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A LWAY S L O C A L , A LWAY S B E AU T I F U L

MAY 2019

GEORGE HAECKERâ€™S ARCHITECTURE // HAND-POLLINATED TOMATOES // MODERN CONDO TRANSFORMATION // GIBRALTAR NEIGHBORHOOD

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OmahaHome E N T R Y WAY

CON TEN TS 3

OmahaHome Entr y way

Maker THE ART OF SIT TING

Spaces THE SLOANS' THRIVING REEF

Neighborhoods G I B R A LTA R : T H E R O C K O F C O U N C I L B L U F F S

A rchitecture GEORGE HAECKER’S DESIGN FOR LIVING

Feature EL IZ A BE TH GA M M ’S BR ADY BU N CH DIL EM M A

At Home F I E L D C L U B H O M E E M B O D I E S O W N E R S ’ PA S S I O N F O R A R T

Har vest H A N D - P O L L I N AT E D T O M AT O E S

Transformations

“Life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it.” —Charles R. Swindoll

s I lay in bed on March 16, little did I know my spring DIY project would have to wait. A neighbor ringing the doorbell brought the dreaded news. The Platte River’s rushing waters had breached our private lake community. It wasn’t long before the floodwaters reached the beach and our basement. With adrenaline pumping, we acted fast to carry what we could upstairs from the lower level. Luckily, we were able to save just about everything that was not attached to a wall or floor. In retrospect, we were incredibly fortunate. So many Nebraskans lost everything in floods across the state. In our experience, the devastation was nothing compared to the flood of love from friends, family, and coworkers. We were safe, sound, and surrounded by kindness. I look back on this experience as an opportunity to start fresh and stay organized— something I have been wanting to do anyway. Things can be replaced, but people cannot. Keeping life’s priorities in perspective is important. Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by the flooding. For many, the consequences will linger for months and years. In trying times, remember to find ways to help those who are struggling. That’s the Nebraska way, #NebraskaStrong.

FA S T- F O R WA R D F R O M R E T R O T O M O D E R N

ON THE COVER

When Chris and Elizabeth Gamm bought their ranch-style home in Regency, the retro design seemed straight from The Brady Bunch. Learn more about their renovation on page 28. Photo by Bill Sitzmann.

Sandy Matson Contributing Editor

VOLUME 9 · Issue 3

EDITORIAL Executive Editor DOUG MEIGS Managing Editor DAISY HUTZELL-RODMAN Senior Editor TARA SPENCER Editorial Interns PUMULO KASAJI · KATE SMITH Contributing Writers LEO ADAM BIGA · TAMSEN BUTLER · KIM CAHOY SALLIE ELLIOTT · JENNIFER LITTON · PATRICK MAINELLI PATRICK MCGEE · LINDA PERSIGEHL · KARA SCHWEISS

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May 2019

MAKER story by Jennifer Litton

photography by Bill Sitzmann

design by Mady Besch

The Art of Sitting C H A I R S T H AT D E M A N D AT T E N T I O N ean Suiter wants you to look at his handmade chairs. Study them. Sit in them. What do you see? You’re exactly right if you think you’re looking at something extraordinary. Suiter’s chairs, some made of walnut and some made of cherry, take him over 200 hours to build in his home studio. The simple act of building them is a pleasure he feels lucky to partake in. Suiter, an Omaha patent attorney, and his wife, Sarah, live in an art-filled West Omaha home brimming with flowers and books. Their home is quite lively thanks to two talented sons, Max and Ian, and two welcoming dogs, Marco and Polo. He is inspired by building chairs and likes chairs so much that he affectionately nicknames them. Case in point, an aptly named rocking chair, Mr. Longrockers, rests at the top of a spiral staircase. The chair was made by his father. Suiter, a fan of the artists Dali, Rodin, Bosch, and Raphael (to name a few), enjoys contemplating the meaning of art. “I was thinking about reductionism and sitting and what it means,” he says. “When people come into a room, they subconsciously think about where they will sit.” He says people consider if they will be in the way, whether someone else might want to sit in a particular place, and whether or not the place they intend to sit will be comfortable and safe.

“I live inside my head,” he says. “So, I just thought about how would one make a chair that looked impossible? And then went about doing it.” He says that visitors often notice the multicolored chair just off the entrance of his sprawling home. The chair, made of anilinedyed birch veneer formed into plywood, is also somewhat of a puzzle. “People think there is something wrong with that chair. They can’t put their finger on it, but what it is, is that it doesn’t have four legs.” He makes his chairs—there are 10 so far—with a hand-stitched rasp from France. A rasp is a hand tool used to shape wood. “They're all shaped and done by hand. That’s what gives my chairs that organic look,” he says. For his chairs, he uses the same type of wood used by guitar-makers—claro walnut, figured maple, and cherry. He knows this because he also makes acoustic guitars. He credits his education in woodworking to two Nebraska men: a teacher and his father. Harold Grimes was his junior high woodshop teacher in McCook, Nebraska. Grimes taught him, “You can do better. It’s not finished yet.” His father, James Suiter, was named an All-Nebraska Artist after winning “Best of Show” at the Nebraska State Fair for his handmade rocking chairs in 2015.

The attorney-turned-maker says he learned the art of not being afraid to fail from his father. “I was never afraid to try something,” Suiter says. “It’s liberating, isn’t it, if you don’t have to succeed all of the time? If something isn’t going well, it’s OK for it to be a failure. You can put it down and learn from your mistake.” Now, Suiter is passing his woodworking artistry to his own children. His son, Max, helps him with chairs during weekends. Suiter believes that everyone has an artist in them. He says that if people didn’t have to spend as much time focusing on “banal things like feeding themselves and their families and providing shelter over their heads,” more art would be made. “If you have enough resources and the desire and time, you have more time to make wonderful things.” The website showcasing Suiter’s chairs contains one word, “banausic,” and photos of his chairs. “Banausic” is derived from the Greek word “banauskos,” and means “of or for artisans—not artists.” Suiter says banausic is the opposite of art (“functional and banal”). Webster’s New World Dictionary defines the word as "merely mechanical, materialistic, mundane, or utilitarian.” Seated in one of Suiter’s chairs, it’s easy to feel the material artistry of Suiter’s work while pondering the deeper meaning of art itself. Visit banausic.com for more information.

May 2019

S PAC E S

The Sloa nsâ€™

T hriving Reef

AN EPIC AQUARIUM IN ELKHORN

May 2019

S PAC E S story by Tamsen Butler

rive past the Sloan residence in Elkhorn and—if your eyes catch a glimpse of the front window, especially in the evening hours—there is a good chance you’ll slow your vehicle or feel compelled to stop and stare awhile.

Four thousand gallons of saltwater run through the house hourly to keep the aquarium running and the fish healthy.

Your lingering gaze won’t be because the house itself is impressive (though it is), but because of the massive saltwater aquarium visible through the window. Stewart and Diane Sloan admit they’ve witnessed more than one vehicle parked outside their home while the passengers watch the aquarium. Situated in the kitchen and viewable from both sides, this 300-gallon aquarium was a collaborative effort between the Sloans, Wood Specialties, homebuilder Curt Hofer & Associates, and Scott Ruff of Ruff Waters Inc. “This was something that has not been done in Omaha to this level,” says Ruff, explaining that a functioning aquarium of this size is extremely rare in residential settings. Four thousand gallons of saltwater run through the house hourly to keep the aquarium running and the f ish healthy. A small mechanical room in the lower level of the home is dedicated to the pumps and f iltering system. “A lot of details went into this aquarium,” Ruff says. “The last thing you’d want is for something like this to fail in a home.” Surprisingly, this is the f irst aquarium for the Sloans. Stewart says that the aquariums at Kona Grill were an inspiration for him. They all laugh when they remember a lunch meeting at Kona to start planning the aquarium. “Do

photography by Bill Sitzmann

design by Mady Besch

you know what Scott ordered?” asks Diane, laughing. “Sushi!” The irony of an aquarium specialist ordering f ish for lunch was not lost on them. Though Stewart had some ideas for what he wanted the aquarium to be, he and Diane had one important rule: “I did not want to be the one maintaining it,” Stewart says. “We couldn’t maintain this,” Diane says, to which Stewart laughs and adds, “We can’t maintain ourselves!” All they have to do is feed the f ish and enjoy the view. A Ruff Waters technician takes care of the cleaning and maintenance. “The f ish don’t like Travis [Bartman],” Diane says. She claims that the f ish remember faces, so while they’ll gather at the glass when she approaches, they’ll all hide when Bartman comes around with his cleaning tools. Diane runs a tight ship with the f ish in her aquarium. “Diane taps on the glass when the f ish get naughty,” Stewart says. She enjoys giving visitors a tour of the tank, using a f lashlight to point out the different f ish and the anemones. Each f ish has a story—and a name. “They all have different personalities,” Diane says. And while Stewart says the “clownf ish are always a favorite,” they both agree that Popeye the shrimp is their very favorite aquarium resident. The aquarium turned out “ better than I envisioned,” Diane says. The people in cars coming to a screeching halt outside their house would probably agree. Visit ruffwaters.com for more information.

Gibraltar:

The Rock of Council Bluffs

A Vibrant, Historic Neighborhood on the Rise

OmahaMagazine.com

NEIGHBOR HOODS story by Linda Persigehl

photography by BIll Sitzmann

ordon Hitchcock is a selfproclaimed “old house geek,” and has been since childhood. “I subscribed to This Old House magazine when I was 13,” he admits. So, in 2013, when he went looking for an affordable, old home where he could invest some “sweat equity” and house his licensed massage therapy practice, he looked no further than the Gibraltar neighborhood of Council Bluffs. Located at the base of the Loess Hills, it is one of the area’s oldest neighborhoods and includes the Willow/Bluff/Third Street Historic District. Its boundaries are the top of Fifth Avenue west to Fourth Street, and Ninth Avenue north to St. Peter’s Church. Gibraltar was named for a rugged, 250-foot-high dirt mound resembling the Iberian landmark (the Rock of Gibraltar), which once sat at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Third Street. The massive hill was razed in the mid-1950s to allow for more home construction. The neighborhood’s 200-plus homes represent a variety of architectural styles. Many were built by railroad titans, military generals, doctors, lawyers, and prominent businessmen in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Gibraltar is also home to the historic Bregant House (at 517 Fourth St.), built for two married entrepreneurial vaudeville stars with dwarf ism.

design by Mady Besch

Hitchcock has spent six years converting his massive 1868 Italianate villa—which was originally built by a retired judge and included a small law off ice space—from apartments back into a single-family home. Thankfully, most of the house was brought up to code in the early ’90s, with new HVAC, plumbing, and electric wiring, he says. While he’s made great progress on the f irst and second f loors, the basement and large attic space remain unf inished. If converted, the house’s usable area will be 6,400 square feet. It’s “my little art project,” he jokes.

Where Community and Architecture Meet Gibraltar’s ornate, one-of-a-kind, turn-of-the-century residences initially draw many prospective homebuyers. But it’s more than the homes that make the neighborhood special. Retired couple Amy and Dave Adams have lived in Gibraltar for 20 years—f irst on Third Street, then relocating to Clark Avenue in 2003. Their Craftsman-style home, built about 1912, is on a dead-end street and backs to a private wooded area. “But the best part of our home is the view,” Amy says. “We have trees all around us…beautiful red maples. And old, lovely homes that are wellmaintained.” They have two porches from which to enjoy the scenery.

While they appreciate the handcrafted woodwork, pocket doors, and charms of their “warm and cozy” home, it’s their neighbors that they would miss most if they left, Amy says. They credit the Gibraltar Neighborhood Association (GNA) for promoting a real sense of community among a diverse homeowner base. Amy served on its board for a time, as did her husband as treasurer. “The association does a wonderful job dealing with streets and curbing and other issues, working with the city to resolve them,” she says. “They’ve also done a lot to grow homeowner participation. There are always new members joining, serving, coming to events. We’ve met some great people.” The Adamses enjoy attending the annual GNA Christmas party, hosted by a different homeowner each year, and try to attend the regular social meetings held by GNA. “It’s hard to get to meet everybody, so we’ve decided to appoint block captains to help with f low of communication.”

14 Brooks Residence, 304 Willow Ave., Council Bluffs, IA

May 2019

NEIGHBOR HOODS

OmahaMagazine.com

Developing Neighborhood Initiatives Amy says that when they moved in 16 years ago, “We were the young people on the block. Now we’re the older folk. The neighborhood is transitioning. A young woman down the street just bought her mother’s house. You’re seeing that more…homes becoming multi-generational.” A prime example is Cory Peters. The graphic designer has been a Gibraltar resident for most of her life. “I was born and raised four houses down from where I live now,” she says. Today, she resides in the midcentury ranch home she bought from her parents in 2000 (which was built where the namesake dirt mound once sat). A former GNA president and its current newsletter editor, Peters was instrumental in helping Gibraltar win second place in the Neighborhoods, USA national competition in the “Social Revitalization” category in 2016. Peters says since its founding just 10 years ago, GNA has been proactive, partnering with groups like Habitat for Humanity, The 712 Initiative, City of Council Bluffs, historical groups, and others on ways to improve Gibraltar and the community as a whole.

May 2019

To date, GNA has spearheaded the effort to create and install historic district banners on streetlights throughout Gibraltar. It’s also contributed funds to buy new holiday decorations for nearby Bayliss Park, as well as helped raise money for Historic General Dodge House. Currently, GNA sponsors an annual spring clean-up day, and the association's sidewalk repair initiative is ongoing. Gibraltar participates in a historical home bus tour, along with Fairmont Park and Bayliss Park neighborhoods. Recently, the association also initiated an art project at Fourth and Worth streets. “We pitched the idea of a historic mural being installed on the south wall of the Pottawattamie County Genealogical Society building adjacent to some green space,” Peters says. “The contents of the mural will be decided by neighbors and include imagery from Council Bluffs from the last 150 years. The goal is to have the mural in place in late spring.” Peters says GNA has worked with The 712 Initiative in recent months to purchase a block party trailer, which houses tables and chairs, barricades, carnival games, coolers, and other items essential for hosting community events. Gibraltar block parties are planned for this summer and fall.

NEIGHBOR HOODS

“All of Council Bluffs will have access to the trailer,” she explains. “We’re going to share it. They can use it to build neighborhood relationships, as well as help bring all people together and build a stronger community.” Peters is proud of what GNA has accomplished in its short existence, but says it has no shortage of goals moving forward. Its longterm planning guide on its website spells out the details. “Being fairly young, we’re lagging behind many Omaha developments,” she adds. “We’re still learning and have a ways to go.”

Affordable History Near Downtown Omaha Two of Gibraltar’s newest residents are David and Anna Brooks. The couple purchased a three-story Colonial Revival built around 1906 (the exact year is disputed), in December 2017. David, 31, was drawn to Gibraltar because of its proximity to his downtown Omaha off ice, where he practices law, and Fairmont Park with its running trails. Anna, 28, who works in f inance from home, also loves having Bayliss Park, the Old Market, the library, and Council Bluffs’ city center a close jaunt from home. The couple are expecting their f irst child, a girl, this spring.

Gibraltar’s ornate, one-ofa-kind, turnof-the-century residences initially draw many prospective homebuyers. But it’s more than the homes that make the neighborhood special.

OmahaMagazine.com

Evans Residence, 212 S. 3rd St., Council Bluffs, IA

NEIGHBOR HOODS

The Brooks considered several Omaha metro neighborhoods when relocating from Iowa City, settling on Gibraltar because of the value it offered. “The quality you get for the price over here is tremendous,” Anna says. “Our home has incredible character. We never thought we’d be able to afford a house in this neighborhood.”

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Their home features 9-foot-high ceilings and 8-foot-tall windows, allowing great natural light. A three-season porch and an oversized corner lot are other features that captured the hearts of the Brooks. “And we have a great view of downtown Omaha from our second- and third-f loor windows,” Anna adds. David, who serves as GNA secretary, feels a civic duty to helping Gibraltar prosper. “Older neighborhoods have suffered and are still recovering from urban sprawl,” David says. “Having a strong downtown core is important, and this neighborhood is central to that effort in Council Bluffs.” David says they look forward to spending many years in their home. “The character of the people in this neighborhood is amazing,” he adds. “Life throws twists and turns at you, and our neighbors are extremely supportive. We don’t have much family here, and so they’ve turned into our new family.” Visit gibraltarna.org for more information.

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May 2019

A RCHITEC T UR E story by Leo Adam Biga

photography by Bill Sitzmann + Provided

design by Mady Besch

GEORGE HAECKER ’ S DESIGN FOR LIVING “TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT A BUILDING WANTS TO BE.”

May 2019

on't look for ostentatious displays in the work of award-winning Omaha architect George Haecker. He's a form-followsfunction man, whether designing residential, commercial, or civic projects. Above all, his organic approach tries “to avoid cliches,” he says. “The architectural world is just inundated with cliches,” he says. “I think architecture is way too important as a physical presence in our world, city, and neighborhoods to be trendy. I think the manifestation of it needs to be mature and careful and, hopefully, timeless. It's public sculpture, whether you like it or not.” Haecker strives for subdued, not showy, answers to whatever a project's needs are. “The thing I bring is, ultimately, an originality to the solution but not an artif icial imposition of a style or a big statement,” he says. “I don't look for the f inished product to show off in any way. It might subtly, but you kind of have to look at it twice to say, 'Well, that's something different.’ I don't like to shout and yell and just grab your attention. I want it to be more comfortable and, of course, livable.” Haecker communes with the unborn structure by “trying to understand what a building wants to be.” “Every project has a context, a location, an owner, a program, and a need, and the architect's thought is to try to meld, digest, and mix that all together,” he says. “All kinds of factors inf luence the result, including budget.”

A RCHITEC T UR E

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate, whose brother Foster Woods Haecker and son Alex Haecker are also architects, broadened his own vision working for f irms in Hawaii, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas Virgin Islands, and New York. “I didn't leave Nebraska to leave Nebraska,” he says. “I like it here very much for many reasons. But, in your youth, you have an itch to look at different things, and that variety of geography and mentors was extremely valuable.” A job offer from Dana Larson Roubal & Associates (DLR) lured him back to Nebraska in 1968. By the early 1970s, he became a founder of the Omaha off ice of BVH Architecture. During his nearly half-century run as a principal and part-owner, leading architectural periodicals published his work, he earned numerous awards from the American Institute of Architects, and he received The Harry F. Cunningham Gold Medal from AIA Nebraska in 2006 (the highest honor that AIA Nebraska bestows upon an individual). He took a hand in such signature public projects as the Gene Leahy Mall and the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge. Historic renovation work is a big segment of BVH's portfolio, and he was part of teams that repurposed Omaha’s Union Station and Union Pacif ic’s Harriman building. An activist in the preservation community for many years, he successfully campaigned to save the Omaha Building downtown. He also wrote the preface for the 1977 book Omaha City Architecture.

His enduring residential works include private homes in and out of Nebraska. Perhaps his personal favorite is the Woods Cottage in Madeline Island, Wisconsin. “It's a traditional lake-shore cottage with low-pitched shingle roofs, big overhangs, a big screened-in porch,” Haecker says. “All the siding and windows are real wood with real mullions. There's no dry wall in it. It's all natural materials inside and out, so it has a real warmth to it. It f its into its environment.” Another out-of-state favorite is the Keene residence in Crested Butte, Colorado. “That was a very special challenge,” he says. “That historic town has strict design guidelines for roof pitches, proportions, and windows. My objective was to design a house that f it into that historic environment with the articulation of the f loor plan, the pitches of the roofs and the selection of materials. The Keene house is, really, pretty contemporary when you stand back and look at it, but you don't see it as an intrusion when you drive down the street or you're inside it.” Back home in the Omaha metro, the Matthews residence in Elkhorn's Skyline Ranches presented the challenge of a new house in a new development. “It's a bigger house—pretty grand really in scale and square footage with a big dining room, great room, and game room,” he says. “The topography there was very much a part of it. It's on a very steep site, so the house steps down the hill with the living levels. It's somewhat dramatic but not glaring in its forms and colors and materials.”

From left: Woods Cottage Madeline Island, WI

From left: Keene Residence, Crested Butte, CO

Spellman Dacha, Niobrara, NE

Liakos Residence, Omaha, NE

May 2019

A RCHITEC T UR E

Matthews Residence, Elkhorn, NE Then there's the Liakos residence in southwest Omaha. He didn't touch the street facade of this house inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie School. But in the back living quarters, he designed a new family kitchen, a new dining room, and a new master bedroom. “The way the old morphs into the new is what's kind of fun with that house,” he says. “It's got big clerestory windows with a lot of light shining in. I like a lot of light, so I use clerestory windows to reach up into the sky and bring light inside.” He also designed a screened-in porch and deck for the property. Whatever the project, it's the architect's intuitive, interpretive expression of the client's program.

Brandzel Cottage, Fremont, NE

“Sometimes all the pieces come together with the owner and the site and the budget, and it's just a joyful passage, and sometimes it doesn't work at all,” Haecker says. “They're hiring you, in the end, to bring your perspective and talent and aesthetic into a compatible solution that they're comfortable with. If you just blindly do what the client wants, you're just going to end up with, probably, a mediocre solution.” It’s a delicate dance. “Without being overt about it, the architect needs to gently inf luence the client to do this or that,” he says. A f ter work ing most of his ca reer in his ow n f irm, he's now in independent practice. Like a lot of architecture shops, he says, BVH “started out loosely organized with unspoken philosophies.

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Then, as we got bigger, more structure crept in and it morphed from a spiritual camaraderie to a business with a board, policy manuals, schedules, payrolls, insurance. That happens to every f irm. I just didn't f it anymore with the structure of the thing. It was just time to step away from that.” Today, he enjoys his well-earned autonomy working from a home studio in the 1929 Memorial Park Tudor he shares with wife, Judy. It's the only home the couple has ever owned. The studio, which he added on, is f illed with overhead windows that stream in light. A large drafting table is its centerpiece. “I still draw by hand,” Haecker says. “A few of us do, but it's a dying breed.” He also writes and paints in his sanctuary of a studio space that's filled with books, maquettes, and artwork. The three-story home has undergone several other tweaks by his design, including adding bay windows in the living room and a study and sunroom in the back.

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Haecker is a collaborating architect with The Architectural Offices in Omaha. He works up conceptual designs for the practice. He also partners on projects with his son, Alex. In a career spanning six decades, Haecker's pretty much done it all in terms of architectural types. “It's happened that way, and happily so,” he says. “I do like the variety— everything from a bridge to a lake cottage—that I've done and been involved with.” Visit georgehaecker.com for more information.

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Omaha Home Always Local, Always Beautiful Bringing you the best Omaha homes, neighborhoods, and home-related businesses. Each issue features a mix of human-interest pieces, architecture proﬁles, unique spaces, neighborhood proﬁles, home transformations, and more. Free with an Omaha Magazine subscription. OmahaMagazine.com/Subscribe

May 2019

F E AT U R E story by Kara Schweiss

photography by Bill sitzmann

design by Mady Besch

Elizabeth Gamm’s Brady Bunch Dilemma Personalization with Respect for Original Design

t’s f itting, though unintentional, that Elizabeth Gamm’s description of her home prerenovation—“Wallpaper, wallpaper, wallpaper!”—evokes the archetypal line “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!” from The Brady Bunch. The ranch-style home was built in 1973, and when Chris and Elizabeth Gamm purchased it in 2017, it looked like a relic from that ’70s TV show.

“There was wallpaper on the walls, ceilings, every where,” Gamm says. “It was very dated.” As outmoded as the f inishes and décor were, the couple could see that the Regency-area home also had some midcentury modern charm (like a large, ’70s-style dressing room) and great potential. “It has a lot of unique angles and features. It has all of these crazy vaulted ceilings in every room and some really cool geometric shapes and angles,” Gamm says. “There’s an outdoor courtyard placed in the center of the home with everything else built around that, so it has glass on all four sides and two sliding doors where you can access the courtyard.”

May 2019

F E AT U R E

May 2019

“It was a little bit o f ‘design on the fly.’ In the end, everything coordinated nicely and came together.” —Elizabeth Gamm

F E AT U R E

The couple waited to move in until the later stages of the renovation, so interior work proceeded rapidly and eff iciently. “We revamped everything,” Gamm says. They removed most of the wallpaper, painted, placed new baseboards, installed engineered hardwood f loors in a whitewashed/pickled f inish, added a powder room, and gutted and reconf igured the kitchen. The original narrow kitchen layout was visually unbalanced and ergonomically challenging, Gamm says. “It was an awkward kitchen to lay out. So, we opened up a wall going into the main living room space, and then we shifted everything around and created a long island in the middle. We actually reused the original wood kitchen cabinets; they had a nice, simple design to them,” she says. “And then we added a pass-through window to the outside, kind of a service window.” The courtyard then became perfect for warm-weather entertaining with outdoor seating, a bubbling rock fountain, and twinkle lights. Except for new paint, the exterior of the home was left mostly alone, Gamm says, although some exposed beams were replaced in cedar and a few cedar accents were incorporated “to tie everything together.” In a deliberate departure from currently popular gray interiors, “we used a lot of whites, linens, and oatmeals, a soft and relaxing palette,” Gamm says. “I incorporated a little black, because there is a lot of original black slate we kept in the home.”

May 2019

F E AT U R E

Gamm, a regional sales manager for Sark Tile, also embraced some trends from her industry. “Patterned [encaustic] tile is really popular right now. We have a feature wall in the powder room that is encaustic. We used a white herringbone in a few spaces,” she says. “We used a lot of Carrara marble, a very classic yet modern f inish. We used some hexagon [tiling], which is also a throwback that’s modern at the same time.” Gamm says she’s glad contractor Raul Meza was f lexible with the construction elements. “It was a little bit of ‘design on the f ly.’ In the end, everything coordinated nicely and came together,” she says. “People have told us they feel like they’re on vacation; the airiness of the home reminds them of resorts they’ve been to. I get a ‘ beachy’ feel from it.” And there was one big surprise.

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“We actually kept some original seagrass wallpaper. Can you believe it?” Gamm says. “The colors add a little warmth into the room, and it anchors the main wall of living room. It actually goes up onto the angled ceiling. It f lanks the back wall nicely.” Visit sarktile.com for more information about the homeowners’ tile choices.

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May 2019

AT HOM E story by Patrick Mainelli

photography by Bill Sitzmann

design by Mady Besch

OmahaMagazine.com

lthough Katie and Craig LeDoux have lived in their Field Club neighborhood home for only a year, the house already contains more than one lifetime of memories. Built in 1910 in the American Foursquare style, their residence is full of tasteful touches common to the unassuming style that’s often described as a middle road between the Prairie School and Craftsman aesthetics. A hearty f ireplace anchors the main living area, while several bay windows open the space to light from all sides. “It had been on the market a while,” Katie remembers. “It was totally empty, unstaged, and the whole main f loor just blended together into one open space. It must have intimidated some people, but we saw right away how we could make it our own.”

Field Club Home Embodies Owners’ Passion for Art OMAHA TRANSPLANTS TAKE RESIDENCE WITH GROWING COLLECTION

Today, it’s hard to picture the space in anything but its current state: bursting with color and meticulously designed, with large works of art dominating each room and dozens of smaller pieces waiting to surprise around every corner. The richly diverse art collection is the fruit of relationships built with artists from around the country and years of traveling and shared memory-making. For nearly every piece hung on the wall or adorning one of the house’s several built-in shelves, there is a story or personal connection attached. “It’s really important to us, when we buy a piece of art, to make or have a personal connection to the artist,” Katie says. “We feel that makes it more meaningful for everyone involved. We love getting to know the creators, the stories behind the pieces, and what inspires them.”

AT HOM E

TODAY, IT’S HARD TO PICTURE THE SPACE IN ANYTHING BUT ITS CURRENT STATE: BURSTING WITH COLOR AND METICULOUSLY DESIGNED, WITH LARGE WORKS OF ART DOMINATING EACH ROOM AND DOZENS OF SMALLER PIECES WAITING TO SURPRISE AROUND EVERY CORNER. The LeDouxs moved to Omaha in May 2017. Coming off of nearly two decades working in Washington, D.C., Katie admits that Omaha wasn’t exactly on the couple’s radar: “We didn’t know anyone who had ever even been to Omaha.” Settling f irst in a downtown apartment, Katie and Craig found themselves quickly taken by their adopted city. “It has everything we enjoy: great restaurants, lots of art galleries and cultural events,” Craig points out. “And everyone is so nice here!” Katie chimes in, relating the story of her early encounter with a passing stranger in the Old Market who offered a cheery, though unsolicited, hello. “My f irst thought was, ‘What does this person want?’” Katie says with a laugh. “That someone would just say hello to a stranger was unexpected. It was almost like I didn’t understand the concept.”

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AT HOM E

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While downtown life was nice, after so many years living amid the bustle of the nation’s capital, the LeDouxs were ready for a little more space. When their realtor asked if the couple would be comfortable with a 20-minute commute (Craig works at Offutt Air Force Base as manager of the U.S. Air Force Heartland of America Band), Craig could only laugh. “It used to take me that long just to get from the off ice and out of the parking lot,” he says. The Field Club neighborhood charmed the couple immediately. “We loved the great mix of quirky different homes,” Katie says. “Plus, it’s so family-friendly. Our f irst Halloween here was so much fun—so many kids and families out on the streets.”

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“The second we walked into this house we knew it was the one,” Craig recalls. It’s apparent that the house took to the LeDouxs rather quickly as well. Although they have only owned the residence since May 2018, the couple’s eclectic taste def ines the space so completely that it feels as if they’ve already spent decades settling in. After cultivating longstanding relationships with artists like Lynn Boggess, Aron Fischer, and Jonathan Blum, the LeDouxs collection now includes a number of commissioned original works. Many of these pieces pay specif ic homage to places from their past

and stories of their time together. From personal references as subtle as a gin and tonic (a favorite cocktail) perched on the head of a hippo (the unoff icial mascot of George Washington University where Katie and Craig met), the collection quietly embodies a narrative story unique to its owners. Nowhere is this more apparent than the home’s front door. Paneled with stained-glass images of f lowers made by Omaha artist Valerie Batt, the door sets the tenor for the home as both art piece and personal history. In the top panel, a sunf lower (a nod to van Gogh, the couple’s favorite artist). Below that, morning glories, ref lecting those grown at Craig’s childhood home. Below that, hydrangea, invoking memories of the couple’s time spent on Cape Cod.

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Ultimately, the collection and the home that contains it are the ref lection of a shared life—one rich with a passion for travel and an appreciation for the new. “We’ve never actually had the conversations about what kind of art we’re looking for,” Craig says. “We’re attracted to abstraction, I suppose, but we’re open to whatever grabs us.” It seems clear that the couple has been “grabbed” by Omaha as well. “I had no expectations,” Katie says, “ but this felt like home right away, like a community I can count on.”

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T he Proof is in the Produce Gardeners may cross many varieties and then grow out the results. Then, they can pick and choose which varieties to save for later planting. Each plant will be at least a little bit different.

OmahaMagazine.com

H A RV E S T story by Patrick McGee

photography Provided

design by Mady Besch

Tomato f lowers are enclosed reproductive systems, meaning that the stamens (the male part) and the pistils (the female part) are totally enclosed. As a result, Porter says, tomatoes don’t cross-pollinate very easily.

hy wait for the bees? Hand-pollination can help home gardeners take their tomato har vests to the next level with crossbred varieties and bountiful yields. John Porter, Urban Agriculture Program Coordinator at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension and College of Agriculture, says it’s an easy and straightforward process. He encourages gardeners to give it a try. Hand-pollination can increase yields in the absence of conditions required to make plants produce.

Pollination and Seeds In order for a tomato plant to create tomatoes, it must be pollinated. Seeds also come from pollinated tomatoes. When left alone, tomatoes will self-pollinate with help from insects and the wind. An heirloom tomato will produce seeds similar to the parent plant because of selfpollination. A hybrid “cultivar” requires starting with a specific male and female plant; however, it is possible to cross any tomato varieties because all tomato plants belong to the same species. Gardeners may cross many varieties and then grow out the results. Then, they can pick and choose which varieties to save for later planting. Each plant will be at least a little bit different. “Cross a red slicing [tomato] and a yellow cherry [tomato], some seeds should end up with different traits from each parent,” Porter says.

The pistil will usually be the center part of the f lower. It is larger and can have multiple sections on it. There are usually multiple stamens arranged around the pistil. “Stamens are a threadlike filament with [what resembles] a pinhead on the top— that’s where the pollen comes from,” Porter says. Pollen is the yellowish powder present in f lowers. Different tomato varieties planted next to one another will not likely crosspollinate, he says. A natural hybrid is therefore unlikely.

The Hand-Pollination Process Porter says breeding tomatoes is a straightforward process: “Basically, you just need to take the pollen from one f lower and pollinate the other one with it. Pick a mother and father plant. You want to take the pollen from the father plant.” The next step is to open up the enclosed f lower to pollinate. Remove the f lower from the father plant and use it (or a tiny paintbrush) to pollinate the open f lower. Porter suggests removing the father plant’s f lower because opening it up will damage the sheath that covers the stamens. “It will be damaged anyway,” he says. Selecting a good candidate female f lower is important. “You’ll want to get it right when it opens up, or a little beforehand, right as it matures,” he says. “At that time, open it up so you can get into the reproductive structure. Remove the male structure, the stamen, so it does not self-pollinate. This is important.” Then, put pollen from the designated male plant onto the stamen of a f lower on the designated female plant. “You want to do

this process a few days before the f lower really opens—just to reduce the chances of self-pollination,” Porter says. Finally, to effectively cross-pollinate, the f lower must be isolated after handpollination. Porter says small paper bags or fine mesh bags will work. “You just want to seal off that f lower so bees or foreign pollen doesn’t pollinate it,” he says. Every f lower in the tomato plant that is hand-pollinated will produce hybrid fruit and hybrid seeds. Each of the handpollinated f lowers must be protected to avoid cross-pollination.

The Mystery of Reproduction Although insects (such as bees) and the wind normally assist in tomato plants’ self-pollination, Porter says that handpollination may be essential for gardeners working in conditions isolated from the natural elements. This may be true of tomatoes growing indoors or in pots on a porch. Rainy weather and excessive heat can also reduce the activity of pollinators. Such conditions further warrant hand-pollination by gardeners. Studies have shown that, in the absence of wind, a fan can significantly increase yield as well. Greenhouse workers sometimes use stingless bees. But hand-pollination will do the trick just as well. Beyond producing unique fruits of the gardener’s own selection, hand-pollination can teach children about natural reproduction. It is a good reminder that in our world of big-box stores and industrial agriculture, our food is not just a commodity—it is alive, complex, and worthy of our respect and admiration. Visit extension.unl.edu for more information.

Fast-Forward

from Retro to Modern S wa n s o n T o w e r s C o n d o R e n o vat i o n

OmahaMagazine.com

T R A NSF OR M AT IONS story by Kim Cahoy & Sallie Elliott

photography by Amoura productions

design by Mady Besch

BEFORE

May 2019

T R A NSF OR M AT IONS

BEFORE

ownsizing from 4,000 to 1,000 square feet is no easy task. With our clients transitioning into a onebedroom condo at Swanson Towers in Omaha, we took a hard look at the space. The condo was like a time capsule untouched since the 1960s. That didnâ€™t phase us (Kim Cahoy of Kimberly Cahoy Designs and Sallie Elliott of Inspired Interiors). We looked for ward to the challenge. Our renovation strategy consisted of a multi-prong approach to the condo. First, we opened up the kitchen to the living room for a more integrated main living area. Then, we reconfigured the bathroom so it would serve guests as well as provide a spa retreat complete with a steam shower for our clients. In the master bedroom, we added a built-in upholstered bed, f loating side tables, console, and wall-to-wall custom closets. For the master bathroom, we incorporated pull-down storage, makeup/vanity area, and luxurious Carrara marble all throughout.

Our innovative approach to the kitchen and living area deserves some additional explanation. We opened the walls in the kitchen to allow for an island with bar stools, a built-in hutch for storage and stemware, and a dining area. For the cooking space, we added a small-scale induction range with an exhaust system built f lush into the ceiling. The sink, dishwasher, and refrigerator were placed on the other wall of the new galley kitchen. Using wood-like tile throughout the entry, kitchen, and family room made the rooms feel more spacious and open. Rounding out the design strategy, we added automated commercial-style roller shades to the windows, functional custom furniture, and the homeownersâ€™ eclectic artwork. During most renovations, there are surprises along the way. This project was no different. We encountered a water leak, obstacles with load-bearing structures, and

During most renovations, there are surprises along the way. This project was no different. We encountered a water leak, obstacles with load-bearing structures, and logistical difficulties. logistical diff iculties (taking everything up and down via the building’s small elevator). All in all, the project moved along continuously. Cahoy designed all the beautiful cabinetry, built-ins, and closets. Elliott worked on the f loor plan, specif ied f inish materials, paint, furniture, and window coverings. One of the great benef its of ASID is developing working relationships with fellow designers. In this condo renovation, we passed that benef it along to the client in the f inished product—a spectacular modern condo.

BEFORE

MEET THE DESIGNERs Kim Cahoy, ASID

Kim Cahoy has 17 years experience in interior design (with a Bachelor of Science in interior design from the University of NebraskaLincoln). After specializing in kitchen and bath spaces, she now owns Kimberly Cahoy Design. She works with clients to create spaces that they will love for years to come.

Sallie Elliott, Allied ASID

Sallie Elliott is a licensed real estate agent at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador and an Allied ASID interior designer with Inspired Interiors. Designing and selling homes for nearly 20 years, she focuses on timeless design, future value, and rate of return of investment.

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