It might come as surprising to some, when approaching a custom home builder about the prospect of engaging their services, to have their response be, “Why in the world do you want to move? Where you live is tremendous!”
But that comeback was somewhat expected by Lynn and Dennis Shafer. You see, the builder they approached was Zicka Homes, the team that constructed the Ivy Trails home where they were currently living. Since 2010, the couple and their two daughters had enjoyed their wonderful home, a great group of neighbors, the perks of an in-ground pool and a prime view of a backyard lake.
But a golf course community called. “We’ve been members of Coldstream Country Club for ten years and we knew we wanted this neighborhood,” Lynn says. The couple originally joined for the golf—Dennis golfs three to four times a week and Lynn, who is an avid tennis player, hits the links once or twice each week—but they’ve since found that activities they enjoy and friends they’ve made at the club created a desire for them to move closer.
Familiar ground
Fortunately, their favorite builder was developing 30 one-acre home sites in Riverview Estates, a community adjacent to the club. A few years earlier, the Shafers had walked through the area and were familiar with their options. But Mike Zicka, the company’s founder, was instrumental in their final lot choice.
“Mike said, ‘This is my sleeper lot,’” Dennis says, regarding a sloping lot near the 17th fairway. “He walked the lot with us and helped us envision how the house would be placed. He knew it would be perfect for a walkout and a pool.” The couple purchased the property late in the summer of 2020.
While the Shafers took on a new build twice before, this was the first time their home would be completely custom, which meant they could configure spaces exactly how they’d like. “For our first house we went with the builder’s floor plan with very few modifications,” Lynn says. “Then we built our second house with a Zicka floor plan but bumped out the kitchen and reconfigured the upstairs. On this house, we started with a blank sheet of paper. I would have been more afraid had we not built two houses already.”
Inspiration point
When the couple met with residential designer Paul Studer, they arrived with photos of exteriors they liked and a list of wants and a lot of ideas. “Our previous home was a two story,” Lynn says. “We wanted a ranch with an open floor plan, no formal dining room and a lower level.” The couple also wanted a bedroom for overnight visits with grandkids to be just down the hall from the primary suite rather than “clear across the house.”
As Lynn shared her thoughts, the designer began to draw a floor plan. “As he was drawing, she would ask him to make some rooms bigger, some smaller,” Dennis says. “I told him to make the windows as big as possible. After all, the view is the reason why we bought this property.”
Second time around
In February of 2021, about six months after the property was purchased, plans were complete, and it was time for Zicka’s team, led by brother and sister Pat and Julie Zicka, to begin work on the second home they would build for the Shafers. Dave Willhoite would take the reigns as construction manager.
“We are always thrilled and honored to build second and third homes for people,” says Julie Zicka, “but the Shafers made that experience extra special from start to finish—and beyond.”
And according to Lynn, the feeling was mutual. “Zicka was wonderful to work with,” she says. “It was like working with friends. They were always honest, always transparent and wanted to make us happy.” Dennis adds, “When little things did go wrong, and there weren’t many, they were eager to fix them to our satisfaction.”
Several of the Shafers’ friends were going through the building process at the same time but with other builders. “We’d get together and they would talk about the nightmares they were going through. They had anxiety for months,” Dennis says. “They were shocked we had no complaints. We enjoyed the process from start to finish. That’s pretty rare in the construction industry.”
Dedicated to the details
In addition to praising the Zicka team, Dennis credits Lynn for her research and painstaking attention to detail. “She did all the work,” he says. “She was fabulous.”
That attention to detail is apparent in every square foot of the over 6,000 sq. ft., four-bedroom home. Lynn took the time to make terrific choices with design, lighting, finishes and furnishings. The homeowner says she has hundreds of photo references for everything from brick and stone to kitchens, ceilings, built-ins, paint colors, hardware and more. “You name it—I have references on my iPad,” she laughs.
Plus, Lynn had help from two interior designers—Tara Biller with Zicka and Shannon Conley with House of Design. Biller helped with the space planning and material selection during the initial construction phase, and then Lynn began working with Conley on furnishing selections about nine months before they moved in. “Our prior house was a different style. That furniture wasn’t going to work here. This house is much more modern.”
Some of the design choices—such as black accent walls, a granite wall in the powder room, and dramatic light fixtures—may have felt a bit risky, but Lynn went forward with confidence. “I did take chances,” she says, “but with the safety net of Tara and Shannon.”
Making a splash
From the beginning, a built-in pool was in the plans—another reason the topography of the land worked for the Shafers. A walkout lower level, complete with two guest rooms, a great room, a pool bath and a bar area, flows out to the patio and pool area.
Working with Reese Belfiore at Westside Pools, Lynn wanted the pool to be rectangular in shape, so that an automatic cover could be installed. This helps retain the water’s warmth and provides a layer of safety for her young grandchildren. Also, with the kids in mind, the shallow end features a sitting ledge and an entertaining bubbler. The pool is a popular hangout from early May through September for the couple’s daughters and their families who live nearby. Belfiore was a repeat experience for the couple as well—he designed and installed their previous pool. “Reese is top notch,” Dennis says. “He is terrific.”
And though the back yard borders the golf course, the topography of the land— with a hill and a cluster of trees between their home and the back yard—creates a welcome layer of privacy for the pool area.
Nailed it
The Shafers moved into their new home near the end of August 2022. When asked where her favorite space to hang out was, Lynn answered, “I have a lot of favorite spaces. It’s what I love about the house. We just did it right this time. This really is our dream home —our forever home. Yes, we thought that at our last house as well,” she says with a smile, “but we’re even more sure this time around.”
RESOURCES Residential designer Studer Residential Designs Builder Zicka Homes Interior designers Tara Biller with Zicka Homes, Shannon Conley with House of Design Kitchen designer Melissa Kehayes, Western Custom Cabinetry Kitchen cabinetry Western Custom Cabinetry Kitchen countertop Calacatta Arno and Midnight Majesty quartz, MSI Bar countertop Ferrara Black quartz, Stone Mart Appliances Custom Distributors, Inc. Flooring Heritage Hardwood Lighting Restoration Hardware, Arhaus, Visual Comfort Custom built-ins C&W Woodworking Closets and blinds Tapestries Closet & Window Designs Outdoor living and pool designer Krista Boggs, Garden Path Pool construction Westside Pools Landscape planning and installation Station Road Decorative plant materials Plants by Wolfangel A/V and security Meineke Audio Video Security
Article by Karen Bradner | Photos by Greg Grupenhof
Article originally appeared in September 2024