team building
Wowed by their new home, a celebrity couple shifts the spotlight to their devoted crew of craftsmen.By Laura Musall
About 100 people showed up to the first party Bob and Becky Kevoian threw in their new house. At least half of the guests had worked for 14 months to build a northside home with hand-hewn character and quality for the well-known radio personality (he’s co-hosted The Bob & Tom Show since 1983), his wife, and their three sons.
The guests were the ones who installed all the Toto toilets and put in the Chilewich tiles and slate floors. They were the artisans who laid every piece of Brazilian cherry flooring by hand, created maple trim work, designed the Mission-style doors, and carefully hoisted the glass for the floor-to-ceiling windows. And they completed the
house ahead of schedule.
The Kevoians were grateful. And impressed. So they threw a party and invited everyone—from the architect to the plumbers—who had a hand in building the house and its playground of exterior amenities, including a complete indoor bar by the pool and a waterfall tumbling to a pond.
From the front yard, you wouldn’t know the house—which appears from there to be a single level—was new. That’s a real compliment, says builder and general contractor Randy Walker.
His clients wanted a house that looked as if it had been tucked away for years on the 13-acre wooded lot, a house that will still be there years from now, for their kids’ kids.
An inviting courtyard welcomes guests at the entry. Here, stone artisans worked for days to craft an exterior 20-foot-tall fireplace of Indiana limestone and Ozark Mountain stone. The dry-stacked bottom section looks mortar-free because the stones are so tightly fitted together, which gives it an organic look. Like the fireplace, stone columns on the back patio are symmetrical, a technique achieved only by a keen eye and careful chiseling, explains masonry master Tony Warren.
Front double doors open onto a long breezeway with slate floors. From there, the house is divided into wings. In the kids’ wing, builders created built-in alcoves outside the bedrooms so each boy can personalize his entry with displays. The softly decorated guest suite, which includes a bedroom, full bath, and private patio, also is in this wing.
The home’s design was inspired by Sarah Susanka’s hit book, The Not So Big House, in which the author advocates quality over quantity and livability over show, a philosophy the Kevoians share. For example, Bob didn’t want high ceilings in the house. Instead, carpenter Curt Hoopingarner’s team with Graham Construction created an alley of wood running overhead through the main-living wing—an idea straight from Susanka’s book. The eye-catching detail lowers the ceiling, acts as a bulkhead, and provides continuity from room to room.
The inviting interior is a blend of clean, contemporary lines and minimalist features, plus prairie-style influences, particularly reflected in the Indiana limestone used in the fireplaces. Then there are touches of Art Deco and Arts and Crafts, reminiscent of Becky’s love of her Broad Ripple bungalow.
The German-made kitchen from Bulthaup is the nucleus of the house. Walls are a calming hue that’s a mix of blue, green, and gray—the same color palette used throughout the house. Two sides of the kitchen feature floor-to-ceiling cherry cabinets, all custom made by Bulthaup.
Walker especially liked the challenge of helping the Kevoians and their designers—including architect Elayne May, artist Kelley Ross, and interior designer Sandi Cook-Litherland—come up with solutions to some of the not-so-ordinary challenges. The couple needs plenty of countertops and storage, yet no one wished to block the scenic backyard view with cabinets. The solution: two center islands, each with plenty of pull-out drawers, a warming drawer, microwave, and other appliances tucked away.
Becky chose stainless-steel countertops for their durability, but they also provide contrast to the abundance of rich wood. For other counters, Ross helped select sleek black granite with swirls of red and silver (from Santarossa Mosaic & Tile). The silver streaks tie in with the stainless-steel appliances and countertops, while the black granite dresses up a built-in china cabinet and buffet.
“I get up every day and think, ‘I can’t believe this is my kitchen,’” Becky says.
One bank of cabinets separates the kitchen from the spacious, light-filled living room. The focal point is a smooth, limestone fireplace. Trim carpenters with Graham Construction used a mix of cherry and maple for visual interest. They also created an archway into a music alcove, where a sleek, black baby grand sits. To ensure it doesn’t feel too formal, a curvy monorail-style track lighting system runs along the ceiling from the music room to the adjacent library.
There, the design team added floor-to-ceiling maple bookcases in staggered rows, a unique approach that’s functional but more architecturally interesting than walls lined with books. Becky wanted a window seat somewhere in the house. Walker found a space in the library that overlooks the front patio.
Walker and the design team wanted to make sure the house fit the Kevoians’ lifestyle. Thus, the master suite is set at the end of one wing. With a coffee bar, mini kitchen, and garage access, Bob can leave for work early without going through the main house. Opposite the coffee bar is a small work area devised from a photo of a countertop desk that Becky gave to the carpenters. When they learned that she likes to do paperwork standing up, they designed it as a high, slanted counter. The angled surface also means papers can’t pile up—built-in clutter control.
The bedroom has built-in cabinetry with arches, large windows overlooking the woods, and a private deck with a Jacuzzi and a retractable awning. The dogs have their own space, too: an artificial-turf running area with a water hydrant painted fire-engine red.
Sunlight pours into the room during the day—a problem when a morning radio host wants to go to sleep early. Walker solved the issue with electronic window shades. He carved slits in the windowsills to secure the shades so light can’t peek through. Raised, the shades are concealed behind custom frames at the top of the windows that look more like architectural features.
The expansive bathroom features a frameless shower tiled in slate, plus lots of pulsating jets and a TV. There’s also a Kohler Tea-for-Two tub in a cherry surround with a gracefully curved edge.
A pool table, plasma TV, and weight room make the basement the center of recreation and parties. It also has some unexpected features, such as ceramic FireBalls in place of gas logs in the fireplace and a bookcase that swings opens, activated by a hidden switch, revealing an entrance to a recording studio.
The basement walks out onto a patio, which overlooks a steep waterfall that descends to a stocked pond. The outdoors played a vital role in the design of the house, Walker says. Every room has a view, and most rooms have access to a deck or patio. Most days you can hear the water trickle down a limestone wall and flow into the pond below. And just in case someone wants to rest on one of the hillside stones, Walker carved cup holders into the rocks. Just off the patio, there’s a putting green and a driving pad from which golfers can hit floatable balls into the pond. Walker is working on reconstructing a log cabin from Brown County. The logs are being scrubbed, and then will be rebuilt as a fishing house.
One of the reasons the Kevoians wanted Walker for the job is because he didn’t bat an eye when they came up with a new idea or showed him a magazine picture. Instead, he figured out how to make it happen. “This was a real treat,” Walker says. He was at the site every day, and the house was finished ahead of schedule—even though an existing house had to be torn down before the Kevoians’ new one went up. About the only features kept were the in-ground pool (converted to saltwater, which means no chemicals) and a pool pavilion (which they overhauled inside and out, adding a firepit and a large TV screen that retracts into the ceiling and is controlled by equipment in the house). They built a second pool pavilion to house the bar and bistro tables. Ross made a lighted sign displaying the bar’s name, Naughty Pines.
Becky says one of her favorite rooms is the bathroom in the bar, in part because it’s so reminiscent of her charming house in Broad Ripple. The floor is made of tiny white glass tiles that look watery green, accenting the retro avocado sink by Kohler and the black-and-white artwork. Ross framed old photos of bathing suit–clad beauty queens from the 1940s and ’50s for the bathroom walls, and Becky displays vintage swim caps.
By the end of the project, Bob and Becky knew every contractor by name. They’d hang out together during breaks and get to know the workers—the couple’s sons even labored alongside the crew. During that time, the Kevoians realized that a lot of contractors and craftsmen never get to see the finished house. The couple wanted to show them that each particular trade was important in creating what the Kevoians consider their own personal and private retreat, where they can escape from the public life.
“Everyone says that they’re going to have a party [for their crew],” Walker said.
“But we meant it,” Bob said. “We developed a whole new level of respect for these guys.”
SPOTLIGHT
Randy Walker, Builder
Randy Walker spent most of his 30-year construction career on the road, building Burger Kings and strip malls. Every now and then he’d remodel a home, which is how he met Bob Kevoian of The Bob & Tom Show 18 years ago. The two became buddies, and Walker continued to help with various projects.
When Kevoian called Walker in 2005 and asked if he’d consider building an entire house, Walker jumped at the chance.
It was a job most builders dream of, because the Kevoians wanted a unique house, were open to creative ideas, and had the budget to back it up.
Walker, who lives in Fishers, stepped into the all-in-one role of general contractor, building engineer, and design consultant. Some days he was swinging a hammer alongside the construction crews. On other days he worked with environmental experts figuring out how to clean an overgrown pond. Once, the former Air Force sharpshooter spent an afternoon eliminating destructive carp from the pond’s murky water. Another day, he carved cup holders into the limestone-terraced landscaping out back, so someone can relax on the hillside to enjoy the land’s new fountain and waterfall. He also helped the Kevoians locate an authentic log cabin from Brown County and soon will rebuild it near the pond for a fishing lodge of sorts.
The Kevoians can’t stop singing his praises, not just because of his craftsmanship, but for helping the couple think through the designs and inspiring the entire crew to create a place where the high-profile radio personality can find privacy—a home with lots of character, yet sturdy enough to last for generations.
Walker’s sticking to homebuilding. His goal is to work on a couple of projects each year, and he hopes to find other customers who appreciate true craftsmanship and understand that a home’s worth is not all about the number of square feet.
SPOTLIGHT
Tony Warren, Mason
Warren, the project’s stone specialist, took eight days to build four stone columns on the lower-level patio of Becky and Bob Kevoian’s home. His crewman, Eladio Gonzalez, carefully chose each Ozark Mountain stone so that the columns were perfectly symmetrical and looked exactly as the architect had designed.
“It’s not like laying bricks,” says Warren, adding that Gonzalez has a natural eye for the art of stonework. Each stone has to fit perfectly, and if it doesn’t, the artisan has to chisel it with a hammer to the desired size.
Warren has owned Tony Warren Construction for 35 years. His father owned it before that, and most of the men in the family are involved in construction and stonework. It takes a keen eye, Warren explains: You have to see it before you can start to construct it.
The columns add architectural interest to the patio. The mortar is hidden behind the stone, and the stones are so tightly fitted together that the mortar is out of sight. Eventually, moss will grow between the cracks, adding another layer of visual interest.
SPOTLIGHT
Kelley Ross, Artist
Sandi Cook-Litherland,
Interior Designer
Kelley Ross and Sandi Cook-Litherland’s artistic accomplishments span the country. The latter landed in Indianapolis after doing set design in L.A., and she’s not shy about touting the energy in Indy’s art scene. Ross has unleashed her artistic flair on casinos, restaurants, and theater stages. The two women have a lot of in common. Their studios are next door to one another near Keystone Avenue and 54th Street, and both helped design the Kevoians’ dream house.
Ross provided the design inspiration for much of the house, both as one of Becky Kevoian’s best friends and as an artist. “She was with us every step of the way,” Becky says. Ross helped choose paint colors and select light fixtures. In the boys’ bedrooms, she painted a huge Colts horseshoe on one wall and Apple Computer’s iconic logo on another. Plus, several of her landscape paintings are scattered throughout the house.
Cook-Litherland took Elayne May’s architectural designs and helped bring it all together, with plenty of input from the Kevoians and the design team.
“Sandi was also the design eye behind much of the bedroom woodwork design—the arches and trim on the fireplace wall of the master bedroom, for example,” Becky says. “She and Kelley completely redesigned the gathering-room fireplace, improving the line and style.”
SPOTLIGHT
Curt Hoopingarner, Carpenter
Curt Hoopingarner, a construction vet and the lead carpenter for Graham Construction in Carmel, honed the woodwork of the Kevoian home with the boss in his ear—that is, while he listened to Bob Kevoian’s syndicated radio program, The Bob & Tom Show, each morning. He didn’t mind—the job let him work with pristine materials, including Brazilian cherry and maple.
Hoopingarner and his crew of five worked on site to build bookcases, pillars, arched doorways, and all kinds of extras. When Becky Kevoian had an idea, Hoopingarner was there to figure out how to make it work. An example: a slanted countertop desk she requested with only a magazine photo to guide carpenters. But you won’t hear any complaints from the crew. “She had phenomenal ideas,” Hoopingarner says.
It was those little collaborations and the attention to detail that gave the house so much character. Plus, according to Hoopingarner, having general contractor Randy Walker on site every day brought out the best in the whole crew. “In 22 years, this was the best project with the most appreciative people. I will be lucky to ever have a job like that again,” he says.
Resources:
Builder: Randy Walker, R. Walker Construction, 577-4048
Architect: Elayne May Design, 844-2063
Interior Design: Sandi Cook-Litherland, 466-0960
Artist: Kelley Ross, 514-7772
Interior trim: Curt Hoopingarner, Graham Construction, 695-8840
Stonework: Tony Warren Masonry, 374-0639
For a complete list of resources, see the Summer 2007 issue of Indianapolis Monthly Home, on sale at these locations.
