A Home that reflects you
Home Ideas Magazine, April 2022
For many, a home is more than a house. It’s a dwelling. A place that reflects you. For Matthew and Erin Blake, home is a physical reflection of their southern background, and desire to have a both comfortable and aesthetically pleasing space for friends and family to gather. In order to create a home that was truly their own, the Blakes knew they had to start by finding a custom builder with a passion for doing exactly that.
The Blakes worked with Ryan Brouwer of Choice Builders to design the two-story, 6 bedroom, 5 bathroom, colonial revival-style home. Founded in 2008, Choice Builder’s works with home builders from day one, from planning to construction. Choice Builder’s puts the emphasis on 100% customization when it comes to floor plan options. They partner with design expert, Ruth Ann Scott at The Living Door in Sioux Falls, who brings over a decade of custom home design experience and an expertise in working with home builders in designing a home that mirrors their lifestyle.
“The colonial revival home is different style than what you typically see in Sioux Falls. I got to use different design ideas that I don’t get to use on a normal day to day basis. And I got to work with great people,” says Ruth Ann.
The first uniquely southern design greets you right outside the front door in the form of gas lit lanterns. As you come through the front door, you are received into an airy, decorative paneled entryway which includes another Southern home hallmark, a formal living room with seating area. Pocket doors can be closed to separate the entryway and living room from the rest of the house.
“We like the whole open floor concept. but we don’t like the whole idea of someone coming into your home and seeing your whole living space right away when you walk in the house” Matthew explains, “If we have someone stopping in to talk for a little while, we wanted to have a place just to sit.”
Moving straight through the entryway you come into the main living area of the home which includes the open concept living room, dining room, and kitchen. Entering into this space evokes an immediate feeling that you have arrived home and everything is as it should be. The clean white walls add a brightness while the numerous double hung windows flood the space with natural light. The white oak flooring and red brick fireplace in the living room bring a wholesome warmth to the large room.
“We just wanted a place where people feel welcome,” comments Erin, “The kind of place where you have chocolate chip cookies and hot cocoa and lemonade. That’s the kind of feeling we want to encourage.”
The kitchen, master bathroom, as well as several other rooms, feature Cambria quartz countertops, provided by Creative Surfaces. Dark pendant lights hang over the island which is in Charston matte. In contrast to the darker island, the surrounding countertops and full hight backsplash is in the lighter gray Ella. But perhaps one of the most striking use of Cambria is in the walk-in pantry. The gold flecks in the Portrush design contrast brilliantly against the deep blue cabinetry. The master bathroom includes a zero-entry shower in Britannica bookended slabs and built in bench.
Creative Surfaces is the only distributor of Cambria in the Sioux Falls area. Cambria is an American-made product which includes over 200 beautiful designs. It’s scratch resistant, stain resistant, durable, and easy to clean and maintain, with a life-time guarantee. With all these features to recommend it, as well as it’s simple and elegant design, Cambria was the go to choice for the Blake’s home.
Just off of the living room sits the spiral staircase, which is one of the home’s most wow-inspiring features. The round newel posts, and slender handrails, both in white oak, give the effect of a soft and moving assent to the second floor. The size is the perfect fit in your hand as you glide it up the rail. The dark spindles add a decorative, eye-catching touch. Under the staircase is open space, and no bulky support column, giving the stairway an effortlessly elevated appearance.
“It was a little bit trying but we got it figured out,” observes Ryan Brouwer, “In a typical two story you need to support certain areas. This was going to be a wall [under the staircase] and they requested that to be open.”
“I think this is your most creative endeavor.” Erin adds.
The round handrails also presented a challenge. “We were told it couldn’t be done for a while,” Erin says “Nobody’s done it with that shape. It took them a while to figure out whether it was up to code.”
In the end, the intent was creating a home that reflected the Blakes. “Our goal was a classic, simple, elegance,” says Erin, “a style [of home] that would last the ages.” And with Choice Builders, as well as the simple, life-long lasting, elegance of Cambria quartz, the reflection is unmistakable.
For more information about on how Choice Builders can build a home that reflects you, visit www.choicebuilderssf.com. For more information about Cambria quartz, visit Creative Surfaces online at www.creativesurfacesshowroom.com or stop by the Creative Surfaces showroom located at 3012 W. 57th St. in Sioux Falls.