Featured Homes
Call of the Kokopelli
This Prairie Village home takes cues from the West and Southwest with a home that's textural, earthy and organic.
BY
Louise Pollock Gruenebaum
PHOTOGRAPHY
Paul Bonnichsen

Schafer sought the warm comfort of the Southwest with her collection of pottery, art and even a quirky metal switchplate.
The shingled, cottage-like exterior hints at the Western/
Southwestern/“what Kelly likes” interior, with its front porch, wicker chair and Mission light fixture. The Schaffers enjoy an acre-sized private lot shaded by mature trees.
Concrete island tops, distressed cabinets, vintage brackets and tumbled stone tiles give the kitchen a rustic quality. Kelly
masked off the floor and painted black squares for added visual interest.
Kelly Schafer is laid-back, artsy and likes the outdoors. Her home reflects that about her. Shying away from froufrou, breakable objects, she still incorporates amazing collections of art and a comfortable atmosphere that is family-friendly.

When she and husband Dirk bought the 1949 ranch 10 years ago, it had a “weird contemporary” look to it, Schafer remembers. But that soon changed. In the last eight years, the house has undergone two major renovations and additions. Architect Bruce Wendlandt leveled formerly sunken rooms, added beams and bumped up ceilings. He also reconfigured the shapes of rooms and added a master bedroom and bath suite. A few years later, the Schafers hired a second architect, Wes Welch, to upgrade the kitchen, including the addition of shelves and a built-in wine cooler in the breakfast area, and design a back stairway and a loft studio for Kelly.

Schafer sought the warm comfort of the Southwest with her collection of pottery, art and even a quirky metal switchplate.

The remodeled home now exudes mountain and southwestern elegance. “We utilized natural stone and a mish-mash of wood for that organic, outdoor feeling,” Schafer says. “This mountain lodge feeling makes it so peaceful.”

“Comfortable” is Schafer’s buzzword when talking about her family’s lifestyle. The television and sound system are housed in an antique armoire in the living room.

“Sparkling new” even identifies the stone fireplace, which replaced the original brick one. An old log for the mantel is flanked by two pieces of metal that Schafer found on the side of a road, proving that anything can be art, if looked at in the right way. There is other evidence of beauty found in everyday materials, such as a thin metal rack holding sawed off 2-by-4s with the pencil marks still on the wood.

“I furnished the living room and our master bedroom with that ‘wild west’ look. Antique collectables like a massive wood door on a mesquite frame, or our distressed leather couch makes everything appear casual. I look for furniture that is original and has great lines,” Schafer says.

A major part of the remodel included improving traffic patterns, which was accomplished by sectioning off the living room into a dining room and a great room. The informal space works for both family feasts and client entertaining.

They added cherry cabinets along with a random medley of oak and pine. “We used lots of rich, stained woods, granite on countertops, and I applied tumbled marble backsplashes around the kitchen,” Schafer recounts.

Concrete island tops, distressed cabinets, vintage brackets and tumbled stone tiles give the kitchen a rustic quality. Kelly masked off the floor and painted black squares for added visual interest.

In the kitchen, she replaced a green antique island top with a round, concrete slab she painted creamy ivory to resemble marble and added antique brackets to hold up the concrete. She also stenciled black checkered squares on the wood floors. “Patience is my virtue, so I taped off every other square and used watered-down black paint.” Schafer also added dimension to the walls with faux painting throughout the house.

Mustard yellow walls with a sienna brown overlay in a textured pattern decorate the kitchen and breakfast nook. A paint and glaze combination makes for easy wiping. Ivory living room walls create a neutral palette for her funky furnishings. Green accentuates the front foyer. Recessed and track lighting create a subtle, texture of light and drama throughout the interior.

Daily interplays of light and shadow from the floor-to-ceiling, wood-encased windows and French doors also illuminate the interior. But it’s the outside that gets the real attention. Sited on a large wooded cul-de-sac lot with a southern exposure, the back of the home focuses on the outdoors. A covered porch is the highlight of the backyard and has views of a fire pit and a sculpture garden with an iron fountain by artist Terri Stone.

“The vivid autumn colors and cool breezes rustling in the trees entice us to eat outside on our patio more often. My kids love to light the fire and eat s’mores while I grill meat or fish for dinner,” Schafer says.

The forest-like environment is enchanting. The warm waters of the hot tub or the smell of pinion wood burning make it hard to resist. “It’s a home all year, but the autumn and winter months are our favorite,” Schafer says.

Resource Book
Architects: Wendlandt & Stallbaumer/Wes Welch
Cabinetry: Quality Wood Products
Landscaping: Rosehill Gardens
Granite: Carthage Marble
Windows: Pella Windows