The foundation is set, and this custom home project is underway!

Fort Dodge, Iowa natives Mr. and Mrs. Rogers knew it was time to move closer to their children and grandchildren, so they decided to plant themselves in a cozy West Des Moines neighborhood in hopes of building a new home that will bring many cherished memories. Located in the Village of Ponderosa, this small community will become home to their gorgeous single-family home. Nestled in a safe neighborhood close to entertainment, shopping, and restaurants—they can’t wait for this new adventure.

Building a Home to Last a Lifetime

The Rogers’ home is a zero entry floor plan, which means there are no steps into the house. This type of layout is becoming increasingly more popular, especially among people who take an active step towards planning for their future. It’s a smart and convenient option for people who want to stay in their house as they age. We often refer to house that utilize these type of amenities as “aging in place.”

For this particular client, avoiding stairs isn’t a major need at the moment but it’s a smart idea if they plan on being in the house for many years. It seems great for the long-term, but who can deny the handy luxury of never having to lug a handful of groceries up a few stairs? This design is becoming so popular, our last four custom homes have requested it. From younger couples in their thirties to this recent universally designed handicap custom home project—we have a feeling we’re going to see a lot more homes designed with “aging in place” in mind.

Working Together To Create The Custom Look

The design of the home will be a classic, timeless look with complete stucco siding. Given that we don’t typically see such a charming, South-Eastern style of home here in Iowa, this house will have a unique curb appeal. When working with clients who have specific ideas of what they’re looking for, it’s important for us to collaborate both with them and with our architect in a purposeful way. Together, we all sat down and came up with something truly beautiful that satisfied the client's’ initial inspiration and met their expectations.

The couple wanted a big house—nearly 4,300 square feet including the finished basement and main level. Because they anticipate having family over often, grandchildren staying the night, and hosting out-of-town guests it was important for them to have enough bedrooms and bathrooms. The floor plan accommodates 4 bedrooms and 2 ¾ bathrooms, making it a great home to host, entertain, and make memories.

One interesting feature to the house is the basement garden room. A section of their basement level is kept unfinished to include some unique square footage to store yard work tools, lawnmowers, and any other necessities that will sit at ground level making transporting to the backyard a breeze. The home will also feature a shop off of the garage, a finished basement, and a gorgeous three seasons room with a 16 ft. sliding glass door right off the great room on the main level.

The house has a very clean design on the inside, too. We’re excited to work with our partners at JT Unique to create a custom look for the cabinetry for the mudroom and laundry room. The entire home will exude a truly timeless and classic look, and we can’t wait to see how it turns out!

The basement floor is now in place, and we’re one step closer to building the walls of this soon-to-be gorgeous home.

Just Getting Started

We’re off to a slow start on the project due to some unfortunate weather but we plan to work through the winter and finish up the home next spring. Currently we’re in the process of laying the foundation, and we now have the framing for the garage floor, the basement floor, and the first floor complete. Stay tuned for future blogs to watch this beautiful home come to life!

We took a slightly different design approach on a custom modern home build back in July. Check out the completed project here