by Carie McMichael | photos by The Home Aesthetic
Kent Shaffer Homes’ Marriage of Form + Function
Kent Shaffer Homes, one of Indiana’s premiere custom home builders, is redefining modern luxury with their new spec home that seamlessly blends form and function with an aesthetic that could almost be described as cinematic.
Kristen Shaffer-Hale, President of Kent Shaffer Homes, spearheaded the project alongside her designer, Sarah Wilson, and a crack team of craftsmen and tradespeople. The primary vision for the spec home was elegance: a theatrical facade evocative of a “black tie affair” with interiors to match that could, in-tandem, serve as a practical everyday home. “To put it another way,” says Shaffer-Hale, “tuxedos and martinis at night, pajamas and pancakes in the morning (late in the morning.)”
Balancing her time between the firm’s recent Home-A-Rama build and the spec home, Shaffer-Hale conceptualized a striking design in modern European style. The white German schmear brick contrasts with black windows, and black garage doors. A black roof steals the limelight in neighborhood curb appeal. The characteristically large windows bathe the interiors in abundant natural sunlight— illuminating the artisanal assortment of textile and building materials, including marble, limestone, and quartzite.
The open concept interiors make this home ideal for the soirées for which the property drew inspiration. When paired with Shaffer-Hale’s chic stylistic choices, you can practically hear the hum of spirited conversation and rattling ice punctuated by the click of designer heels against the floor.
“It is an entertainer’s dream home,” says Shaffer-Hale. The ample space, particularly on the main floor, provides flexibility in hosting everything from fundraising dinners to more intimate movie or game nights. Atmospheric conditions from the temperature to the lighting conditions can be controlled from a smartphone to strike the desired mood.
The kitchen alone is a life-changing room for any seasoned host, equipped with a home-audio setup, hidden outlets, and a built-in wine cooler nestled between the refrigerator and freezer that functionally offsets the wine room located near the kitchen island.
Whether you’re hiring caterers or acting as the “chef/owner” of your own event, the home accommodates all levels, and it does not stop with the kitchen. According to Shaffer-Hale, “As always, we do not skimp on cabinet space and custom cabinet built-ins for the kitchen.”
She continues to the rest of the home, saying, “The primary bathroom is quite simply a spa retreat, offering an oversized two person shower (because why not), a stunning bath tub, and miles of counter space.”
Despite the overall aesthetic of an Instagram home actualized, function also takes center stage. The children’ s bedrooms upstairs are slated to be the site of many fond memories of sleepovers and seminal birthday parties reveling in the kitchen and open concept spaces. With a golf course a stone’s throw away, there is also a golf simulator installed in the basement that allows the owner to practice their swing even when the weather makes practice inhospitable. Kristen Shaffer-Hale frames this as an uncompromising layout for the homeowner.
“It is no longer a question of, ‘do you want an entertainer’s home or a comfortable home?’…This home, especially the main floor, looks like a designer’s masterpiece. But as you move through the home you begin to notice warm features, like the maple wood elements, built-in lockers in the mudroom with an accompanying washer/dryer, and versatile basement layout that make this a great home to raise a family in as well.”
Going forward, Shaffer-Hale plans to use the genesis and conception of the spec home to influence her firm’s future projects, in which homeowners will never again have to make sacrifices on aesthetics versus functionality, “You don’t have to sacrifice sexy for cozy. You can have both.”
