A Livable Dream Home

For David Hutton (owner of HK & W Supply) and his wife, Mary, a "dream home" is just that: a home. "It has to be livable," Mary says. Walking into the Huttons' brand new custom-built house to the sounds of children laughing and extended family loudly debating dinner destinations, you can be certain Mary Hutton has achieved her goal, and with plenty of style and comfort to boot.

The first words that come to mind when you see David and Mary Huttons' contemporary home, designed by home designer Dale Peer, built by Ron Middleton and styled by friend and local interior decorator Cindy Love, are "light" and "space." With creamy walls and dark chocolate maple wood floors, the atmosphere is both inviting and visually stimulating. High ceilings arch over the entryway which flows freely into the dining room, connecting the kitchen and living room in an extension of easy living space, ideal for the Huttons and their two daughters, Paige and Grace, ages 9 and 6, respectively. With a bedroom on the main floor for Mary's parents, the open layout is nicely supplemented with opportunities for privacy.

The House of Denmark dining room table, aptly large, is dotted beautifully with grass-filled glass vases and lit with tech lighting. Like most of the lighting in the house, provided by Springfield Lighting, the style is personalized to the needs of the space. For the dining room area, a dropped cable and pendant effect is both intimate and modern.

Moving to the east side of the home, the kitchen is strategically designed sans upper cabinets to let in plenty of morning light, says Mary. She says the large granite-topped island is the focal point. It is mostly used at breakfast time. The dark wood cabinets were custom-built by Dave's Custom Woodworking in Aurora. A utility ceramic-tiled counter lined with stainless steel appliances by Wolf, Subzero and Kohler complete the space, including a double oven and island gas stove. Mary says the kitchen is one of her favorite parts of the house. "You're only a guest once," she says. "After that you must fend for yourself!" The kitchen is lit by inset mini-halogen lighting equipped with dimmers.

Moving across the main floor to the living room, the walls are adorned by artwork carefully chosen by interior decorator and friend Cindy Love, who the Huttons met while redecorating their previous home. Love says the Huttons' choice of a contemporary design style appealed to her "desire to depart from the usual;" Love explains that the contemporary approach is "not typical to Springfield." Even so, the artwork along the walls of the dining area and into the living room beautifully complement the Ozarks scenery easily seen through the numerous, large windows.

In the living room, modern luxuries combine with timeless comfort. Sofas and chairs by Carter circle around the two coffee tables, the insides of which house cushions easily freed to form impromptu ottomans. The gas fireplace provides winter warmth. Of course, no living room would be complete without the 52-inch plasma television. The surround-sound audio was done by Springfield Central Systems. With large glass vases from Pier 1 and Light House Gallery, custom-cut mirrors and framed prints by artist Mateo, color and simplicity provide the perfect accents, illuminated by monorail lighting.

On the lower level, a walk-out basement supplies a custom-fit playroom with stained concrete by Curtis Triplett. With a more colorful pallete used on the floor, walls and furniture, the space evokes a playful spirit. Over several custom rugs rests a coffee table strategically designed without sharp corners. Nearby, the room has furnishings such as a couch by Norwalk and chairs by Pier 1, ideal to accent the domino table made by a family friend. The basement's full kitchen sports granite countertops, a dishwasher, a sink and a micro-fridge custom-designed for easy entertaining. In the corner rests a 1964 Wurlitzer jukebox as the ideal complement to the family's pool table. Illuminated by plenty of natural light, the walls sport several original lithograph gel prints as well as framed Cirque du Soleil posters; one for each of the shows the Hutton family has attended.

Moving up to the second floor of the home, visitors are greeted with one of the Hutton family's passions: books. Lining the second-floor landing, angled bookshelves loaded with a mixture of classics and children's books overlook rugs woven in a geometric pattern. Two cozy chairs beckon for an afternoon of reading and relaxation. Love says that the geometric rug pattern creates an organic feel in the room and adds warmth to the contemporary style throughout the home.

On either side of the landing, glass-inset doors by Lamar Jamison lead to the girls' rooms. As with the rest of the house, large windows let in plenty of natural light. In each room, shades of rosy pink and baby blue pattern across furniture, bedding and accessories by Pottery Barn for Kids. Both Paige and Grace have their own full bathrooms.

Crossing the landing over the entryway, one is able to glimpse the full beauty of the hanging chandelier, also provided by Springfield Lighting. The chandelier, which is about seven feet tall and three feet wide, is perfectly sized to fill the window and provide light, says Mary. In order to change bulbs, the chandelier comes complete with a lift for easy access.

Walking into the master bedroom, three beige walls meet to join the burnt-maple accent wall behind the bed. To dress the large windows, floor to ceiling curtains fall gracefully; the weighted bottom curtains change color to match perfectly the accent wall, carrying the color throughout the room. Love says this creates a warming effect. The walls of the bedroom proudly display original artwork by the Huttons' favorite artists: their daughters. To add a touch of real life, a treadmill sits among the Baronet bedroom furnishings.

The master bath epitomizes the marriage of the contemporary style's clean lines with the luxurious comforts of modern appliances. Continuing the color scheme of brown and cream (which, Mary laughs, goes with the family's golden retriever, Pippin), the bathroom also has the added warmth of color. Walking into the bathroom one is immediately greeted by the entrance to the shower, which has two showerheads and travertine tiles forming a nine-foot radius of floor-to-ceiling tile. It's inset with blocks of spa glass to let in natural light. The tile, done by Jim Getek, is skillfully worked in a continuous curve.

Dual vessel-brushed nickel sinks sit atop counters and faucets jut from the tiled walls for a modern look in combination with espresso cabinets. The east wall of the bathroom provides the ideal location for the focal point of the bathroom: a deep Kohler tub that sits prettily underneath a large window overlooking the lush Ozarks landscape. "We didn't want a Jacuzzi tub," Mary says. "This is a soak-only." And who needs jets when the most unique feature of the tub comes from the ceiling? That's right; turning a small handle draws the bath with a steady, splash-free stream of water directly from the ceiling down into the stark white tub-a spectacular effect to round out the unique and sophisticated bathroom fit for any day-spa diva. For a personal touch, original art done by a college friend of Mary's is placed above the tub.

Back on the main floor, a hallway leads out to the three car garage and on the wall sits a "message board." The board, made by David with the help of a little chalkboard paint, enables the family to keep in touch. Large pots of live plants add just a touch of green to the dark wood floors. There are more than 50 windows found inside the home.

For Mary and David Hutton, this house was a labor of love and time. Mary Hutton says Love was a "great asset" in the long building process, and recommends the use of an interior designer to families embarking on remodeling or home building projects. "[An interior designer] helps to make choices easier; the process can be a bit overwhelming." The Huttons also say that their home designer, Dale Peer, and her "wonderful design" helped to create the open, family space they will be able to use and enjoy for years to come.

Resource Guide

Engel-Middleton Builders & Developers
Ron Middleton, 830 W. Mt. Vernon St., Nixa,
417-725-1000

Dale Peer Home Designs
1200 E. Woodhurst Dr., Springfield
417-889-3545

Cindy Love Interiors
Springfield,
417-886-7194

Springfield Lighting & Decor
1415 E. Battlefield St., Springfield      
417-447-5483

Dave's Custom Woodworking
550 W. High St., Aurora,
417-678-5101

Jim Getek
1325 E. Cambridge St., Springfield
417-881-8098

Lighthouse Gallery
4113 S. National Ave., Springfield
417-889-1088

Correction appended: The original version of this story incorrectly referred to Dale Peer as an "architect." —The Editors