When Anthony and Nicole Verachtert decided to build, they knew where they wanted to be--Parkville. They also knew who they trusted to build their new home--Jay Jackson Builders.
The resulting home is a highly personalized version of the 3500 square foot, 1.5 story Cory layout. The smaller footprint was an intentional choice for the Verachterts.
“I have friends that have eight and ten thousand square foot homes. And they are impressive, but after a while, they also seem like a lot to maintain,” says Anthony. “There’s only four of us. I wanted to focus our money on creating things we would enjoy, not just having a lot of unused space.”
That focus on cozy quality has yielded a home that has become the hangout spot for Walden Middle School seventh-grader Nathan and Park Hill South freshman Lauren, and all of their friends. For Anthony and Nicole, that’s a sign of success.
The house features an open floor plan in the main living area with a large island in the kitchen, one of Anthony’s only nods to maximalism.
“When you have people over, you know that the kitchen is the first place they go so why not make it count?” says Anthony.
The large island gives way to a spacious connected dining area and great room. A small two-sided fireplace looks through to a smaller seating area, the perfect spot for a long afternoon with a good book. Fireplaces were just one way that Anthony wanted to bring elements of his past into the house.
“I’m from Chicago and there’s so many older buildings there that use fireplaces for heat. The carpenter couldn’t believe that we wanted to put hearths on all the fireplaces but we like to sit in front of them. It’s really relaxing, even if it isn’t in vogue right now,” he says.
Trim work is another way that Anthony is bringing Chi-town home. Dentil trim graces his built-in desk as well as the fireplace in the master bedroom. He also sought out brick, both inside and out.
“When you look around Kansas City, you really only find red brick. I really liked the different colors that you see down in Texas. I found the paler color at the Texas Brick Company and shipped it up. It just gives it a more unique look,” he says.
The brick not only graces the front of the French country style home but appears inside, creating graceful arches and skins the walls in the master bedroom.
Anthony wanted to make sure that the family enjoyed the house during even the most mundane of times. In the hallway coming from the garage into the house, he added a barrel ceiling so that even a random Tuesday entrance would be a pleasurable experience.
Another practical but beautiful touch is the floors. Anthony liked the look of wide plank floors but didn’t like the cost. Instead, he went with Hallmark Floors’ engineered wood. With the look of wide plank on top but the durability of composite, the floors can stand up to razor scooters, teenaged boys, and lots of foot traffic.
Although the family has lived in the house for two years now, they’ve only recently started decorating. Nicole called Jennifer Surface of Surface to Surface Design and Construction to help bring in modern elements into the warm space. Modern art on the walls ties in with abstract throw pillows on a butter-soft leather couch. Texture reigns supreme and adds punch without taking over the room.
While they have definitely made this house their own, the Verachterts credit Jay Jackson for making the project painless.
“Jay is just such a pleasure to work with,” says Nicole. “He’s trustworthy and just does wonderful work.”
The house still has more potential--the basement is currently unfinished by design. That’s where the family practices their hockey goals. And that’s the beauty of the home--it’s exactly right for the active lives that they lead. This cozy custom home will continue to evolve for years to come.
