Setting A Foundation

The 417 Idea Home is full steam ahead with exterior and interior designs, a budget and innumerable innovative concepts about to come to life.

“Let’s build a dream home,” we thought. Let’s put together the best and the brightest group of people in 417-land, ask them to bring their most creative and innovative ideas and then compile them all into a 417 Idea Home. The figurative foundation was set in 2006, and now in the summer of 2007 the literal foundation to the home is about to be laid.

In collaboration, 417 Magazine and 417 Home joined with Ron Hill of Euro World Designs and Doug Pitts of Doug Pitts Construction to begin planning our dream home in Branson Hills. Originally, we intended to sell the home after its unveiling and subsequent two-week open house. Then, local residents (and the W in HCW, the company developing Branson Hills) Marc and Patricia Williams came along and essentially said, “Hey, how about you build the home for us on our lot that sits on the intersection of three greens on The Tribute Golf Club in Branson Hills.” And our partnership with the family began, which culminates with an open house event summer 2008.

Ever since the Williamses signed up as the owners of the 417 Idea Home, they’ve been in a whirlwind of decision-making. On the broadest side of the spectrum, they needed to settle on the style of the interior and exterior. Then came the size of the home, the type of appliances, the tile, the wall texture, the toys in the game room, the details of the spa attached to the master bath and the size of the infinity pool—the accoutrements seem endless. “A little pampering never hurt,” Patricia jokes. Many innovative ideas have come from the suppliers and the subcontractors that have expressed an interest being involved in the process. “We’ve discussed with them what we’d like to see, and we’ve given them an open ticket as far as giving us ideas,” Pitts says. “They have an opportunity to show off. You don’t usually bring a supplier in and tell them to use their imagination. Each subcontractor or supplier is what we consider to be the best in the business. They know what is most current and have the best ideas for their product.”

Out of these meetings came the spa and the infinity pool and many other ideas. Now, what were concepts three months ago have become specifics and have been drawn into formal blueprints.

“We’ve come through the concept stage,” Hill says. “Now we’ve been perfecting all the ideas to get it ready for the building process. We’re working with how we’re going to set the house up on the lot.” The sight plan has been a major concentration because everyone involved wants to get optimal positioning for enjoying the golf course view.

The Williamses first decided they wanted the house to reflect Mediterranean mixed with a Spanish influence. Patricia gathered many ideas from Arizona and Florida. This style also allows for an open floor plan with grand arches and columns. The Williamses want to be able to entertain in their new home. The home they’re in now is more structured and only allows for eight to 10 people in a room at one time, so the rooms are smaller but more structured. In the new home, the floor plan will be more open and the doorways wide to allow a natural flow from room to room when friends gather for football games and dinner parties.

By the time Marc and Patricia move into the 417 Idea Home, the last of their five children will have headed off to college. With this in mind, they originally thought they’d downsize from their 4,500-square-foot house and keep their new home on one level. As Hill designed and Pitts rallied the subcontractors, the ideas piled on, and the house grew and grew. The plans now tally 12,000 square feet and three stories.

“If there’s anything at all that we don’t have in that house, I couldn’t think of it,” Patricia says. “We’ve had so many great minds in on it and so many ideas. I told Marc the only time I’d have to leave the house was to get groceries.”

The decision-making isn’t over, though. Each of the rooms has a different designer. Melissa Turpin of Unique Tile and the new president of the Springfield Design Association is at the helm of all the designers. She and Patricia have come up with a central color palette that includes a lot of subtle earth tones. The whole designing group met, and the formal storyboards for each room will soon be started and then be ready for Patricia’s approval. “It’s funny, because [Patricia] has exactly my taste,” Turpin says. “I am thrilled to death with everything she has picked out.

Pitt was finishing the budget and getting ready to present it to the Williamses, and Hill was finishing the final rendering of the home, which yes, will need approval from the homeowners. Once the budget is approved, it’s full steam ahead on the building process. Soon enough, all the ideas for the home will be a reality.