From House To Home

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When Dr. Bob Warren found a for-sale sign on some virgin land near the original homestead in Rogers Park, he called the number in Georgia, and since he was the first to call, the land was his. That was in 2000. Two years of planning and two years of building later, Dr. Bob is in his spectacular, 4,500-square-foot, octagonal-inspired home. Mark Ivy, principal architect at Ivy & Co. says, “The octagon form started playing in on this concept, which was a result of input by [Dr. Bob]. The house has facets. We repeated this form through the plan and the elevations as well.”

Dr. Bob laughs and says, “There are no right angles in this house!” Right angles may be absent, but they are not missed in this impressive home that has both incredible street presence and interior beauty.

From the outside, the house has a Cape Cod feel to it. Stacked rock nestles up to the window lines around the entire home, including the large garage and attached greenhouse. From there up, cedar shingles cover the home. Appealing because of their design, they also weather incredibly well, which is important for the extreme Alaskan weather.

This house is grand but has all the touches of an inviting and warm space

Walk inside this home, and what greets guests is a bit awe-inspiring. An infinity pool bubbles over black granite and drops down twice to create a waterfall effect. At the same time, water comes off the landing of the staircase and sheets down a piece of glass to fall into the same recirculation area. Again, form and function merge because not only is it an impressive sight, but a water feature also helps deal with the lack of humidity that cloaks Anchorage winters. Through the sheet of water, a fireplace, which is glassed on both the front and back, is visible and sets up the interesting first impression of elemental fire and water.

Walking around the water feature and staircase leads into the living room where seating is nestled around the fire. Another seating area, a half-octagonal couch, looks out the tiered trio of windows to Chester Creek. Cherry floors run throughout much of the living spaces.

The slate-fronted fireplace has a nearly 35-foot flue that is covered in cherry wood and cornered in copper, which over time will patina and age like the copper outside. A cupola area sits at the apex of the house and lets in light while also allowing hot air to escape through the electrically motored windows.

To the left of the entry is the kitchen and bar area. Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances allow Dr. Bob to pursue his cooking passion with panache. The double refrigerator doors and double freezer drawers are all covered in Downsview cabinetry, which matches the other cabinets. Slate floors run in the kitchen, breakfast nook, and bar area. A stainless steel island in the kitchen also offers excellent work space. A granite-covered bar, which has a free-hanging glass cabinet, separates the kitchen from the dining room. A custom-built cherry table and chairs were made by an artist from Northwest Woodworking in Seattle.

The staircase in the entry is split to allow for up and down movement. The lower floor has a home theater and wine cellar, which was the impetus behind the house. Dr. Bob explains, “The house was kind of built around the wine cellar. Three sides are subterranean. A dumbwaiter transports wine from the garage into the wine cellar. It’s [both] temperature and humidity controlled.”

Go up the stairs to a landing featuring glass blocks and up again to the master suite and guest suite areas. The master suite begins with a sitting area where Dr. Bob enjoys spending time. That moves into a walk-in closet, the bath, and the bedroom. The roof line has many angles that appear inside the home as well, and in the master bath, a design of clouds accentuates the angles. Pale marble lines the floor and half of the walls in the bathroom as well. A large walk-in shower with massage jets and a showerhead provides ample relaxation.

Of the house design and its owner, Ivy says, “It’s nice to see a client who is willing to push the envelope.” This house is grand but has all the touches of an inviting and warm space.