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Click to view photos of the Kietzman house Architect: R.J. Kietzman Architect Kitchen Designer: Carroll Seating Inc. Excavation: Billy Ballard Excavation Foundation: Bill Long Construction Framing: Mark 1 Construction Lumber: Owens Lumber Windows: Quaker Windows from McCray Millwork Sheetrock: Paul Lewis Drywall Roofing: Premier Contracting Trim Work: Randy Day Trimwork Guttering: Premier Contracting Paint: Sherwin-Williams Cabinets: Carroll Seating Inc. Countertops: Brown Antique - brushed Appliances: Best Buy Custom Closet: Life Uncluttered Carpeting: Signature Flooring Glass & Mirrors: Westport Glass Heating & Cooling: Mission Heating and Air Conditioning Plumbing: Kansas City Plumbing Plumbing Fixtures: Pyramid Pipe & Supply Electrician: Teague Electric Home Security: Teague Electric Hardscaping: Macy Concrete Construction Brick: Kansas City Brick Masonry: Hollingsworth Masonry Cedar Shingles: Cedar Valley Handcrafted Shingle Panels Cork Flooring: Lumber Liquidators Trim/Doors: McCray Millwork

Architect Randy Kietzman and his wife, Jane Haultain, didn’t waste any time making an offer on the corner lot on the west side of downtown practically the moment a ‘for sale’ sign was planted in the yard. The newlywed ex-suburbanites had been looking for property in the area for quite some time. The seller actually had three parcels, including one with a house on it. Randy and Jane requested a split and didn’t buy the one with the house, opting for raw land to build their home. They retained the second lot to build another home on later.

Within two weeks of closing, the couple had completed plans for a modern, three-story home with a rooftop deck — and a gorgeous view of the downtown skyline. “We didn’t want it to be starkly contemporary because we knew we were going in an older neighborhood with an architectural fabric of older homes,” Randy explains. “We massed this house similarly to the others, which are tall, narrow and deep, and used materials that are similar.” Brick and shingles, though in different colors, blend in on the block.

Although this is their home, it is also Randy’s office and somewhat of a ‘show’ home, with a number of interested people asking for a tour. “From the beginning, I wanted to bring clients into the house to inspire them to do something creative,” Randy says.

Surprisingly, he still uses pencil and paper to draw up plans and doesn’t use email, prefering personal contact or at least a phone call. “I’m an Old World guy,” he shrugs.

Besides a few restored mid-century light fixtures and a collection of old bottles found on the property, that contradiction is otherwise hidden in the home, which comprises unique spaces and contemporary finishes.

At the garage level is Jane’s pottery studio and a half-bath that doubles as a dark room for developing negatives. Her pottery is used and Randy’s photographs are displayed throughout the home. The main entry level contains an open living space with room for dining, the kitchen, deck access, a half-bath, built-in computer niche and guest suite. A sturdy wood and metal staircase protected by wire mesh connects this level to the next, which houses the couple’s master suite and martini deck, a laundry/sewing room and Randy’s office. The top level opens to a flat roof with a suspended deck that allows water to percolate through, along with a covered area with seating and an outdoor kitchen. So special is this place that Jane’s daughter married here last spring. Randy calls it their favorite room in the house, even though it’s technically not inside.

Jane, who has spent many years in real estate, marvels at their success in balancing the home’s style with warmth. “It is very contemporary but also warm and inviting,” she comments. “It’s not stark and sparse the way that some contemporary homes can be.”

The color scheme progresses from light yellow to burnt orange with each level change. The paint itself stops short of the ceiling, creating interesting patterns on the wall. In the kitchen, glass tile picks up all these colors. But in the bedrooms and Jane’s studio, the color palette is cool in soothing greens and blues.

Cork flooring and light wood tones soften the minimalism. Daylight from the south naturally lights and heats the space, though regulated by low-e double-glazed windows. Randy and Jane have few window coverings because they want to see the view, and as high up as they are, they don’t feel exposed.

Because the home lacks a lot of fuss, Randy had to make sure to get the details right the first time, and not just with the drawings — the couple actually did much of the work themselves. “The simpler things look, the harder they are to put together,” he notes. For example, how he was going to get the stairs in place kept him awake at night for two weeks. The job required precise measurements and some generous help from those willing to hoist the stringers or hold rope for an hour.

“The days we were assembling the stairs were some of the most fascinating of my life,” Jane adds. “It was also the only time I doubted what we were doing.”

Those thoughts were short-lived as everything came together in perfect order. But the couple’s biggest pleasure was their acceptance by neighbors. “They’ve welcomed us like family,” Jane says.