Photography by Kristen Mayfield | Story by Emily Robertson
When Clinton and Emily Mills planned to build in the new Highland Pointe neighborhood in the middle of an established area of Bowling Green, they knew they were creating their dream home where they would raise their family and entertain both family and friends. They enlisted the help of Tara Coomer, of Coomer & Co. Design and builder Kyle Kirby to create a unique, beautiful space.
“I worked with the owners, Clinton and Emily, from the very beginning and worked with Lee Ross on the floor plans for this home,” Tara Coomer says. “We wanted something that had interesting lines on the outside, but on the inside had traditional, classic appeal. We were really going for an updated traditional look, meaning timeless, classic lines, but done in an updated way.”
The four bedroom, four and a half bathroom, 6,000 square foot home was built by Kyle Kirby. He says construction took right around 14 months from start to finish.
“This house was the very first home to be built in this new subdivision and I had the chance to work on it, not knowing Clinton and Emily previously,” Kirby says. “I had worked with Tara in the past on several projects, so I knew the quality she produces and I knew this was going to be a great home. The Mills family could not have been better people to work for and I’m extremely happy with the end product.”
The Mills’ wanted space to entertain, so the home has an open floor plan in the living, kitchen and breakfast areas, but Coomer was able to create a warmness to the large open spaces that still made them feel inviting.
“There is some separation in the rooms, so they don’t feel like they are one and the same, but they feel like they have an openness to them,” Coomer says. “We wanted it to feel spacious, but also we wanted it to feel warm, homey and inviting.”
To accomplish a warm feeling with the décor, Coomer used lots of neutral tones in the living room, bringing in rust tones as well. She also utilized rich, but muted, hues in purple cabinetry in the pantry and blues and greens in a wall mural in the dining room.
Kirby noted that he feels like his reputation and business was built, to some extent, through the level of detail his houses have and one avenue to show that was always through trim work.
“In this home the trim work is absolutely next level and on full display in every room,” Kirby says. “It is full of custom features such as paneled walls, wainscoting, stained tongue and groove ceiling with custom beams, unique staircases, and the list goes on and on. This home is special and it truly defines what a custom home should be.”
Along with the beauty of the home, the Mills’ wanted to have some personal touches and make sure that the home was functional for their family, including a mudroom to catch their childrens’ items, a friend entry for guests to use when they come over for outdoor gatherings and a bookshelf area their children can utilize.
“People think that beautiful homes have to be so buttoned up, but that is not the case,” Coomer says. “I love that when you walk in their foyer, they have floor-to-ceiling bookcases. We hung art on the outside of the bookcases and their little girl loves to play library there. We also created an office space in the pantry area and a doggie room under one set of stairs that has a gate for their family dog. It is such a stunning home, but it’s so livable.”
Clinton and Emily were so pleased with the end result and they are grateful to the team that made it all happen.
“We loved working with Tara and Kyle and are very happy with the end product,” Emily says. “This house felt like our home as soon as we moved in and we are looking forward to our kids growing up here and living here for a long time to come.”
Special thanks to these local businesses
Cabinets: CREATIVE WOOD DESIGN
Tile and Hardwood: JUST TILE IT
Hardwood Installation: SULLIVANS HARDWOOD
Countertops: SUGAR GROVE MARBLE
Contractor: KYLE KIRBY OF KIRBY CONSTRUCTION
Architect: GRAF STUDIO
Lighting: WINELECTRIC
Plumbing and Appliances: FERGUSON
Furniture: BOWLING GREEN HOME FURNISHINGS
Window Treatments & Wallpaper: DRAPERY NATION
Wallpaper Installation: JEFF WHITSON
Tile Installer: NATE GREATHOUSE
Trim Carpenter: DILLION BUTT OF BUTT CONSTRUCTION
Electric: BUCK ELECTRIC
Hardscapes: UNIQUE HARDSCAPES
Photographer: KRISTEN MAYFIELD
Design: COOMER & CO.