BALDWINSVILLE, N.Y. – Designing one’s own dream house appears to be a daunting task.
There are so many things to consider. You have to choose from the home’s layout, inside and out, the number of rooms, add-ons like windows and fireplaces, and right down to all the fine little details like paint color, cabinetry, lighting fixtures, and tiles.
When Jackie and Vinnie Turner of Liverpool were starting the process of designing a new home for their family, they turned to MWG Custom Homes and designer Michele Graham, of M Graham Interiors, a division of A La Maison Home and Lifestyle LLC, to help them with their project.
“It was a great experience,” Jackie said. “They were so supportive in the process to create our own dream house.”
Their finished four-bedroom and four-bathroom home at 224 Lexi Lane, named “The Alessandra,” in the new Treybrook subdivision in Baldwinsville was one of seven chosen to be part of this year’s Parade of Homes.
MWG Custom Homes uses a unique 3-D rendering system at the start of the “discovery process,” which allows a homeowner to watch virtually as their home comes to fruition in front of their own eyes. They can make changes and suggestions before the first nail is struck.
For the Turner’s, they were looking for a home with a lot of space and an open floor plan. They also wanted a big yard for their daughters to play in and a swimming pool. And they were looking for a house which met the needs of the active family on the go which could accommodate older family members who would visit them.
With over 4,700 square feet of living space inside, built on an almost one-acre lot, the family has a lot of room to move around in.
The finished lower level has about 750 square feet of space and is roughed-in for a fifth bedroom.
Guests enter the home in a dramatic two-story foyer with triple chandeliers. A sun-filled great room, with a beautiful stone fireplace, features custom cabinetry and a wall of windows.
The stylish kitchen provides a lot of working space and has its own walk-in pantry, coffee bar space, Cambria quartz countertops, and stainless-steel appliances.
The interior design work of Michele Graham can be seen in these two spaces.
She suggested stone and wood elements in the great room and grey grout and hardwood floors in the kitchen to bring “warmth” into the home.
“MWG always creates a wonderful space to decorate,” she said.
The home office off the front foyer fills two roles.
In the age of COVID, a permanent office where one can efficiently work from home is almost a must-have now, but a suggestion by Dean Simms, MWG’s project manager, made the space even more versatile.
Jackie’s in-laws often visit from Pennsylvania and have trouble dealing with stairs.
Rather than building another first-floor bedroom, Simms suggested adding a Murphy bed built into a wall of custom cabinetry.
“It looks just like an office,” Jackie said. “It was such a great idea.”
A convenient mudroom off the kitchen has custom-built cabinetry, a full bathroom, and access to the swimming pool area. It allows the children a place to “kick off their shoes” when they come in from outdoors and a place to change after their swim.
Graham had fun decorating the two upstairs bedrooms for each of the family’s daughters and their shared bathroom.
She did such a good job that every time they visited the work site, they asked their parents if they could stay.
“They are very excited,” their mother said. “I cried when I saw their rooms.”
It is stories like that which makes the hard work of a designer worth it.
“Homeowners put their trust in you,” Graham said. “The end of the project is the most rewarding part. They walk in and see it finished for the first time. It is just like a TV show.”
The Turner family will have to wait until the end of the Parade of Homes before they officially move in. They have been staying at a hotel since July for the big day after letting the family they sold their old house to move in a bit early.
“It is going to be worth it,” Jackie said.
The Parade of Homes continues through Sept. 26.
Highlights
- 4 bedrooms
- 4 full baths
- Great room with stone fireplace and built-in cabinets
- Gourmet kitchen with walk-in pantry
- Home office with Murphy Bed
- Large mudroom with custom-built storage and bench
- 2nd floor laundry
- Custom stone pillars
- Custom-built cabinetry and trim work
- Custom ceilings with decorative faux fixtures
- Smart Home features
- Soft tap light switches
- Oversized three-car garage with rubber stone floor
- Stampcrete covered porch
- Garage stairs for direct basement access
- Inground swimming pool
- Professional landscaping and sprinkler system
Contact
Builder: MWG Custom Homes, Matthew Gould, www.mwgconstruction.com and 315-657-2474
Home design and floor plans: MWG Custom Homes, Dean Simms, www.mwgconstruction.com
Designer: Michelle Graham, M Graham Interiors, a division of A La Maison Home and Lifestyle LLC., 315-440-6637
Architect: Rod A. VanDerWater - Architect, P.C., AIA, rwater@cdtcad.com, and 315-472-9848
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