Unique dream home.
Extensive research done before building Waterford ranch house
WATERFORD - Practice makes perfect. And that extends, of course, to building and decorating homes.
When Kim and Mike Gallo decided to build a new home for their merged family in 2015, they each brought a good amount of knowledge to the table. And that combined knowledge resulted in the home of their dreams.
The couple said that before they married they had each owned homes, and that Kim had been involved in building one. And with each home there were design elements they liked or disliked.
So when they began building their 2,460-square-foot ranch with a fully exposed basement in a new subdivision here, they pooled their knowledge. But they also did their homework. “We did a lot of Parade of Homes and open houses,” said Mike. “And Kim did hours and hours of research. It’s perfect,” or at least as perfect as we can afford to make it, he said.
They started by hiring Sawfish General Contracting in Waterford to build a custom home and began adding all the elements they loved.
Mike is the owner of MK Plumbing LLC, and Kim works in human resources at Northwestern Mutual. Their children are Justin Kozlowski, 22, Alex Gallo, 21, Aaron Gallo, 18, Alia Gallo, 15 and Ashlyn Gallo, 14.
Instead of standard openings between rooms or areas, the couple added arches and Kim came up with the idea to add a decorative ceiling in the first floor office. They also opted for lots of large and uniquely placed windows. In the open-concept area of their home, they added large windows across the back of the house to take advantage of their view of the Fox River and Lake Tichigan.
In the master bedroom, windows surround their bed, which is a design element Kim has always liked.
“We put windows on each side of the bed’s headboard and put a long transom window over the top of the headboard,” she said.
They used that same concept at their front door by adding a transom and slim side windows.
“We had to put them (the side windows) in there for our cocker spaniels, Bailey and Annie,” said Kim. “They stand there — one in each window — and look out during the day.”
She also knew from experience that she wanted windows in the bathrooms to be higher than normal so that she didn’t have to worry about using window treatments for privacy.
Niches and angled walls were also elements they added.
Kim said she always liked niches for artwork, so they added two in the entryway that now hold antique cotton spinners made of metal and wood.
An angled wall was added in their great room as a backdrop for their large gas fireplace, which is made of stacked stone and has a reclaimed wood mantel. They also added an angled wall in their powder room.
Their design preferences can be seen throughout their kitchen as well.
There they chose quartz in taupe/gray for their countertops and large island, purchased high-end stainless appliances, added white shaker-style cabinets, used a small stacked stone for their backsplash and added a lot of pull-out cabinets and a walk in pantry.
“Everything in here is hidden, we have a lot of our electrical appliances in drawers,” said Kim.
Wide-plank distressed oak flooring was also added throughout most of the home for a unified look, and Kim had a barn door made of reclaimed wood put on sliders to accent and close off their laundry room, which doubles as space for dog food and the like.
“We had cabinets custom-built to hold the dog foods, and we also keep their treats and water bowls in here,” said Kim.
While the couple worked with their contractor to build the house — which was completed in August — Kim also worked with Dawn Adamec, an interior designer with Steinhalfel’s Decorating solutions in Waukesha, to fill the space with new furnishings and accent pieces.
“We had furniture from a previous house we had bought together, and when our lower level is done, we will use it all down there,” said Kim.
“We also have stuff we are keeping for our kids,” added Mike.
Although Kim knew what she liked — and had already purchased a good number of pieces for the home before it was even completed — she said she wanted to work with a professional who would help her fine-tune the home but also act as a sounding board.
“I would email Dawn a photo of something I liked and she would give me feedback … she also helped me pick out colors for our rooms,” said Kim.
The couple recently talked about their home and how much they’ve enjoyed building and decorating it.
Q. What other unique elements did you add?
Mike: We had a covered porch added to take advantage of the view.
Kim: We also added reeded glass to a cabinet in the kitchen, the pantry door, the office door and the transom above it. I’ve always liked that look. We also put a heated floor in the master bathroom.
Q. How many bedrooms and bathrooms do you have?
Kim: We have the master bedroom and bathroom, two guest rooms and 11⁄2 (other) bathrooms.
We also have two offices. One is on the main floor, the other is on the lower level.
Three of our children are currently living with us. We tried to build this house with our future in mind, which is why we built a ranch so we had fewer steps. But we also wanted to have space because with five children, our family is bound to get larger and we’ll want to entertain.
Q. What kind of appliances did you add in your kitchen?
Kim: One of my favorite things is that our refrigerator has a built in Keurig (coffee maker). We also have a wine and beer refrigerator, a five-burner stovetop and an Advantium oven that has a lot of high-end capabilities. It has a quick-cook function and a microwave.
Q. What’s your style of decorating? Kim: Updated craftsman style. Q. What new furniture did you buy for your home?
Kim: Mainly pieces for the open-concept area . We got a large, dark charcoal gray leather sectional with a chaise lounge on the end. We also got a large ottoman in a bluish green that has storage.
The table in our eating area and the bench with it is from an Amish company. We got wicker chairs to go with it.
Q. You have unique lighting? Did you select it?
Kim: Yes, we did. We have three vintage style globe-like fixtures made of seeded glass over the kitchen island. We also have a bronze drum-style chandelier with crystals in the foyer and a bronze drum light over the table in the eating area. Most of our lights have Edison bulbs in them.
Q. What are some of the colors you used in your home?
Kim: In the master the ceiling is a soft white; the back wall where the bed and windows are is a warm blue, and the side walls are gray. In the foyer we used a darker gray inside the niches, a lighter gray on the walls, and the wall the entryway door is on is a darker gray.
Most of the walls are a blend of gray and beige. They call it grayge. All the rest of the house is done in neutrals, and all the trim is soft white. Q. Any projects in the works? Mike: We have to do the landscaping. We know we definitely have to add some grass, and we want a fire pit in back.
Kim: We’ll add a stone wall around the pit and we want to add LED lighting to accent the trees.
Mike: We plan to work with a landscaper to get a plan together.
Q. What are your favorite rooms?
Kim: The master bath is one of mine. It has a built-in laundry basket, a large walk-in shower, and a lot of built-in cabinets. We added curved walls over the shower and toilet areas.
Mike: I do all the cooking, so the kitchen with all our appliances and work areas. But also the covered porch. I sit out there with the dogs in the morning and watch the sun come up. This is our dream home, and I always say the next move for me will be to the crypt. Do you, or does someone you know, have a cool, funky or exquisite living space that you’d like to see featured in At Home? Contact Fresh home and garden editor Nancy Stohs at (414) 224-2382 or email nstohs@journalsentinel.com.