Form, Function and Family

A Branson family’s colonial home has room for a wine collection, a purse from Angelina Jolie, windows with lake views… and even six kids.

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Rich and Angie Ann Makuch at home with their children: Gabriela, Christian, Angelica, Katerina, Francesca and Andrew.

When Dr. Rich Makuch decided to move to Branson in 2003 to take a staff radiologist job at Skaggs Community Health Center, he was charged with the challenge of finding a home for his wife, Angie Ann, and their large family. The Georgia transplants were looking for a large home. Rich had looked at many houses before he found their current colonial. “It took three seconds to know I wanted it,” Rich says. “Classic style homes are beautiful because the style has stood the test of time. The house reminded me of one of the houses overlooking the Hudson or Potomac rivers.”

“He said it was my dream home,” Angie Ann adds. “I said ‘Send me a picture.’” The 6,000-square-foot home turned out to be perfect for the family of eight. The expansive colonial has five bedrooms and four and a half baths. “Initially it was a little bit of a change for us from the big city,” Angie Ann says.

“It is very dark and quiet out here, but now that we’ve gotten used to it, we wouldn’t have it any other way.”

The Makuch Family

“When we got the call that our house was being profiled, I was in the doctor’s office getting stitches for Andrew,” Angie Ann says with a laugh. “It always seems like we have something going on.” And with six children, it’s no wonder.

As Angie Ann begins the tour of the family’s home, Angelica, the oldest of the six children, comes skating (yes, skating!) through the hardwood floor entryway. “Let’s not roller skate in the house,” Angie Ann kindly directs her 13-year-old daughter. “I usually don’t, but I had to come get you,” Angelica says in defense. The powerwashers had just shown up to continue the family’s spring-cleaning routine. Like Angie Ann said, there is always something going on.

But Angie Ann has found a way to keep the large family organized and living functionally in its Branson home. The original coat closet has been changed into a locker system in which the kids keep shoes and other items that would usually be dumped inside the door. Chore charts can be found throughout the dining room and kitchen. One even urges the kids to be the next “Allowance Idol.”

The Makuches’ six children—Angelica, 13; Gabriela, 11; Christian, 9; Katerina, 7; Francesca, 4; and Andrew, 3—could easily overrun the house, but the design of the home pairs function and luxury together. Even the garage has a lofted space above it for the kids to play with their toys for hours without taking over the house.

Unexpected Details

The Makuches’ home is full of Rich’s bold design choices and the addition of unexpected details, chosen with an eye he honed almost from birth. Rich’s parents immigrated to New York from Poland after World War II. His mother was a high-fashion courtier. “He grew up on fine foods and played with fabric swatches as a child in his mother’s Fifth Avenue shop,” Angie Ann says.

“It’s odd. I grew up in a rough Queens neighborhood,” Rich says. “But I was different. I started cooking when I was 10 and collecting wine when I was 13.“
Now Rich’s passions can be seen throughout the family’s home. Angie Ann is quick to point out that the kitchen is all his. “He loves design and beautiful things,” she says. “It’s a great combination. He can cook, and I love to eat.”