From House To Home

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Todd and Tara Herrenbruck just completed their 6,000-square-foot home in 2007, and they absolutely love it. Tara says, “We had no intentions of building. We made a very quick decision to buy [the land] because when you take a look at the view, we just couldn’t pass it up. We’re on a bluff overlooking the city. There’s a meadow below us, and the Smoky Hill River is beyond that.“

While the view outside is pretty incredible, the care and attention the

Herrenbrucks took, along with architect David Dieberly and builder Todd Kaniper, is evident throughout this open, spacious home.

The dining room is to the right of the grand foyer, which one enters into through double doors. The great room is visible from the entry and has 18-foot ceilings. An open catwalk bridge divides the entry from the great room; it also allows light to pour into the back of the house and creates a passage between the bedrooms on the second floor.

One bold choice Tara made throughout the house was wall color. The foyer and great room are a buttercup yellow. This color is a perfect complement to the dark espresso-stained cherrywood bookcases that surround the fireplace. A large deck off this room wraps around the house and connects to the master-bedroom deck.

Of the great room design, Tara says, “[It] was something we wanted for entertaining and to be able to cook and see what is going on in the rest of the house. We wanted one big space for everyone to gather.“

The kitchen is connected to the great room and is painted a rich terra cotta. Tara adds, “A big island was my main goal for the house. It’s my favorite thing about the house. It’s functional and beautiful. I love the granite and how it works. I love everything about the huge island.“

Alder cabinets with a black glaze complement the cherry cabinetry of the island. To achieve the nearly black finish of the island cabinetry, Tyler Bogart of Crestwood Design Center says, “The paint has a highlight/burn-through effect. It projects different undertones. It’s got a stain undertone, and they paint over it to highlight certain areas to show the stain underneath. You lose the grain, but you don’t lose the color. The warm tones of the cherry are kept.“

Hickory flooring runs through the majority of the main living areas. The variation of color and size in the planks creates a wonderful contrast to the dark wood throughout.

The master bedroom suite is also on the main floor. Making another bold and beautiful choice, Tara based the blue-green wall color on the bedding. She notes, “I used one of those colors that you might get tired of, but I love it. It’s a very soothing, relaxing color.“ The ceilings are taupe with darker brown in the edge of the trey ceiling and lighter on the rest. This gives the entire room a spa-like aura.

The master-bath porcelain tile is somewhat plain, but it is a perfect match to the dark-stained cherrywood. The wall color is one shade lighter than the bedroom.

Tara and Todd are enjoying this new house immensely. She pauses and says, “We did take some time thinking about how it would flow the best and how we could utilize the space the best. We seem to use every space. It’s very comfortable for our family and for entertaining.“