particularly excited about this show as Hangzhou has the world’s biggest silk museum.

Textiles, Hicks says, “Also helps with remembering things from other cultures as being reinterpreted and actualized.”

As much as the use of materials, it’s the use of color for which Hicks is known. She once painted her childhood bedroom royal blue with scarlet and orange accents, and has preferred bright colors her whole life.

She feels inspired to work with fibers because they are so intertwined in people’s lives and belongings. But she also enjoys working in many other mediums.

“I don’t consider myself a fiber artist any more than I consider myself a watercolor artist or a black and white photographer,” Hicks says. “I am a maker of things. I love to invent and make things.”

This particular show will impress people with the breadth and depth of the work. Hicks says, “It swims back and forth between painting and sculpture and environment and architecture.”

“I think that we are most excited by the diversity of the work and the remarkable way Sheila employs color and design to engage viewers,” Becker says. “The accompanying catalogue provides a lasting record of the exhibition while advancing the conversation and scholarship around this important artist.”

One thing is for certain. No matter where she goes, she knows her Nebraska roots have helped her feel at home in many places.

“I am up to my ankles in Nebraska,” Hicks says. “Wherever I go and whatever I do, I don’t feel foreign or confused. I am a very well grounded person coming from a Nebraska family of many generations.”

OmahaHome

July/August 2016 • omahamagazine.com

/ H83 /

feature words by Ashley Wegner / photography by bill sitzmann

A TALE OF TWO COASTS CLOSE FRIENDS CHOOSE OPPOSING DECORATING STYLES

West Coast / H84 /

OmahaHome â&#x20AC;¢ July/August 2016

East Coast

July/August 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ omahamagazine.com

/ H85 /

feature

I

T WAS THE west of times, it was the east of

times, it was the age of reclaimed beams, it was the age of refined beams, it was the epoch of open spaces, it was the epoch of distinct spaces, it was the season of floor-to-ceiling windows, it was the season of double-hung windows, it was the spring of wrought iron railings, it was the winter of wood railings.

It was a tale of West Coast style versus East Coast style. And this special story takes place not in Napa Valley or the Hamptons, but right here in Omaha.

Laura Atkinson and Amy Baltzell met around 2004, when their kids were part of the same playgroup. At the time, the two women had a lot in common. Their kids were close in age, Laura attended high school with Amy’s husband, Beau, and both families held an interest in NASCAR. Then they grew apart.

Amy’s family moved to a home in the Skyline area and Laura’s family moved to northern California for her husband Steve’s job. While the Atkinsons loved the Bay area—the laidback feel, being surrounded by the redwood landscape, living in wine country—they missed their family in Omaha. In 2014, they decided to move back.

/ H86 /

OmahaHome • July/August 2016

The Baltzell family, meanwhile, built a new home near West Shores Lake in Waterloo.

After looking around, the Atkinsons found a home built in the mid-1990s on an acreage close to 184th and F streets.

Laura and Amy still have a lot in common.

They both spend a lot of time with their kids, they both live out west, and their paths cross from time to time. But, now that both women are living in their forever homes, one aspect of their lives is like night and day: their decorating styles.

Laura’s home is decorated in West Coast style, an approach dedicated to open spaces, minimalist themes, and repurposed materials.

Amy’s home is decorated in East Coast style, a genre known for more defined spaces, classic lines, and detailed woodwork.

“West Coast style is simpler, whereas East Coast style tends to use more antiques and a lot more accessorizing,” says Susan T. McMannama, a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers who has practiced nationally for more than 30 years.

Their styles have just as much to do with their tastes as they do with their lifestyles.

A look inside Laura’s West Coast-style house provides a glimpse of what she loved about living in the Bay area.

“We spent a lot of time up in the wineries in Napa and Sonoma,” Laura says. “We would go to the vineyards and see the kitchens where chefs would come in to prepare meals. Our home is kind of based off of that. Everyone is welcome—it’s a ‘no worry’ type of vibe.”

The spaces in Laura’s home are open, and all flow together. The windows are large, with narrower trim, providing a generous view of the outdoors. The ceiling in her hearth room is accented by wood beams created from reclaimed wood. And her kitchen is open, reminiscent of the kitchens she experienced in California, with handmade subway tiles and pendant fixtures that hang over her island.

Laura’s husband often travels while she stays home with their three daughters. So, “the whole idea was: when we can get together as a family on Friday, we’re going to cook together, sit down, have a glass of wine, and unwind,” Laura says. “The house is out on an acreage, surrounded by nature, so we wanted to create a very Zen lifestyle.”

feature

Out on West Shores Lake, Amy’s East-Coaststyle home also has a relaxing vibe, but it’s more nautical, in a way that you might see in the Hamptons rather than Napa Valley.

“I’ve always liked things that look timeless and classic,” Amy says. “Ten years from now, I want to be able to look at it and feel like it’s still in style.”

When Amy and her husband, Beau, were designing the house, they would often look at real estate in the Hamptons on the Sotheby’s website to find ideas.

Amy’s home is also relatively open; however, her spaces are more defined, more distinct.

She incorporates antiques, memorabilia, old photos, and bits of Americana on a beadboard wall.

The centerpiece of her powder room is a mirror created from an old horse collar. Old lanterns frame a console table and hang from the ceiling

in the hallway. And her rooms are accented by double-hung windows, deep crown molding, and oversized columns. The exterior even adds to the East Coast, Hamptons-esque feel, with peaks, square windows, and heavier trim.

While both homes have a completely different feel, they do incorporate some elements that are universal to both styles, such as a farmhouse sink, stone fireplaces, and metal light fixtures, McMannama says.

These homes will continue to change over time.

Laura is putting together ideas for renovating the upstairs bedrooms. Amy is considering ways to reorganize the garage. Regardless of what they change or update, they are both committed to staying in the style they’ve established for their home.

Because, as Amy says: “Everything is decorated exactly as I like it.” OmahaHome

THE SELECTION YOU NEED. SIDING

DOORS

WINDOWS

GARAGE DOORS

THE EXPERIENCE YOU DESERVE.

402.733.6440 • omahadoor.com

July/August 2016 • omahamagazine.com

/ H87 /

At Home story by Carol Crissey Nigrelli / photography by Colin conces

WILD WILLY’S RESPITE

A POOLSIDE PARADISE IN PAPILLION

/ H88 /

OmahaHome • July/August 2016

J

ENNIFER WILLIAMS GREW up in Houston,

making Nebraska’s cold, windy winters seem interminably long. “Everything just seems to shut down,” she says wistfully, standing in the kitchen of the six-bedroom, six-bath home she shares with her family, including husband Dan, daughter Brooke, 11, and son Dawson, 9. “It’s so bare outside.”

Walking through the first f loor of the two-story brick house, past the formal dining room, Dan’s office, the master bedroom, Brazilian cherry wood-trimmed kitchen, quaint butler’s pantry, living room, den, and a sunroom that nurtures several potted aloe plants, the thought of settling in for a long winter’s nap indoors doesn’t seem like a bad deal—until you open the back door. There, on the south lawn, the reason for Jennifer’s cold weather lament reveals itself.

A poolside paradise occupies almost one-third of the family’s three-acre property in the aptly named Hidden Valley neighborhood—accessible from an unmarked dirt road that winds behind the Sarpy County Sheriff ’s building. “We spend a lot of time out here and we entertain a lot as well,” says Jennifer, standing on a spacious deck that runs along the width of the house. Peering down from the deck’s railing, she points out the hot tub and a fire pit underneath, where many a marshmallow has met its demise.

The Williams family knows something about pyrotechnics. Dan owns Wild Willy’s Fireworks, headquartered in his hometown of Springfield, Nebraska. For a business that only sells merchandise from June 25-July 4 and December 29-31, Wild Willy’s does a bang-up job. “In Omaha, there are 50 tents selling fireworks this summer, and 21 of those 50 tents are ours,” says Jennifer of Dan’s “hobby.”

He also owns Tighton Tools and Fasteners, and a construction company.

The clear blue shade of the salt water in the large square pool matches the color of the sky on this sunkissed afternoon. A spiraling waterslide guarantees a splashy landing near the pool’s basketball hoop and volleyball net. Four deck jets shoot shimmering arcs of water across the pool, but the visual fun happens after the sun goes down. “The fountain jets shoot colored streams at night,” Jennifer says. “It looks like a bunch of Roman candles going off.”

In August, when Dan has more time to relax, the family holds a big blowout for friends, family, and neighbors.

Fireworks cover the entire yard, lighting up the sky while a band plays under a tent. Accommodating a lot of guests poses no problem. >

July/August 2016 • omahamagazine.com

/ H89 /

at home

< Dozens of lounge chairs, lined up beside each other with great precision, cover the pool deck and the patio.

A charming pergola, the framework of which includes interlocking wooden slats on top, offers respite from the sun. With its Oriental décor and wicker furniture accented with burgundy-colored pillows, the pergola provides a setting so relaxing, it has “don’t call me until September” written all over it.

Across the pool from the pergola stands a structure that resembles a modest, Hollywood-style bungalow.

Its exterior mimics the main house, with two white columns supporting a brick archway. Intricately designed wrought-iron screens protect the glass doors and windows.

Looks can be deceiving.

Left to right: Dawson, Dan, Jennifer, and Brooke Williams

/ H90 /

OmahaHome • July/August 2016

at home The “bungalow” is actually a standalone garage, where Dan and son Dawson have bonded by building two Chevy Chevelles from scratch. Garage amenities include a full bath and an RV hookup.

The cozy grouping of a lanai, open-air bar, and decorative water fountain fit seamlessly along the outside of the garage. A large fireplace of natural stone built into the wall provides enough heat to the lanai’s living room area to extend summer well into October. The polished, deep ambercolored travertine tile f loor catches the eye, as does an electrified sun—a unique wall hanging made of orange metal the Williamses found in Mexico.

2!

Window Co nce v bia Window Coverin erin gs gs AmBest

e 1 99

e

st

of

Si

“B

nc

al

These are the times Jennifer cherishes— quiet moments with her family, eating dinner and playing cards in their little slice of heaven. She thinks about when she and Dan met, at the University of Nebraska at Kearney in the `90s, and the nearly 10 years she spent working in California before she returned to Omaha and married. As she surveys her Hidden Valley treasure, she says, almost inaudibly, “We love our life.

We give thanks every day for what we have.” OmahaHome

AmbianceWindowCoverings.com

A nnu

A smaller sun “light” hangs above the granite-top bar on the south end of the lanai, where family members can park themselves in bar stools, sip raspberry lemonade and watch a game on cable. They may also opt to turn off the wired-in music system and listen to the soothing sounds of trickling water from the fountain.

Blinds Shades Shutters Custom Drapery

Om

aha® ” C on

te

st

CHECK OUT OUR STORM PROOF ROOF!

ALL TYPES OF ROOFING, GUTTERS & SIDING • Lifetime wind & hail warranty • Insurance discounts • Utility savings

NEXT TIME YOU NEED A ROOF, MAKE IT LAST A LIFETIME!

402.330.0911 8901 maple street lastimeroofing.com

July/August 2016 • omahamagazine.com

/ H91 /

Sandy's Makeover story by Sandy Matson / photography by bill sitzmann

Sandy's patio before (above) and after (below)

Items Needed:

directions:

• Tape • Plastic or paper • Spray bottle • Stain • Sealer • 2-3 extra smaller buckets for mixing stain and acetone into • Acetone • Chapin Acetone Sprayer

• Power wash your area, use some elbow grease to remove any stubborn stains, and let your concrete dry.

/ H92 /

OmahaHome • July/August 2016

• Cover areas you do not want to apply stain to with plastic or paper and tape them down.

• Please read all instructions on the products at least one day prior to starting your project.

COLORED CONCRETE FROM DRAB TO FAB

T

A KING ON A N outside project in the

spring here in Nebraska can be tricky, but I was up for the challenge. In between all the rain and wind we had this spring, I finally found a day to tackle this.

We don't have a large patio in our backyard, so last year we added a bit more concrete; however, it gave the patio an unfinished look that never sat well with me. After acquiring a quote to have the concrete stained, the estimated cost gave me plenty of reasons to try tackling this project myself.

After persuading my husband to help and viewing instructional YouTube videos, we were on our way. I used a product called Endurable Concrete Stain, sold locally at Logan Contracting Supply.

This product came highly recommended for many reasons, including that it is long lasting and extremely easy to apply. It is also free of toxic solvents. The drying times were fast and the color choices were outstanding.

I wanted a warm look, with a lot of variation, so I went with three colors. You will want to seal the concrete, and the Endurable Sealer is also a superior product that is easy to apply. Give it at least 24 hours to dry and then decorate it however you like. That, for me, is the fun part, and I chose some plants and flowers as well as some easy-to-hang DIY curtains. Making these were so simple. I purchased canvas tarps from Home Depot along with a grommet kit and some small, strong hooks. When you have finished them, just hang them from your deck or pergola. You can achieve many versions of this, and all can be found on the internet. Have fun bringing the inside out to enjoy during the summer!

Again, I would like to thank Brain Hudgens from Endurable Concrete products for all his help and supplying the products for my project, as well as Matt Melichar from Logan Concrete Supply here in Omaha for his guidance and helpful tips.

OmahaHome

Visit endurableproducts.com for more information on the product I used. And, as always, please reach out if you would like to ask any questions or have any concerns.

July/August 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ omahamagazine.com

/ H93 /

WALNUT HILL’S BACKYARD CASTLE

AN ARCHITECTURAL NOVELTY BECOMES AN OBSESSION

I

HAVE A CONFESSION to make: I trespassed

to see a castle. The mysterious fortification in Omaha’s Walnut Hill neighborhood has captivated my imagination ever since.

It was the late `80s or early `90s. I was young and obsessed with the architecture of grandiose old buildings. After a friend moved into the attic of some titanic Walnut Hill home—one long ago renovated into apartments—we headed over to visit. Perilous stairs wrapped around the exterior of the subdivided home. As the night progressed, we hungered for new excitement.

Another friend in the group suggested that we inspect his recent discovery: a castle.

“Stupendous!” we thought. Our group scurried down those treacherous stairs. Adventure awaited. After a brief walk, shortcutting through an alley, we arrived. Behold, the ramparts of a small stone castle. Silence fell upon our group.

Needing a closer look, we scaled the fence to explore the castle at the back corner of the property. We tried to be quiet and respectful, aware that we were intruding.

Years later when I started my blog, My Omaha Obsession, I knew that the castle was a mystery / H94 /

OmahaHome • July/August 2016

that needed solving. Who built it? Why? The twists and turns in research have provided months of intrigue. The castle is only one part of the puzzle. Allow me introduce one of Omaha’s best little secrets. I assure you Joslyn Castle has nothing on this treasure in Walnut Hill.

style, noting its irregular form, decorative shingle work, porch, spindles, turrets, and tall chimney.

A number of other homes in the Walnut Hill neighborhood were also listed in this 2003 report.

The property at 4025 Izard Street is tucked away.

If not traveling on foot, you might never pass the residence. The house faces north on Izard, an east-west road named in honor of Mark W. Izard (third territorial governor of Nebraska) by another territorial governor, Thomas B. Cuming.

Coincidentally, Cuming Street is a mere block south. This particular stretch of Izard Street, (40th through 42nd streets) is bound on the east by the Mercer Mansion.

While researching, I found that James Bayne Mason (also known as J.B. Mason) built the house in 1890. Mason was a local architect and contemporary of John Kiewitt and F. A. Henninger. Mason was born in 1846 in Scotland.

He was originally an agricultural implement maker in Morrison, Illinois, according to the 1880 federal census. By 1886 he had made his way to Omaha. The 1891 city directory found him living at 4025 Izard Street, with his occupation listed as a “draughtsman.” An English word, a draughtsman is a person who prepares technical drawings and plans under the direction of an architect or engineer. By 1896 he was listed as an “architect” in private practice. Mason worked from an office at 309 South 17th Street.

This address no longer exists but it looked to be just east of the Douglas County Courthouse.

In the 1920s, that same office would house the “Omaha Stationary Company.” He also had an office at the Paxton Building through the years.

Three doors down from Mercer Mansion, the residence at 4025 Izard is one of the few single-family dwellings remaining in this majestic part of town. The Omaha City Planning Department’s Reconnaissance Survey of 2003 identified the property for architectural significance, recommending that it should be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. The house was prominently featured in the report as a superb example of the popular Queen Anne

IN THE BEGINNING

feature story by Miss Cassette / photography by bill sitzmann This is an edited version of the original blog post at myomahaobsession.com

Mason lived in this Izard St. house of his design for a number of years with his wife, Maria, and their three children: Mable, Claude, and Nancy.

The up-and-coming Walnut Hill neighborhood was one of the most prestigious areas in Omaha.

Mason supposedly built his residence five years after the construction of Dr. Samuel Mercer’s well-known Mercer Mansion (similarly designed in the Queen Ann style) at 3902 Cuming Street.

Sources report conflicting information about the floor plan of Mason’s home. The Douglas County Assessor suggests it was built in 1900, containing five bedrooms, 2.5 baths and 3,584 square feet. Another site claimed the house had 6 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, for a total of 4,583 square feet. This discrepancy may be due to the additional square footage of the carriage house added in 1910, now an apartment.

Subsequent years were difficult for me to piece together. The 1922 city directory was missing from the library. The 1923 city directory had 4025 Izard listed as “vacant.” The 1924 city directory was also missing from the library. I followed a trail of breadcrumbs from the American Chemical Society newsletter of 1923 to the Chemical Bulletin Vol. 10, No. 11 and found pieces of evidence suggesting that F. J. Mleynek lived at the property while working at Union Pacific Railroad’s testing laboratory in Omaha.

Asa Fletcher was born in 1884 in Ohio. Then he moved to Omaha. Years before Fletcher lived on Izard Street, “Dr. Asa Fletcher has changed his address from 1041 North 33rd Street to 3328 North 27th Street, Omaha,” according to the National Eclectic Medical Association Quarterly Vol. 11 of 1920. The quarterly also featured medical treatments such as “Plant Protein Therapy” and “Metaphysic Passionmania.” Page after page displayed photos of plants as medicine.

But I could find no indicator that any of the property’s well-to-do owners built the castle of Walnut Hill. The mystery remained. My research seemed stuck in a dead end.

I wondered if this local architect, credited with designing numerous buildings and private homes around Omaha, also created the castle for his children. But I couldn’t find anything about that in the records.

In 1925 “A. E. Fletcher, physician” bought the home at 4025 Izard. By 1928 the Omaha city directory listed the property as “A. E. Fletcher phys @ Park Hospital.” It was unclear whether 4025 Izard was his home address or place of business. Then, the 1934 directory listed the address under “Park Hospital” with no owner’s name. The mystery grew muddled. I was completely confused, but I needed to know more.

Under his “new” Omaha address, I traced him to the 1920 U.S. Census—3328 North 27th Street: Asa Fletcher, 38; Flossie Fletcher, 27; Wallace Krieg, 25; Ethel Hardin, 25; Katherin Krieg, 15; Donna B. Fletcher, 2. Who in the heck were all of these people? I wondered if the Fletchers kept a large servant staff. (I later learned that Asa’s wife, Flossie, had the maiden name Krieg.)

NEW RESIDENTS Next, Johnathan A. Swanson bought the house.

The president of King-Swanson Co. lived there from 1907 through 1921. An immigrant boy from Sweden, Swanson came to America by himself at age 15. He secured a job in Stanton, Iowa, working at a general store and post office. He later moved to Omaha and worked at Hellman Clothing, and in Hayden’s clothing department, where he became a buyer and manager. He then established King-Swanson Co., a men’s clothing shop.

Swanson eventually sold his interest in KingSwanson Co. and purchased Nebraska Clothing Co. with a partner. By 1921, Swanson and his family had moved from 4025 Izard and split their time between a 160-acre farm near Florence; a lake cottage in Paynesville, Minnesota; and a residence at 418 North 38th Street in Omaha.

He died in 1929 at age 64. His son, Otto, would go on to run Nebraska Clothing Co. and later form Inclusive Communities along with other prominent local business leaders.

AN OBSCURED OWNERSHIP

Intrigued, I asked the librarian if she had ever seen that many company names listed after a home address. She had not. I guessed that maybe Dr. Fletcher had sat on the board of all of those companies. The librarian thought that might be the case. But it was odd that there were different phone numbers listed for each business under the same address.

I began to wonder, “what is an eclectic medical practice?” Is it like homeopathy or the alternative medicine of today? Yes, apparently (according to Wikipedia’s entry on eclectic medicine). Much like today, the practice used a varied prescription of natural cures alongside different substances and exercise-based recuperation. It was popular in the last part of the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries. An eclectic doctor would utilize botanical remedies, Native American therapeutic plants, organic science, natural medication, counsel patients, and offer cures via mail. The word eclectic alluded to those doctors who utilized “whatever was found to be gainful to their patients…Standard medical practices at the time made extensive use of purges with calomel and other mercury-based remedies, as well as extensive bloodletting. Eclectic medicine was a direct reaction to those barbaric practices as well as a desire to restrict Thomsonian medicine innovations to medical professionals.”

I began to cross reference with the city directories in an attempt to find Park Hospital, D-Flo Chemical Co., or Urego Chemical Co. “Strange,” I thought. There were no listings or acknowledgments of these companies in the Omaha business pages. I would have to dig deeper into this Dr. Asa Fletcher character.

I learned the last eclectic medical school closed in Cincinnati in 1939. Fletcher was from Ohio.

Clicking on internet links, I delved deeper. I imagined Fletcher as an eclectic doctor, running an alternative, private hospital out of his home. Such a daring fellow might build a castle in his backyard. >

Even more confounding was the 1939 listing for 4025 Izard. There was one person, a hospital, and two companies: “Asa Fletcher, Park Hospital, D-Flo Chemical Co., Urego Chemical Co.”

July/August 2016 • omahamagazine.com

/ H95 /

feature < After finding a copy of the Alphabetical List of Registrants of Trade-Marks from the Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office, I discovered that Dr. Fletcher applied for a number of patents, including one in 1920 under the name “Urego Chemicals Laboratories”: “Skin Preparations for Certain Purposes, No. 131.653.” I began to understand that Urego Chemicals Co. (from the city directory) was one of Fletcher’s companies offering naturalistic cures through the mail. There were additional patents under the D-Flo Chemical Co. name as well. He was an inventor.

“HE HAS A CASTLE” My heart raced.“He built the castle!” I exclaimed, much too loudly for the library. Finally, I found solid evidence naming Fletcher in a 1928 article from the Omaha World-Herald, “He Has a Castle in His Back Yard,” complete with photos and illustrations. I rushed to the research desk and excitedly told the young librarian what I had unearthed. Of course he didn’t know what I was squealing about.

The article was delightful, whimsical, and well written. It explained that the castle was built of many different stones collected from different places. Dr. Fletcher modeled it after a Normandy castle. He also built a pergola.

There was a Venetian pool filled with lily pads, blooming flowers, and goldfish. There was a rock border outlining the pool and stepping stones of all colors. He built the castle “because he saw the chance of creating something beautiful and artistic to grace his grounds; second, for a retreat from duties close at hand; and third, to typify in stone and mortar things that in life have impressed him.” It is 22 feet high, 16 feet in diameter. The actual family home-hospital contained “20 or more rooms,” with 21 different kinds of wood, and “many fireplaces faced with pottery from Holland.” Fletcher’s then-11-year-old daughter, Donnabelle, would gather her parents “in the castle in the cold weather for an evening of story telling, wienie and marshmallow roast.”

Such wonderful details warmed my heart.

/ H96 /

OmahaHome • July/August 2016

The article also revealed that I was wrong: He didn’t build the castle for children. He built it for himself. My assumption that his medical degree was from a Cincinnati eclectic medical school was incorrect, too. Furthermore, the story contradicted what I previously read about Fletcher being born in Ohio.

I probed deeper into newspaper archives. On March 12 of 1932, I found a World-Herald article under the heading of “New Incorporations”: “Urego Chemical Company; capital, 25 thousand dollars; A.E. and Flossie K. Fletcher and R. Rhoades, incorporators.” That was quite the chunk of change for 1932.

August of 1933 brought two different WorldHerald articles about a grand party at 4025 Izard. A “Castle-Carnival”-themed party described Donnabelle and friends hosting as part of the Job’s Daughters group. Over the years there would be mentions of Donnabelle and her sister Bethel’s involvement with the Order of Job’s Daughters. Job’s Daughters is an organization for young women between the ages of 10 and 20 years old, focusing on teaching leadership, teamwork, public speaking, self-confidence, philanthropy, respect, and responsibility to young women. The international organization remains active today.

SOME ANSWERS, MORE QUESTIONS By 1938, Dr. Fletcher was running ads in the newspaper that described Park Hospital as an “invalid and convalescent hospital.” One ad describes, “Quiet, Restful, Homelike.

Specially trained nurses and physicians. Very low rates, especially for those wishing to make this their home.” I was beginning to wonder who, exactly, worked at Park Hospital. All of the want ads that I saw were worded similar to this one: “Young Lady to learn to be nurse aid.

No tuition to pay. We furnish board, room, laundry, books, and laboratory equipment.

Nor breakage fee to pay. Liberal salary while learning. Apply in person. Park Hospital.” That sounded like a good deal. Who knows how many young gals worked there over the years?

Where did they take their eclectic medical skills after leaving Izard Street?

According to the 1940 U.S. Census, Donnabelle Fletcher was 22 years old and living at home. Asa was 58, Flossie was 47, and Della (possibly Donnabelle’s grandmother) was 77 years old. Servants or hospital staff at the time were: Lucille Store, 23; Doris Vetter, 21; and Margaret McPhodden, 19. In a September 1940 issue of the World-Herald, I discovered Donnabelle Fletcher’s wedding announcement. She married Jack Witte Croft and the wedding was held at the Fletcher home. I envision that glorious event in the backyard. I wondered: were patients and staff involved in family functions?

The World-Herald ran a curious story about the family again on April 10, 1949. The article mentioned Asa and Flossie Fletcher sighting a sea monster while on vacation to the Florida Keys. From the mocking tone of the writing and photo captions, I deduced that the Fletchers had a reputation for being odd. They spotted a sea monster, hosted a hospital in their home, built a castle, and invented eclectic medicines. It might have been too much for conservative Omaha society to handle.

Sadly, Dr. Asa Fletcher died in July of 1955.

The obit mentions not only his castle, but also the sea monster. 4025 Izard then went vacant.

I can’t help but wonder about the closure of Park Hospital. Flossie Fletcher eventually moved to Palm Springs, California. She died there in 1986. Mr. Owen Moore bought the property next. I found his name listed in a 1957 directory. From 1961-1972 Bryan Wilson owned the house.

Fletcher’s medical legacy lingered for a few decades. In April 5, 1979, a World-Herald reader penned a letter asking if anyone knew where she could get a bottle of Urego. I was reminded of time spent looking through my grandmother’s medicine cabinet as a child; I marveled at the ancient blue and brown bottles with hand typed prescriptions taped on. I like to think that by the late 1970s, some woman still had her jar or bottle of 1940s Urego Cream.

feature

POSTSCRIPT After writing my initial blog entry about the mysterious castle, I was delighted to receive many emails further informing my research.

One reader lived nearby in the mid `70s. She was fortunate enough to get a tour of 4025.

“At the time, they said the sanitarium had been for tuberculosis patients (that may have been a short period in its history) and there were still very narrow patient beds on the third floor,” she wrote.

4025 Izard, October 30, 1928 Courtesy of the Nathaniel Dewell Collection at the Nebraska State Historical Society archive

ANOTHER VISIT (NO TRESPASSING) Not long ago, I was walking along Izard Street to get some photos of the property at 4025. I was pleased to see how well-maintained it was.

I had done quite a bit of research about the current owners—Nancy and Douglas Taylor— and knew they are very active in the Walnut Hill Neighborhood Association. In 2011, they were involved in gathering community support to educate and advocate for changes at the Cuming Street gas station due to problematic drinking, drugs, and troubled youths.

The Taylors are true stewards of 4025 Izard and fierce supporters of Walnut Hill. I didn’t want to impose myself, but when one of the owners approached us out front on that day, I was so pleased. I found them to be lovely, gracious, and appropriately cautious. I explained who I was, and that I was writing a story about 4025. The owners certainly understand that people are drawn to the castle and their gorgeous property. They only request that people ask permission BEFORE taking photos and entering their gardens. During this discussion I confessed to them that I had broken their rule as a kid. It felt good to come clean. They allowed us to walk the property with them and take photos.

The Taylors said they bought the property from Mrs. Bryan Wilson. They shared a fantastic black and white panoramic photo taken in the time that Dr. Fletcher ran the Park Hospital.

There were gnomes and yard sculptures with faces visible in the plantings. I could see that it must have been a very healing, spiritual place.

Nancy said they were not sure when the grotto was taken down. There had been a pond with a stream encircling the castle and a stone path with huge crystals lining the walk. We could see the pergola was still intact, made with broken concrete. There is a fence around the property constructed of this same material.

Still curious, I felt compelled to climb that staircase wrapping around the castle’s side.

It was still a thrill. As we walked around the grounds of the property, Nancy shared that she had heard a rumor that Dr. Fletcher used electroshock therapy and invented a therapeutic drink made of urine. She called it the Park Hospital Sanatorium. She alluded to Omaha society viewing Dr. Fletcher as something of a quack in his day. I cannot be sure if any of this is true, only that she had heard these things.

Several decades of Walnut Hill kids grew up nearby the castle. Imagining their stories, my mind runs wild. One reader—who lived on the block from 1949-1997—shared a glimpse at the neighborhood children’s perspective: “the castle’s basement was scary to us as kids and the first floor fireplace was beautiful.” Several readers responded with high praise for the castle’s current owners.

What Dr. Fletcher created in his backyard remains a beautiful thing. The castle inspires fantasy. Imagine the Park Hospital and its parklike setting of the 1920s. It must have been so quiet back then. I dream that is why he named it Park Hospital. As his obituary states, Dr. Fletcher left Omaha a landmark.

4025 Izard Street has always been a bit aloof.

Maybe that’s why the story of the property, the castle, and all the fabulous residents felt so compelling to me. In the fabulous architecture and humongous scale of Omaha’s old homes, there is still so much alive, so much of what we dream for our own lives.

The past sometimes seems better and richer than what is available in today’s world.

Aspirational longings merge dreams of the historical and futuristic. Dreams manifest in the present of Walnut Hill, at a crystalencrusted castle in a private backyard park.

OmahaHome

July/August 2016 • omahamagazine.com

/ H97 /

Neighborhoods story by Ryan Borchers / photography by Bill Sitzmann

VILLA SPRINGS BOAT-DRIVEN LIVING

D

RIVE ABOUT THREE miles south of Springfield,

Nebraska, and you’ll find Villa Springs on the north shore of the Platte River, a private neighborhood more or less enclosed by a ring of cottonwood trees. If you drive around the neighborhood, you’ll find all manner of houses in an eclectic mix of colors, styles, and designs.

Many of the houses do feature one thing in common: boats in the driveways.

That is because Villa Springs is a lake community, sitting on the banks of a sandpit lake.

“It’s about a 40-acre lake, good for skiing, swimming, fishing,” says Gary Partusch, 50, president of the Villa Springs Homeowners Association.

/ H98 /

OmahaHome • July/August 2016

Partusch, who is married with four kids and works for a dairy company in Omaha, has lived in the neighborhood since 2001. The property lots, ranging in size from about a half acre to two acres in size, are spread out, making Villa Springs unique for a lake community.

“It makes it very nice to be spread out [and] have room,” he says. “More yard to mow, more stuff like that.”

The average house in the neighborhood costs about $300,000-$500,000. There are 90 homeowners on the lake, Partusch says, and they are a mixed group.

Some are older people who are retired and spend their winters in warmer climates, while others are younger.

“People are very friendly, very nice,” he says. “[You] take walks and boat rides and see people on the lake and talk. It’s a good living community.”

The neighborhood has an annual picnic as well as a Christmas party. There’s also a spring cleanup in which all the neighbors pitch in to help keep the lake beautiful. Many people enjoy fishing, and last year, the community held a fishing tournament. The lake contains a great deal of fish, including large-mouth bass, bluegill, walleye, and catfish.

“We stock it with fish,” Partusch says, most of which are catch-and-release. “We take pride in having a good fishing lake.”

One can also find a great many birds in the neighborhood—turkeys, ducks, bald eagles, and migrating pelicans. A few families of geese with new babies are making their home there currently. There’s also some deer and a beaver in the lake. >

July/August 2016 • omahamagazine.com

/ H99 /

Neighborhoods

< “I got three walnut trees,” Partusch says.

“I see lots of squirrels.”

In many ways, though, Partusch says, Villa Springs is a regular sort of neighborhood.

“People have difference of opinions,” he says. “It’s hard to have 85…people, different families, agree on everything.

“I think that’s with any community.”

Like any other community, it has its share of garden-variety neighborly disputes; though, true to character, some of the neighborhood’s disputes revolve around how to make the best use of the lake.

“There’s a group of people who…couldn't care less about fishing,” Partusch says. “And there’s a group of people who love to fish.

And then there’s also people [who]…want to waterski or swim or tube or whatever.

And there’s some other people that don’t even own a boat.”

/ H100 /

OmahaHome • July/August 2016

The lake adds value to the community, and at the same time, each homeowner feels some personal ownership in regard to it. However, he says, the neighborhood mostly ma nages to accommodate everyone’s wishes.

“I think we have a pretty good balance.”

The most surprising thing about living here, Partusch says, is how quiet and peaceful it is.

“The quietness of being out of the city,” he says. “You can sit there on a Sunday afternoon and just sit out on the lake.”

Indeed, that is the big impression one gets when driving down Cottonwood Lane, the blacktop road that circles the lake. There are people out and about on a Saturday afternoon, but generally the area is pretty quiet. More than anything, drivers want to appreciate just how nice everything looks.

The neighborhood boasts a robust number of cottonwood, elm, and ash trees due to its proximity to the river, making the scene shine with green and gold, especially when the sun peaks out. There are several spots along the road where people can stop, look to one side, and catch a view of the Platte River through the tree line. On the other side is the lake, the wind rippling on its surface.

“I really think it’s a really great place to live,” Partusch says. “I really have no intentions of going anywhere.” OmahaHome Visit villaspringslake.com for more information.

B2

B

Aâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; S

2015 Winner

ine

Om ah a

ess-to-Busines sin sM Bu OMA H a

z ga

â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Feature story by Mandy Mowers / photography by Bill Sitzmann

TIBURON RIDGE LANDING PAD "

Y

MRS. NEBRASKA AT HOME

OU JUST HAVE to figure out the flow of your family,”

Gregg Hart says. “And I think you don’t know what you really need until you’ve lived in a few houses.”

Gregg and wife Jennifer, who reside in Tiburon Ridge near 180th Street and Highway 370, configured their house to fit what could be called a crazy-active lifestyle.

The f low of their family life revolves around the kitchen and living area, which are wide open to one another. Since their three kids always seem to be eating, they built the cupboards around a double-door fridge. Their walk-in pantry is well-stocked and hides small appliances like the toaster and microwave. >

/ H102 /

OmahaHome • July/August 2016

July/August 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ omahamagazine.com

/ H103 /

Feature

< In the middle of the kitchen is a bar-height island with a blindingly white granite countertop. “We liked a bar in the kitchen because we stand a lot when we eat, since we’re always on the move,” Gregg says.

Connecting the kitchen to the garage is a hallway with lockers, giving everybody a place to drop their gear on their way inside the house and to grab it quickly on the way out.

On another side, the kitchen/dining area has big double doors they ordered by special request leading to the hole that’s being carved into the ground for a pool. “I wanted to be able to walk right out from the kitchen to our backyard oasis,” Jen explains. “No stairs.”

The pool isn’t the only work in progress outside. Houses are popping up all over. The Harts were about the third house in the neighborhood in November of 2014 when they moved in, and they’ve been delighted by how many kids now live nearby, whom their three can spend time with.

The kids’ rooms are upstairs.

Sons Hudson, 12, and Harrison, 10, share a connected closet and a Jack-and-Jill bathroom between their rooms. Daughter Hayden, 9, has a bathroom to herself.

There’s also a den upstairs, which serves as a toy and game room for the kids. Jen says, “When they have a sleepover with friends, they can camp out in here, and you don’t even hear them.”

/ H104 /

OmahaHome • July/August 2016

WE PAD THE FURNITURE NOT THE PRICE!

Residential/Apartment Moves • Assisted Living/Estates • Pianos/Antiques/Safes • Office Relocation/Industrial Moves • Self Storage/PODS/Loading/Unloading • Moving Statewide in Iowa & Nebraska

Heading back down the stairs is an industrial-looking banister built custom, in a single piece, by Bender Ornamental—a finishing touch before closing.

“You can’t close on a house until you have a railing up,” Gregg says.

“The day we were supposed to close, they were over here putting this up.

A lady had to come over here and watch them finish the install before we could close.”

The banister is one example of how, as Gregg says, “Jen likes to do things different—nothing standard.”

•

BEST OF OMAHA WINNER 2006-2016 WE APPRECIATE YOUR VOTE FOR BEST MOVING COMPANY!

Quality Moving Professionals • Serving the Metro Area For Over 45 Years FREE ESTIMATES • Competitive Rates • Insured & Licensed

402.291.2490 jimsmovinginc.com

Omaha, NE

Thank You Omaha!

For décor, they like simple, clean looks: dark gray with white contrast.

402.575.0102 bigbirgeplumbing.com

Jen and Gregg’s bedroom is on the first floor, along with an office large enough for both of them to work at a T-shaped desk. They both work in pharmaceutical sales, so their home office is a nice landing pad for them between trips.

Specif ically, they now both work i n onc olog y ph a r m a c eut ic a l sales. Gregg moved into oncolog y a f ter seeing Jen so pa ssionate about her work.

“Oncology is so different,” Jen explains. “It’s really motivating to do what you do because you feel like you’re really helping someone.”

“Our products a re a llowing patients to live longer,” Gregg says.

“To maybe see a life event—see a child born, somebody get married, or a graduation. And that’s important.” >

We Would Appreciate Your Vote for Best of Omaha!

Mon-Thu 10-6 • Fri-Sat 10- 5 Sun 12-4

www.bestofomaha.com Quick Vote Code: 97638

12965 W. Center Rd. | 402.778.0650 House-of-J

July/August 2016 • omahamagazine.com

/ H105 /

Feature

< In addition to busy sales jobs, Jen co-directed the Mrs. Nebraska Pageant for six years, retiring after the last season. In 2009, she was crowned Mrs. Nebraska after never considering herself a pageant person.

“I never did that growing up. I was a total tomboy,” she says.

A few of her friends (including Jen’s would-be co-director Jennifer Bradley) encouraged her to participate. Eventually, she agreed, craving the discipline to get fully back into shape after having three children—and having an end date of standing on stage in a swimsuit helped.

As co-director, Jen got to experience the challenge of recruiting women like her, people who had never considered a pageant, who grew confident as they participated. She says, “It was such a great experience and so rewarding.”

The competitive nature of the pageant made sense to Jen, a former college athlete.

/ H106 /

OmahaHome • July/August 2016

Jen and Gregg met on the Indiana University track team. She threw shot put, discus, hammer throw, and weight. Gregg also threw the discus and shot put, winning three Big 10 Championship titles. He went on to compete in post-collegiate discus competitions, including competing at four Olympic trials.

It’s not surprising then that their children are extremely active. The two boys are in the midst of select baseball season, with football, basketball, and volleyball on the way.

As if they’re not busy enough, Jen coaches Harrison’s basketball team and Gregg is one of Hudson’s baseball coaches.

All these activities keep the Harts on the move and grateful for friends and family who help.

Fittingly, Gregg explains how they make it all work: “It’s teamwork.” OmahaHome

B

Om ah a’ s

B

l Art Gall etai ery tR es

201 6 Wi n ner

Bu

st Place 2016 Fir

ess-to-Busi n sin OMAH ess

B2

B

A’

S

HA ’

e azin ag

O

S

2B

M

to-Busi essne ss sin MA

ne azi ag

apconstructomaha.com

Bu

LewisArtGallery

M

402.740.0800

Oma ha ’s

• Residential Roofing • Roof Maintenance & Repair • Licensed, Bonded, Insured & Locally Owned in Papillion, NE

2016 Winner

KETV 7 • Baxter Arena

• FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED SINCE 1971 • ORIGINAL ART, UNIQUE ACCESSORIES, AND GIFT ITEMS FOR EVERY STYLE & BUDGET • OVER 400 LAMPS • 1 WEEK AFFORDABLE CUSTOM FRAMING

LEWISARTGALLERY.COM 8600 CASS ST • 402.391.7733 MON-FRI 9AM-6PM • SAT 9AM-3PM

Insurance Claims Welcome

Did that last storm do a number on your roof? No need for you to worry. If your roof sustained fire, snow or hail damage, the repairs can be costly.

We are your wind and hail damage experts and accept insurance claims so you won’t have to pay for the repair work yourself.

• KNITTING • CROCHET • NEEDLEPOINT

• BUTTONS • QUILTING FABRICS • CLASSES AVAILABLE

PERSONALTHREADS.COM

for Over 14 YEARS July/August 2016 • omahamagazine.com

/ H107 /

Feature story by Daisy Hutzell-Rodman / photography by Bill Sitzmann

THE BANSES

A SPACIOUS HOME IN BLACKSTONE

/ H108 /

OmahaHome â&#x20AC;¢ July/August 2016

W

HEN ENGRA WED Ronald Banse,

“We were awed by the sense of space in this room,” says Ronald as he surveys the main room. “It was the ceilings and the quality. You just don’t find this any place.”

He lived in the Field Club area, while she resided in Dundee. Neither of their former homes would suffice.

Engra, on top of her attraction to the mansion’s space and heritage, has an academic appreciation for the structure. She studied architecture in college. “They call it a Georgian Revival home because of the exterior, but equally important is the interior,” she says.

the couple shared a dream for their matrimonial abode. They wanted more space in an older home.

They searched for about a year before discovering a mansion built in 1905 in the now-resurgent Blackstone district.

It’s a grand place, but if you ask the homeowners, it is simply home.

The home offers many original features, such as mahogany throughout the formal dining room. The mahogany stops at the edge of the dining room, where the wood becomes a lessexpensive maple. >

July/August 2016 • omahamagazine.com

/ H109 /

Feature

< “The woods are used according to status,” Engra says. The door jamb is mahogany on the side where the family and guests would have seen it, but becomes maple on the half that would be seen by servants."

The original-looking kitchen was actually completely renovated by Engra to look authentic to the time period. The couple first ripped out the cabinets, which uncovered several windows in the room.

“It was like a whole different room at that point,” Engra says. She then stripped the woodwork and began considering other ways to make the room look even more accurate to its original time period.

A pantry became the refrigerator, which was covered with wood and made to resemble an icebox.

/ H110 /

OmahaHome • July/August 2016

THERE’S A Y IN EVERY FAMILY!

9

YMCA of Greater Omaha Membership Benefits: As the original home would not have featured many appliances, the butler’s pantry has become extra storage. The north side of the pantry is original, but the south side has been expanded.

The couple found 100-year-old glass to maintain the older home’s appearance.

Since they like to entertain, they have made room in the butler’s pantry for a stacking freezer and fridge hidden in the cabinetry.

The home uses radiated heat, and one heater in the butler’s pantry, specifically, is used to help with entertaining. A radiator that resembles a tea tray is perfect for keeping food warm until it is time to serve.

This is a home built with the intention that domestic workers would maintain it. There are two staircases: one main staircase for the family, and a second staircase for hired help.

Although the home uses radiant heat, the place contains two fireplaces. Original green tiles surround one hearth in the main room. Original blue tiles surround the other in the library on the top f loor.

Unlike many homes with multiple hearths, the two fireplaces use the same flue instead of having separate chimneys.

• Group Exercise • Water Exercise • Active Older Adult Programs • • Get Started Program • Childwatch • Parent’s Night Out •

LOCATIONS

JOIN ONE, JOIN ALL!

YMCA OF GREATER OMAHA www.metroymca.org

MELVIN

Locally Owned & Operated For 42 Years

• Retaining Walls • Concrete Coloring, Stamping • Removal & Replacing Existing • Cleaning, Waterproofing & Sealing • Patios, Driveways, Curbs, and Sidewalks

402.81 3.7919

melvincaldwell05@gmail.com melvincaldwellconcreteomaha.com

Throughout the spacious house, original oil paintings by Engra hang on the walls.

There is plenty of room for the couple and their unique possessions.

“What home can accommodate a 7-foottall asparagus?” Engra says of one of her paintings. “It just makes me smile.”

OmahaHome

8415 Maple Street, Omaha NE 402.397.8278 | www.maple85.com July/August 2016 • omahamagazine.com

/ H111 /

Feature story by Kim Reiner / photography by Bill Sitzmann

WHERE FAMILY AND FRIENDS GATHER THE FORALS' VILLA SPRINGS RESIDENCE

/ H112 /

OmahaHome â&#x20AC;¢ July/August 2016

S

TANDARD WINDOWS JUST will not do for Ed

and Diane Foral. Their home's view demands to let the outside in.

Nestled on quiet Cottonwood Lane, which wraps around Villa Springs in Springfield, their south-facing home features a wide view of the Platte River designed to draw you outdoors. “We love the house so much because of all the windows,” says Diane.

Upon entering the couple’s home, guests’ first impression is impactful: An 18-foot tall wall of windows in a barreled ceiling room offers the initial view at the river. It is breathtaking.

Settling on a ranch-like blueprint with zero step entry, the Forals built on their own schedule. It is the third home they’ve built themselves, and they knew what they wanted: from the geothermal heat pumps, to walnut woodwork throughout, to the cabinets.

They also wanted an easily accessible living space, so the comfortable master bedroom is just steps from the front door. The master bathroom has heated tile floors and a walk-in shower, whirlpool, and walk-in closet. >

That view is all part of the Forals’ thoughtful design that reflects where the couple is in life. They knew it would be their last custom-built home. Things had to be ideal, and the home had to suit their needs.

They had lived in Villa Springs for more than two decades, and they were not about to move from the lake community. Instead, they found a lot near the quiet piers of the lake.

July/August 2016 • omahamagazine.com

/ H113 /

Feature < Design changes were made to suit their life now—their kids no longer live at home so they didn’t need as many bedrooms upstairs. What they needed was more room for entertaining during the holidays. On the first floor, the majority of space was already perfectly designed for hosting parties. One part of the first floor that did change was a winding stairwell that blocked the view of the river. That was moved to the side.

Diane and Ed’s grown children, and their families, return for the holidays. On the ground floor, the kitchen—spacious with an island that invites gathering around—is a natural entertaining space. The servery between the kitchen and entry room invites people to linger, too; the bar area has a rustic winery feel to it.

The Forals designed two more spaces for their friends and family: the home’s second floor—with a rec room, playroom, and guest bedroom—and the detached three-car garage. The rec room was originally two bedrooms, but the Forals knocked down the dividing wall and put in a wet bar and home theater seating. The playroom’s movie theme is regularly used to entertain a younger set of guests: the Forals’ five grandchildren.

The heated garage is what Diane describes as a “bar-like” setting complete with an 80-inch TV and a full kitchen with a fryer, smoker, and charbroiler. With all the space, the house easily accommodates dozens, even up to a hundred, as they found with a family reunion last year. Just lift the garage door, Ed points out, and the party can spread out more.

Between the view and the inviting space for guests, it is no wonder their son’s wedding was held there. This home is where family and friends gather.

OmahaHome

/ H114 /

OmahaHome • July/August 2016

402.926.9790 naturesintent.biz

402.926.9769 artisanpools.net

Representing Buyers and Sellers

Since 1973

Your Complete Design Specialist Winner Best of Omaha 3 Years In A Row & Best of B2B 2016 to-Busi essne ss sin MA

O

HA ’

S

2B

ne azi ag

B

Bu

M

Broker Associate Office: 402.934.1590 Cell: 402.681.9040 duane.sullivan@cbshome.com

Custom Draperies & Blinds | Furniture & Accessories | Color Consultation Remodeling & Rearrangement | Home Staging | Tile, Carpet & More...

Oma ha ’s

Duane Sullivan

201 6 Wi n ner

A+ Rating

Office: 402.964.0762 Mobile: 402.670.7566 • www.GloriasElegantInteriors.com July/August 2016 • omahamagazine.com

/ H115 /

Transformations story by brianne wilhelm, allied ASID / photography by Amoura productions

MEET THE DESIGNER

Brianne Wilhelm, Allied ASID, D3 Interiors Transformations is a regular feature of Omaha Home that spotlights a recent project by a local ASID interior designer.

Text and photos are provided by the designer.

UNIFYING THE OUTSIDE WITH THE INSIDE JOAN HEISTAND’S PAXTON CONDO

W

HEN JOAN HEISTAND began her search for the

perfect place to call home in downtown Omaha, she came upon a 2,700-square-foot condo in the Paxton and saw potential in its open flow and natural light. She had already fallen in love with the Art Deco building and its residents when renting a smaller unit there, before she took the leap into ownership.

Heistand saw examples of my previous work in a national publication. After Heistand’s real estate agent gave a referral, she called me for help.

/ H116 /

OmahaHome • July/August 2016

Yves Delorme Bastille Day Sale 20% off | July 8 - 18

Our first visit to the condo revealed a unit broken into separate spaces that seemed choppy and disconnected, with random accent colors on the walls, poor lighting that caused terrible glare, inefficient storage, and seven different flooring materials. The condo included part of the exterior wall of the original historic building, with exposed brickwork and once-exterior windows.

This new home would be Heistand’s sanctuary, her place of comfort and security where she could host friends, neighbors, and family, including her four grown children and 12 grandchildren.

Guided by her strong sense of what makes good design, she knew the “look” she wanted to achieve. On a mission to find the right balance of comfort and style that reflected her personality, Heistand and I embarked on a journey to bring her vision to life. The condo needed a breath of fresh air and a vibrancy to match its new owner and location in the heart of downtown.

THE LINEN GALLERY

Visit our new location 8730 Countryside Plaza Omaha NE 68114 www.LinensandDown.com | 402.399.5242

We began by re-drawing the space and tearing out all of the existing flooring that was outdated and disjointed. We assigned each space a purpose and designed furniture layouts and finish selections that would suit the function of each new space. The homeowner fell in love with a large-scale, Italian-inspired tile. Using the same flooring throughout unifies the space; the light color and high polish adds brightness to make it feel larger.

The contractor installed radiant heat coils underneath for maximum comfort.

Silk and wool area rugs anchor the three separate living areas. >

15803 Pacific St. • Omaha, NE • 402-333-5722 • sw-fence.com July/August 2016 • omahamagazine.com

/ H117 /

䜀漀琀 圀椀渀搀漀眀 圀椀渀搀漀眀 倀愀椀渀猀㼀 䜀漀琀 倀愀椀渀猀㼀 䜀漀琀 圀椀渀搀漀眀 倀愀椀渀猀㼀

䰀䄀匀匀 圀䤀一䐀伀圀 ☀ 䐀伀伀刀 伀伀刀 ㄀㄀匀吀匀吀㄀䌀匀吀䌀䰀䄀匀匀 圀圀䤀一䐀伀圀 ☀䐀䐀 䤀一䐀伀圀 ☀ 伀伀刀 䌀䰀䄀匀匀 䰀椀挀攀渀猀攀搀 愀渀搀 䤀渀猀甀爀攀搀

㐀 ㈀ⴀ㘀㌀㤀ⴀ㈀㔀㐀㄀

䰀椀挀攀渀猀攀搀 愀渀搀䤀渀猀甀爀攀搀 䤀渀猀甀爀攀搀 䰀椀挀攀渀猀攀搀 愀渀搀 Licensed and Insured

㐀 ㈀ⴀ㘀㌀㤀ⴀ㈀㔀㐀㄀

㐀 ㈀ⴀ㘀㌀㤀ⴀ㈀㔀㐀㄀ 402.639.2541 ㄀猀琀挀氀愀猀猀眀椀渀搀漀眀愀渀搀搀漀漀爀䀀最洀愀椀氀⸀挀漀洀 1stclasswindowanddoor@gmail.com ㄀猀琀挀氀愀猀猀眀椀渀搀漀眀愀渀搀搀漀漀爀䀀最洀愀椀氀⸀挀漀洀

㄀猀琀挀氀愀猀猀眀椀渀搀漀眀愀渀搀搀漀漀爀䀀最洀愀椀氀⸀挀漀洀

FIGHT

THE BITE No Bugs. No Bites. No Kidding.

402-718-8848 MosquitoSquad.com

$49

Introductory Treatment

1/2 acre or less

100%

Satisfaction Guaranteed.

/ H118 /

OmahaHome • July/August 2016

Transformations

<â&#x20AC;&#x192; All of the can lights received new LED bulbs and trim packages, making them more seamless and efficient. Decorative fixtures were selected for maximum functionality and design impact. Table lighting, floor accent lighting, and task lighting in the kitchen and baths are additional layers of light that, when adjusted, can change the ambiance in the condo completely.

The conversation area just inside the entry has four armchairs encircling a cream ottoman and silky chocolate shag rug, positioned in front of a fireplace wrapped in white Quartzite ledgerstone panels. Here, the original exterior wall of windows is covered with silk drapes, providing a soft and luminous backdrop to the intimate seating arrangement.

This is the perfect place for enjoying a glass of wine and conversation with friends. The adjacent room, with the original brick exterior wall exposed, is the cocktail and wine room with beautiful built-in cabinets and a black mirrored backsplash.

The media lounge has a velvet sofa and storage ottoman facing a custom built-in media center. The third lounge area boasts a large custom sectional upholstered in a textured chocolate velvet, with silk and satin pillows, perfect for curling up with a book or magazine. The artwork in this space is a display of black and white portraits of the grandchildren in mirrored frames.â&#x20AC;&#x192; >

July/August 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ omahamagazine.com

/ H119 /

Specializing in

in peecpia laliczeing FSir s!lace erp ove akier MF

ers! v o e k a M

Fireplace Refacing Custom Mantels Add a Fireplace to ANY ROOM in Your Home

Add a fireplace to any room!

Fireplace Refacing | Custom Mantels 709 N. 132 St. • claxtonfireplace.com 709 N. 132nd St. (next to Lindley Clothing)

Call foraaFREE FREE Estimate!

Estimate! 402-491-0800 Call for 402-491-0800

MAIDS

“Omaha’s Complete House Cleaning Resource”

• Weekly, Biweekly, Monthly • Special One Time Cleanings

& MORE...

• Steam Cleaning Carpets • Upholstery • Tile & Grout • Wood Floor Rejuvenator • “House For Sale” Cleaning Specialist

/ H120 /

www.claxtonfireplace.com Allied Member ASID

Winner of Best of Omaha for 7 Years in a Row!

Quick Vote Code for Home Cleaning Service: 90463 Same day and weekend availability!

See additional discounts and pricing info at

maidsandmore.com 402.572.6243

Stephanie & Jim Lovely We started Maids & More here locally to offer you a professional, affordable service from people you can trust

OmahaHome • July/August 2016

Transformations

< The kitchen was already outfitted in highgloss European cabinetry, but we installed new Cambria quartz countertops and a simple, modern glass backsplash. The pantry was completely redesigned, adding functional built-in storage, an ice machine, and a second refrigerator. A water system was installed to filter, soften, and condition the water. The den was transformed into a home office/guest bedroom for the grandkids, with two murphy beds that come out of the back wall. The master bedroom features a channeled leather headboard flanked by strips of hand-painted wallpaper and two elongated crystal pendants.

The master bath was refreshed with new Cambria quartz surfaces and sinks. A new closet system was designed to house clothing, shoes, handbags, and accessories.

After many months of construction and installations, the resulting space is one with an incredible energy, filled with neutral palettes, sumptuous textures, a clean and modern aesthetic, interesting art, and countless objects that have become treasures. Visitors can expect a bottle of wine, lit candles, and songs by Andrea Bocelli in the background. But most of all, visitors can expect conversation about travel, grandchildren, and life’s experiences.

OmahaHome

July/August 2016 • omahamagazine.com

/ H121 /

Omaha’s FINEST DRY CLEANERS providing quality care for all your valued garments.

OUR SERVICES: Dry Cleaning n Executive Shirts n Linens & Bedding n Alterations n Shoe Care n Wedding Gowns n Fur & Leather n Precious Heirlooms n Fire & Water Restoration n

Offering FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

SAVE

NOVEMBER /

75

%

Don’t miss a single issue of Omaha Magazine

402.342.3491

or go online: fashioncleaners.com For a list of locations and to find out more about home pick-up and delivery

/ H122 /

OmahaHome • July/August 2016

LAUREN GARRISON Surly Lass, British Sass BOBSLEDDIN G? IN NEBRASKA? Olympic Gold Medalist Curtis Tomas evicz BEST DOCTORS OMAHA 20152016

Rev. John Je

nk

FROM OM ins AH

A NOTREto D AME

omamag.com/save RV Dealer

2016 First Place KETV 7 • Baxter Arena

WE HAVE

YOUR WAY OF CAMPING

Serving the Omaha Metro Area and Its surroundings since 1993.

All Our services come with a lifetime Guarantee!

402.301.7206 | 1913 Vinton St. americaglasscompany.com

pick-up and delivery right to your door!

CALL

DECEMBER 2015

Exclusive Dealer For Jayco, Starcraft, Lance, KZ, DRV, and Newmar

800.756.7344 | 402.292.1455 1120 FORT CROOK ROAD, BELLEVUE, NE 68005 APACHECAMPER.COM LOCATIONS ALSO IN LINCOLN & KEARNEY

It’s everything you want in your home – from its fresh architectural style and detailing, to the classic timelessness that feels as perfect for your life today as it will in the years to come. It’s also why Curt Hofer & Associates is the area’s most inspired high-end homebuilder. Imaginatively conceived, flawlessly executed – let Curt Hofer & Associates create and build your new custom home.

FRESH. SIMPLISTIC. CLASSIC. It begins with an idea. Please contact Curt Hofer & Associates at 402.758.0440. For an appointment, visit curthofer.com or see our Ideabook at houzz.com/curthofer.

16820 Frances St., Ste. 102 | Omaha, NE 68130 | Phone: 402.758.0440 | www.curthofer.com

—— A Curt Hofer Company ——

As Expansive As All Outdoors As intimate as a private retreat. As close to ideal as your imagination can take you. As close to civilization as you want to be yet as far away from ordinary as you can get.

Just off Blair High Road (Hwy 133) on County Rd 37

180th & Military Road Bennington

4 Miles North of I-680 on US 75

220th & Schram Road Gretna

Welcome to Jasper Stone Development Premier Acreage Lots!

Your Dream Begins. Call Today!

For additional information: 402.255.5750

4

www.jasperstonedevelopment.com

SHOP THE LOOK: Pella® Architect Series® premium fiberglass entry door with Pella Insynctive® technology.

Come home to

COMFORT. Of all the projects you hope to accomplish this summer, window and door replacement is something you’ll appreciate for years to come. Summer is an ideal time to say goodbye to your old drafty windows and doors — to make your home more comfortable and lower heating and cooling costs. Call your local Pella Showroom today for a free in-home consultation.

ows and Doo ind rs W

LINCOLN: 6891 A STREET, SUITE 118, CLOCKTOWER CENTER OMAHA: 9845 SOUTH 142ND STREET 8 55 - 414 - 55 32

2016 First Place KETV 7 • Baxter Arena

PELLAOMAHA.COM/HOMEMAG

© 2016 Pella Corporation