Crafting the Modern Classic
A heritage home builder steps out of the city into the suburbs, nodding to the past while emphasizing best ways to live in the present.
Words
Sarah MacFarland
Photos
Matthew Anderson
@matthewaphoto
Architect
Elswood Smith Carlson Architects
@escarchitects
Builder and Designer
Edward Franklin Building Co.
@edwardfranklinbuildingco
ast spring, Chris and Tara Merkel toured a property in the Terrybrook Farms community in southern Overland Park, one of hundreds of model homes open to tour-goers in the Greater Kansas City Home Builders Association’s biannual Parade of Homes. “We weren’t looking for a new home,” Chris says. “We were looking for ideas.”
They found lots of ideas…and so much more.
When they walked through the model home by Edward Franklin Building Company that won a First Place Award for Distinctive Plan and Design, they were stunned. “The primary suite was like nothing we had ever seen,” Tara says.
“The quality upgrades, the fixtures, and the finishes throughout the home, the care and attention to detail really impressed us,” Chris recalls.
“The range hood looks like an old Italian fireplace, and the scullery lets me keep the kitchen clutter-free,” adds Tara. “I love that wallpaper in the dining room.”
Everything was nearly perfect as-is, but the couple asked their agent to request a quote from the builder for finishing the basement, installing a pool, and expanding the patio. “We toured the house on a Sunday, and by that Thursday, they had all the information for us.”
That sealed the deal. The Merkels moved in not long afterward, and work began on the basement, patio, and pool.
“Their communication throughout the project management has been great,” Chris says. “You really feel like they are working on your behalf.”
“That’s just what we like to hear,” says Chris Ruhl, co-managing partner of Edward Franklin with Grant Baumgartner. “Because this was a spec home, we were making decisions for a future homeowner, and we hoped we would make the right ones.”
The spec building process is one of trial and error, but with the transition to homeownership, Baumgartner emphasizes, “We know it’s important to be responsive to our clients.”
The days before their spec home debuted on the Parade, Baumgartner admits to a few “nail-biter” moments. “We were there until 3 or 4 in the morning, getting everything just right,” he says. “The reception we got made it all worthwhile.”
Founded in 2018, Edward Franklin started building homes in urban and downtown Kansas City on infill lots, where the challenge was to echo the architectural and neighborhood style of the surroundings. “We began working with Gerald Janssen at Elswood Smith Carlson Architects to get the right mix of timeless classic and modern living,” Baumgartner says. “They have been a good fit for what we want to do.”
When Baumgartner and Ruhl decided to tap into the Johnson County market, they snapped up the last lot in Terrybrook Farms. “We did a lot of driving around,” Baumgartner says. “When we saw this wide lot with a view of the fountain across the street, we knew it was the one.”
Typically, infill lots require building up, not out. “The wide lot allowed us to design a sprawling home with a side-entry garage,” Ruhl says. The front elevation resembles a house that has been added onto over the generations, yet it maintains a cohesive look. The lot, surrounded by other homes, also presented a challenge. “We decided to go with a courtyard feel,” he says, with kitchen and master suite wings that let in light but don’t give neighbors a view inside the home.
Privacy was paramount in the primary suite wing. “We used large windows and yet nobody can see in,” he says. The floating vanity islands, with mirrors suspended from the ceiling, offer his-and-hers sinks. A large tub that would be right at home in a Parisian apartment, along with a make-up vanity, adds a luxurious touch. Baumgartner and Kuhl also planted a row of hornbeams to form a backyard border, which further screens the interior from view.
Throughout the home, Baumgartner and Ruhl seamlessly married timeless design elements with modern living. Twelve-inch baseboards echo the woodwork in centuries-old homes yet provide a way to hide HVAC returns and vents. Brazilian quartzite in a moody green is a natural stone that is sturdier than granite, making it ideal for countertops and flooring. Venetian plaster allows for dramatic vaulting in the soaring living room yet adds quiet, eco-friendly texture. The range hood in the kitchen might feel at home in a Tuscan villa, but it also incorporates a powerful hood vent and a handy pot filler.
Timeless with modern elements is also on view in the dining room, featuring a traditional mural landscape wall done in a contemporary tone-on-tone wallcovering, lit by a crystal chandelier. “Our interior designer works hard to find that mix,” Ruhl notes.
Edward Franklin is now expanding into Johnson County with a spec house and model homes in the new Woodmyre neighborhood at 181st and Quivira. “We love to create, to go from an idea to a concept to a home that fits the way people want to live,” Baumgartner says.
“We do this because we love it,” Ruhl adds. “You learn so much about the homeowners you work with, and friendships develop. We are happy to play a part in their lives.”
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