A home built for family

When Brigette and Adam Ingersoll built their home in the Cardinal Ridge neighborhood - in west Iowa City - back in 2010 they knew they wanted it to be a central gathering point for their immediate and extended family.

'We wanted to create the hub where our families would gravitate for the holidays,” Adam Ingersoll said.

'Yes, we built this to be a gathering space for our families and wanted to be able to host a lot of people,” added his wife, Brigette. 'It was truly a big consideration as we were building.”

Now, nearly seven years later, it seems their thoughtful planning of their seven bedroom, five and a half bath room, worked our perfectly. The Ingersolls and their four children - ages 12 to 7 - have settled into the space nicely.

Both Adam and Brigette grew up in or near the Iowa City area but spent 16 years living in Los Angeles where they went to college. After having their children they decided it was time to head back to the Midwest. So they reached out to Randy Rempel Construction - Randy was a friend of the couple's from high school - to start the process of moving back.

Brigette recalls that she had no desire to build a house, until they were shown the lot.

'There was just something about this lot,” she said. 'The land behind the house will always stay natural area and that really sold me on it. It looks so pretty in the snow.”

They decided to take the plunge and build a dream family home and started construction, relying heavily on their trust in Randy as the builder as the Ingersolls were still living in California as the home took shape.

They had also had help from a friend in California - who specializes in designing restaurant interiors for Disney - who had essentially drawn up the plans for the home.

'It's interesting that this house was drawn up from scratch but it wasn't done by an architect,” Brigette said, noting that some of the layout was prescribed by her desire to have the kitchen located near the garage.

The home's open floor plan and kid-friendly furnishings make it a great gathering spot for big family events.

'This house is pretty well lived in,” Brigette said. 'Our furniture is pretty rugged and we picked bamboo flooring because it's pretty durable.”

Adam agreed.

'The reaction that people have is that our home is open and warm and doesn't seem stuffy,” he said. 'They don't feel shy about kicking off their shoes and making themselves at home.”

That's a good thing, as the Ingersolls often host family and friends - and even allowed last year's holiday movie 'Up on the Wooftop” to use their home as a filming location - for holidays and other celebrations.

'We have so many spaces that can become guest bedrooms,” said Brigette. 'We knew that our family would come and stay and we want our home to be comfortable for that. SO there are pullout couches in many rooms.”

The Ingersolls said that time spent renting homes through VRBO for family vacations helped them know what they wanted to include when they built their home.

Adam said his favorite spot in the home is his office - which could eventually be turned into a first-floor master suite thanks to the attached bathroom and walk-in closet - because of its thoughtful layout.

'I didn't' want an executive set up with a big desk in the middle,” he said. 'When I'm at my desk in the corner of the room I can see through the windows into the rest of the main floor and see what's going on with the rest of the family.”

Plus, the access to the home's wraparound porch lets him step outside to take in the fresh air and views when he's on a long conference call.

Another of the Ingersolls' favorite rooms in the home is their library space - which features floor to ceiling bookshelves and an actual library ladder, something they'd always dreamed of having in their home. The custom window seat adds a perfect spot to curl up with a good book.

'We love how that space flows into the kids' space. It's very functional,” he said.

Originally, the home was designed with a formal dining room, but when Brigette realized they weren't really utilizing the space, she converted it into a creativity zone for her kids, complete with a big table for Legos, a piano and a large custom desk for homework.

'That's the kids' work room now and we use it all the time,” she said.

Just outside the workroom is a large two-sided fireplace, complete a custom family photo collage screen that rolls down to hide the TV when not in use and a wide wraparound hearth.

'The day we moved in it immediately became a train table,” said Adam. 'They still use it as a stage,” Brigette added.

Besides the half basketball court in the backyard, another purposefully designed kid-friendly space is the large, open finished basement.

'We knew the kids would need some place to play baseball and football inside and the basement is perfect for it,” Brigette said.

There are some perks built into the home for mom and dad too, like the espresso machine installed in the kitchen.

'That thing has paid for itself many times over,” Brigette laughed.

As for Adam, he got his wish of having a urinal installed in the master bathroom.

'It is practical, ecologically and relationship friendly,” he said. 'Every house should have one.”

It's these unique elements that make their home a perfect fit for their family, Brigette said.

If all six Ingersolls are home and eating at the same time they will sit down at the large round kitchen table - which could seat up to 11 and is a signature piece in the home's décor. Otherwise, the kids all have their preferred spot for eating at the kitchen island or breakfast bar.

The home is not only family friendly but environmentally friendly as well. The Ingersoll - who both drive electric cars and strive to be as environmentally conscious as possible - recently had solar arrays installed on the property.

'We regret that we didn't think to include this seven years ago when we built the house,” Adam added. 'But we are really excited now that the solar is installed and even more excited that we have a real shot at being net zero with our energy use.”

The Ingersolls thought it was interesting that the solar company assumed they didn't want the solar arrays to be visible from the street.

'We told the company they could put the solar arrays where ever they wanted, including on any roof surface,” he said.

They now have roof panels and three arrays installed in the side yard.

'We certainly aren't environmental pioneers, but we do hope it might inspire other people to do something similar,” said Adam.