It was a very different process working with a fellow architect—you get into the minutiae, sometimes have differing opinions, lots of discussion. Some things are easier because we speak the same language.”
Richard enjoyed the spirited back-and-forth with Christopher, noting that “80 percent of the time we were excited about the same things, and perhaps 20 percent of the time there were differences, which resulted in making better decisions. Chris and Kali got it—they understood the assignment and had a tremendous impact on the house.”

Kali, whose father is an architect and whose mother is a kitchen designer, was equally energized by the trio’s vision. “It was a true success,” Kali says. “Each member of the team agreed on the design’s intent.”
While the façade of Richard’s home features stripped-down decorative elements to preserve the flavor of the neighborhood’s architecture, the 6,400-square-foot modern interior took shape through a U-shaped floor plan that wraps a central courtyard.

Richard, Christopher and Kali’s careful selection of materials, finishes and fixtures—combined with unexpected design solutions—results in a stunning, curated art gallery imbued with a very personal patina.
“Art is the unifier throughout the home,”Kali says.

A lifelong collector, with a penchant for local artists, Richard wanted to ensure that the art would benefit from the house—and that the house would benefit from the art. Together, Richard and Jen selected large-scale anchor pieces for prominent display in the heart of the home: a two-story kitchen, island dining and living area with formal column grid, and soaring eighteen-foot ceilings.

A moody black-and-white Jennifer Janesko is positioned above the kitchen’s cabinetry, twenty-foot granite-topped island, and Carrara marble backsplash at one end. A colorful, eye-catching piece by Archie Scott Gobber is a counterpoint at the opposite end, commanding the living space above a cleverly concealed television cabinet. Four massive gold-leafed pieces, originally designed by Jennifer as screens for Kansas City Fashion Week, run along the main wall. Kali appreciates the main living area’s ability to expand and contract, “driven by how the family chooses to use it. Nowhere in the house is space overcommitted where it’s not needed.”