When designer Marci Knoff was asked her professional opinion on this Leawood project in its framing stage, she responded by offering homeowner Stacie Scifres a job.
“I got used to saying, ‘I love it—that looks amazing!’” says Marci Knoff of Marci Knoff Interiors. “I was so impressed with Stacie's creativity that I asked her to come work with me on other projects.”
Knoff says as soon as she saw Scifres’ plans and selections, she knew the project was well in hand. “Her vision of the house was crystal clear from the beginning, and she organized her selections in Keynote, which I found to be extremely helpful. I now incorporate the tool in all my projects.”
This new build located on Lee Boulevard was designed with Old Leawood integrity mixed with touches of modern farmhouse. When the homeowners first saw the overgrown but unique lot that is just under two acres, they knew that with a little love it could be the site of their future and forever home.
After Mike Scifres, punter with the San Diego Chargers, retired from the NFL, his busy family of six decided to move to Kansas where Stacie grew up, making Leawood their permanent home. With twin 8-year-old girls, a 6-year-old boy, and a 3-year-old girl, they had a specific checklist, including bedrooms the children helped design, an inviting kids’ study room, and a huge sleepover room with a secret door bookcase.
They originally wanted the sleepover room in the basement, but after realizing there was no egress, they instead located it above the garage. With four beds and four trundle beds, this fun room now sleeps eight with the added security that all bedrooms are together upstairs.
The homeowners oversaw the 12-month project daily, so it came in ahead of schedule with no surprise endings. “We wouldn’t change a thing,” they say. “Our dream house turned out just as we imagined and hoped for.”
Knoff says her favorite parts of the house are the long front hallway, both stairwells, and the details used throughout the home, adding that every room has something special, including trim detail on the wall, ceiling or floor (such as the herringbone tile entry inlay).
“Stacie definitely thought of everything,” Knoff says. “And I loved her enthusiasm for the project. She never complained or seemed overwhelmed by the decisions she had to make. It was a giant puzzle, and she was having fun putting it all together.”
Marci Knoff, Marci Knoff Interiors
Builder - Larson Construction
Architect - Gerald Janssen with Elswood Smith Carlson
