Homeowners Chris and Stephanie Oleksy cannot say enough good things about the design/build of their gracious new home. After spending a year of weekends browsing the neighborhoods, lots and builders available in their Maple Grove home turf, they met Jeremy Skogquist of NIH Homes during the fall 2008 Parade of Homes. “We just knew. There was something about both Jeremy and the house that just stood out,” says Stephanie. Six months later, they moved into their cozy new nest and proceeded to become the “fun house where everyone congregates.”
Being ‘the place’ was very important to this genial couple—who knew what they wanted for their home as they became empty nesters—with a married daughter and grandchild and a son in college. Their number one priority was: “What will the entertaining be like?” says Chris. “We wanted an open feeling for kids and grandkids, something beautiful, but casual, where everyone is comfortable.” With its welcoming open first-floor plan, “everyone remains connected,” say Skogquist, “and the kitchen is the main focal point.”
Veteran new homebuilders on their fifth time through the process, the Oleksys had been satisfied with previous forays with primarily national level builders. But this time around, they were looking for a higher level of quality, says Stephanie. When they compared the NIH parade home with the next home they visited on the tour, she says, “The quality stood out the most.” The Oleksys returned to their car, drove back and “jumped right in” to the design/build process with NIH. They never looked back, even though the very day they put their former house up for sale, the market crashed. Instead of letting that make the process scary, Stephanie said they decided to make it fun.
According to Stephanie, the process was a “piece of cake”. Feeling that the house was being built especially and entirely for his family, Chris says the people at NIH were the “most creative people” he’s ever seen. Stephanie agrees, highlighting experiences where she found the team responsive: “I was even able to describe some changes over the phone, and they were able to send a drawing of what I wanted.” Some of that responsiveness and accommodation may be due to the fact that NIH is an exclusive Woman-Centric Matters builder. With 20 years of experience in home building, NIH kicked off its woman-centric focus in the beginning of 2008. Skogquist says, “91 percent of home buying decisions are influenced by women, and focus on entertainment, de-stressing areas, storage and flexible space.” NIH made it part of their design mission to make floor plans more family-friendly, de-clutter countertops and provide elements of surprise with clever hidden storage.
Though those considerations were important to the Oleksys, Stephanie said it was the visible level of quality that drew them to their choice to build with NIH. “We had built so many times. This made it fun; it felt different.” Stephanie appreciated the woman-centric focus since she was so involved in the decision-making. When it came to being on the jobsite, she felt totally comfortable with a respectful and accommodating crew. She says they accepted last-minute changes and “there was never any roll of the eyes.” Lakeside Cabinets, the only licensed woman-centric cabinet shop in Minnesota, researched exactly what Stephanie wanted when she sketched a wine cellar—“exactly the kind you would see in a wine shop,” she notes. They also responded quickly and embraced her notion of adding a concession stand complete with a candy counter and popcorn machine to the lower level theater space. When detailing balustrades and corner treatments, the woodworker would present options to the couple, asking, “Which do you like better? How would you like this cut done?” The Oleksys found this attention to detail with all of the subcontractors as well as NIH’s own carpenters, which the firm uses to provide high-quality finishing details in its homes.
The 4,500-square-foot home is replete with those details throughout. Upstairs resides a master suite, two additional bedrooms and a music studio. The master suite boasts a fireplace and sitting area, one of NIH’s “de-stressing areas”. The Oleksys originally thought they wouldn’t use the sitting area much, so they had only placed a single chair there. Now they plan to add one, as their master retreat has become their favorite spot in the house. And why not? With its coved ceiling, beautiful view and spa-like bathroom, who wouldn’t want to spend time there? The bath has details everywhere you look, from its “snail” shower (warm, yet low maintenance with no glass door) to meticulously crafted tile and woodwork. The spa-like room is a haven and could be its own “de-stressing area”, with its flat-screen TV viewable from the bath, and detailed appointments that reflect the quality of the craftsmanship in the home. Rounding out the upper level is Chris’ office, an exercise room and a music studio—the center for family jam sessions with Chris on keyboards and percussion and his son on guitar.
The heart of the home is the main level with an arched front door entry into the open floor plan and a view of a treasured wooded lot. Comfortable and inviting, the space is anchored with a fireplace and an impressive kitchen with distressed black cabinetry. The cabinets to the ceiling provide storage for all the Oleksys’ seasonal and entertaining serveware, and appointments like a large island and pot filler faucet at the stove make cooking easier. The island is so accommodating that the Oleksys chose an adjacent seating area—where guests can join the kitchen conversation and the view—in lieu of a traditional kitchen table. Past their floor-to-ceiling wine rack is the dining area, where they enjoy their more formal gatherings and monthly “dining room nights,” a family tradition of good food and conversation sans television.
The welcoming feel continues to the lower level, with nine-foot ceilings—an NIH feature—a theater space and full kitchen for entertaining close to the screen and the pool. Heated slate floors are perfect for both movie watchers curled up to enjoy the latest feature and swimmers coming inside from a romp in the pool.
Visible features aren’t the only ones that make the house comfortable and inviting. A geothermal heating and cooling system (included in NIH’s energy package) reduces energy usage by 75 percent while providing constant temperature throughout all areas of the home. Originally, when designing the home, Chris wanted the system for its “ambient feel,” as prior homes had temperature inconsistencies from area to area. In their last home, Stephanie says she could only watch movies in the lower level huddled by the fireplace. The constant, consistent temperature in this home is “most lovely,” says Stephanie, adding that “Chris was doing cartwheels” when he received the first utility bill. According to Chris, their energy bills thus far have been half of their old costs in a smaller house without a pool. A 30-percent tax credit on their investment will also sweeten the energy-efficient choice they made.
Wondering if they would do it all again? They are—in a sense—as their daughter and son-in-law are making plans to build their new Maple Grove home with NIH. “Every night we pinch ourselves,” Stephanie says. “We just can’t get over the beauty of the finishes and touches.”
