LIFE
A Unique American Dream
S
tanding in the home of Daniel Miles in Fisherville, you wouldn’t realize it’s in the middle of a cul-de-sac. That’s because the back deck and windows look out onto an expansive backyard with a full line of privacy trees. This was an architectural decision Miles made with Louisville-known
Homes NICHOLAS SIEGEL
builder Vince Kimbel, owner of Kimbel Construction. Indeed, no small amount of thought went into the architectural decisions necessary to build this highly energy efficient home. “This house is a made-in-America home with 90-plus percent made-in-America products in it,
which is unique,” Miles explains. “It’s an extremely energy efficient home and has an energy rating of 33 ... We’re 67 percent more efficient than the average home built today.” In fact, Miles often gets surprised reactions when he tells people that the 5,000 square-foot home averages a utility bill of $196 a month, which is cheaper than what it takes to heat and cool most homes half its size. This level of energy efficiency took careful planning. Insulated with spray foam, the home features low-energy tinted widows, zoned geothermal climate control from a single unit, high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters to increase the air quality and a wide open floor plan with no columns thanks to the steelwork. To the left of the main entrance is an office with built-in bookshelves, and past the office is the main living room area, which opens into a kitchen and an eat-in under a coffered ceiling to substitute for a full dining room. The living room is lit by a two-way gas fireplace that can also be used out on the back deck. The deck itself has a second-story screenedin area and an outdoor area, with steps leading down to a lower deck with two hanging swing benches. The custom-built railing features a fleurs-de-lis decoration, and in the screened portion of the deck, Miles has recycled a railroad tie for use as a shelf. “I put steel brackets in here that are flush-mounted, so we cut grooves in the wood on the back side and mounted steel brackets to the wall and hung it on the steel brackets so it looks like its floating,” Miles says. The effect is stunning.
The screened-in porch.
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The kitchen, with soft close doors, has an PHOTOS COURTESY OF TRACY FRENCH