Modern Marvel Is a Custom Refuge for Youthful Living and Metropolitan Taste
By Clint Evans, AIA
When empty nesters from an established residential neighborhood outside Kansas City wanted to make a lifestyle change to suit a new phase of life, they knew a drastic departure from tradition was necessary.
Although the suburb of Leawood’s tree-lined streets provided an idyllic community for raising children, this couple envisioned a transition that would include a rediscovery of youthfulness. They imagined a residence that was fit for the exploration of the arts, entertaining, relaxing and connecting more closely with the city they cherish.
Their vision required a departure from conventional architectural features they had grown accustomed to as a suburban family. The couple found a desirable location for their custom home build in the West Plaza neighborhood, which offers a decidedly different appeal than Leawood. Although the West Plaza has the feel of a residential neighborhood, it is steps away from the Country Club Plaza, an outdoor, high-end retail district and the crown jewel that is the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
Walkable to award-winning restaurants, the arts, cultural events and the vibrancy of a nearby public university and an undergraduate art institute, the West Plaza sets the stage for custom home architecture that matches this relevant, thriving location.
The result is the Corsini home, a 3,000-square-foot, four-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath custom house. On first impression, the facade’s highly contemporary geometries and set-back entry immediately suggest an elegant exclusivity and metropolitan living.
Upon entry, this privacy is reinterpreted as a haven for the owners and guests alike, complete with indoor and outdoor spaces for leisure and entertaining. This custom home build provides rich opportunities to explore a new chapter outside the suburbs.
Inside the Home’s Custom Architecture
To step inside the Corsini home is to experience a space highly informed by the clients’ artwork, tastefully representing the enduring cultural influence of modernism and American pop culture.
The use of ample light and high ceilings throughout the home creates a bright, contemporary gallery-like atmosphere coupled with gestures that suggest opportunities for entertaining and gathering.
This home’s luxury architecture is a refreshing reminder that modern design can be striking, while simultaneously offering warmth and inclusivity. For instance, NSPJ included an open concept kitchen with sleek lines and cleanly hidden appliances, giving way to a sitting area that invites both intimate and casual conversation.
All this occurs in the presence of the home’s remarkable focal point: a custom glass staircase that required overseas fabrication and a strategic installation process. This family and their guests can now enjoy food and drink between kitchen and den in a space that overlays this client’s desire for play and urbane taste.
Ascend a Custom Glass Stairs to the Top Floor of This Custom Luxury Home
Windows that act as walls throughout the home provide views of Country Club Plaza to invite more natural light into the home, while also serving as a reminder of their closeness to metropolitan life. This proximity to city life is also accentuated by a climb up the impeccable, industrial-inspired, artist-loft staircase.
At the top of the home, an additional entertaining space awaits, complete with a bar and additional cocktail-hour amenities for enjoying a drink and taking in the city view through large windows. This floor also features a music room which was engineered with acoustics and sound-dampening expertise, creating a sanctuary that honors the owners’ interests in creativity and music.
The second-floor music room, entertainment area and adjacent outdoor lounge space provide an environment for relaxation and youthfulness, while continuing to glint with refined taste and the rewards of this stage of life.
Outdoor Living Provides Additional Freedoms and Refuge
Throughout the home, private outdoor locations offer another take on the sanctuary concept. Opportunities to experience the natural world are abundant, whether it’s a private deck off the bedroom or entertaining-ready roof deck with arresting nighttime views of Kansas City.
Outdoor living space accompanies each floor, suggesting the free flow of diverse activity throughout the home, including private time for solitude or creativity, sunbathing, gardening or reading.
The effortless synergy of indoor and outdoor spaces suggests a tasteful canvas upon which the clients can enjoy the freedoms of daily life without the enclosures of the traditional architecture they were accustomed to in the suburbs.
The largest outdoor area, a generous patio for gathering or conversation, is positioned in the midst of the sounds and feel of city life. A gas fireplace and natural materials worthy of a trendy downtown bar complete this desirable outdoor gathering space, continuing to intimate the owners’ cultural tastes, as well as the spontaneity afforded by their new phase of life.
Align Your Vision with NSPJ Architects’ Custom Home Expertise
Our custom home building team delivers perceptive, timeless designs that integrate clients’ taste, lifestyle, and desired location to help them fully realize their luxury lifestyle.
Schedule a meeting for luxury architecture and design by contacting NSPJ Architects online or by calling our office at (913) 831-1415.
