Written by: Amy Howell Hirt/Photos by: Robin Victor Goetz, RVGP Inc.
Living off the ninth hole of the Highland Country Club comes with certain perks that go beyond a scenic view of the course’s manicured, rolling hills for Kevin David, Cheryl Davis and their three children. When winter finally breaks, there’s plenty of activity to watch, on the course and at the nearby clubhouse and restaurant.
With a golf cart path mere feet from their patio, it’s easy for Kevin to hop in his cart and sneak in a few holes. And come summer, their daughters, Brooke and Samantha, can run barefoot to the pool or to get Shirley Temples at the restaurant.
Coming from a nearby Fort Thomas townhome that was feeling cramped with two young daughters and a teenage son, the couple loved the resort-like location but craved more privacy. With a balance of public and private spaces driving the home’s design, architect Ashli Slawter created a contemporary home that celebrates the front-row site yet incorporates clear divisions between personal and shared square footage.
A view from the street
Even the home’s exterior finishes signal this separation. Designed as “a series of three 3-D masses,” the home’s entertaining-focused center portion is distinguished from the vinyl-clad private wings and garage, Slawter explains. The elevation is taller, and covered in fiber-cement paneling framed in anodized aluminum trim.
Inside, the kitchen, dining room and great room are spacious enough to host parties of over 100 people, with an open floor plan that keeps everyone connected.
“It’s built for entertaining, with great appliances, prep and serving areas,” Davis says. “I’m able to work in the kitchen while still being involved in conversations with family and friends.”
Yet these spaces are carefully designed so the family of five doesn’t feel dwarfed. A modestly sized dining table, for example, pairs with a granite-covered side buffet that caters to larger dinner parties.
At the rear of the home, a great room is slightly separated by a fireplace wall and warmed by a wood-paneled accent wall, which plays a crucial role in the home’s design. In the spirit of organic architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, it literally and figuratively separates the home’s primary living area from the private bedroom wing, continuing as an unbroken mass from the front façade to a rear upper deck.
This rooftop perch—and the home in general—is a popular hangout for Kevin and his friends. Slawter strategically designed this section of the home to project beyond the side wings, providing a prime view of the greens, golfers and clubhouse guests. As such, it’s appropriately outfitted for hosting, with an all-weather TV, a comfortable sectional, pub seating, a Perlick refrigerator and kegerator and a built-in humidor, just inside the doorway.
So that outdoor soirees don’t disturb the rest of the family, Slawter used an exterior stairwell to further separate this guest-friendly area from the master suite and bedrooms for Brooke and Samantha.
The extension of the home’s central portion also enhances the privacy of the wing situated furthest from the clubhouse. The open kitchen and dining room feel more intimate, tucked behind a covered outdoor porch. On the floor above, the couple’s teenage son, Nate, enjoys his own suite, separate from his sisters and parents.
“While the two younger girls needed to be closer to us, it was important for him to have a space for himself,” Davis says.
Following a theme
While focusing on privacy, Slawter never lost sight of cohesion, repeating finishes and features to visually extend each space. Indoors and out, all the fireplaces are covered in the same slate tile veneer, and all the staircases have cable railings—with a sealed redwood banister outside that matches the tone of the stained oak used inside.
RealSoffit pine paneling covers the great room accent wall and the ceiling of the covered porch, and coordinates with tongue-and-groove cedar on the outdoor wall.
The warmth of these natural finishes balances the home’s cool, contemporary fixtures, gray kitchen cabinetry and industrial accents, creating spaces that feel comfortable for one or 100.
“This really is a home meant for living,” Slawter says.
Resources: Architect and interior design: Ashli Slawter Architecture; Construction managers: Homeowner and Ashli Slawter; Appliances: Thermador, The Appliance Loft; Cabinetry: Cooknee; Countertops: Quartzite in Mascavo, Stone Statements; Furniture: Voltage and Macy’s; Barstools: Voltage; Fireplaces: Tate Builder’s Supply & Energy Solutions; Flooring: Tile Shop and Floor & Décor; Interior wall paneling: RealSoffit, Hellman Lumber; Windows: Integrity by Marvin, Marsh Building Products; Siding: Mastic by PlyGem, Marsh Building Products; Garage doors: C.H.I. Overhead Doors; Landscaping: Dapper Landscape and Design