“It’s a magical eight acres that feels remote but is in close proximity to all the conveniences the city offers,” the homeowner says. “My in-laws live in a 100-year-old stone home—reported to have been built by the Jackson County sheriff presiding over Kansas City’s fabled Pendergast era—and there’s a quaint 105-year-old white barn on a stone foundation, in addition to our house on the property.”

In January 2019, the couple enlisted Geri Higgins of Portfolio Kitchen & Home to capture their vision and to extend their aesthetic into an expansive outdoor space. Geri and her team of Kelly Greenfield and Brian Burchfiel were already familiar with the Woods Chapel home. The owners, fond of cooking and entertaining, hired them 15 years ago to create a sleek and efficient kitchen that would also complement their art collection.

“They understood our objective and exceeded our expectations,” says the homeowner, admitting she is creative but not a designer. “Geri is a great listener and innovator, and she, Kelly and Brian have provided design and technical expertise over the years to keep our home evolving.”

Now affectionately dubbed the Lake House by the homeowners, the stunning outdoor pavilion accommodates dinner parties, holiday celebrations and family gatherings as easily as serene mornings tucked into a chair with a cup of coffee, watching the sunrise illuminate the pond. In spring and summer, the couple sips wine at sunset, listening to the cadence of bullfrogs’ calls.

“They now savor a unique and transformative outdoor experience without getting in the car and driving somewhere,” Geri says. “Part of their daily ritual, this space is truly like a vacation at home—and what makes this project exceptional is the utilization of beautiful materials and a seamless flow and continuity in design from the home to outdoors.”