Self-designed and built Delaware County home hits the market for $4.5 million

It was Nikki and Dustin Kelch's dream home, designed by Nikki and built by Dustin and family members on 5 acres in Delaware County.

Strikingly modern, the home includes seven bedrooms, seven-and-a-half bathrooms, a guest wing and more than 12,000 square feet of living space.

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It took two years, 500 yards of concrete, 300 miles of radiant floor tubing and 720 sheets of drywall to build.

"It was a whole family project," said Dustin, who got help from his father-in-law and and a retired contractor. "We didn't just oversee it. We did a lot of the work ourselves. We were in the footers, tying rebar."

Now, they say, they're ready to do it again.

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The couple are selling their one-of-a-kind home on Bean Oller Road in Liberty Township in search of other opportunities. Joe Herban, with Berskhire Hathaway, is listing the property for $4.5 million.

"We sort of want to do it again," said Dustin, a 39-year-old Columbus firefighter and experienced carpenter. "That’s the goal, to build again. We’ve learned a lot from the process. There’s a lot of ups and downs but we had a lot of fun doing it."

The couple embarked on the project in 2019. They wanted a large home that could accommodate Nikki's parents and the couple's three children, now 6, 9 and 10.

"We wanted our entire family there, to give back to my parents," said Nikki, a 38-year-old surgical nurse. "I want to be able to take care of them. They raised us and it’s such a special thing for them to be able to bond with their grandchildren."

The couple looked at homes for sale, but "there wasn't anything out there I loved," recalled Nikki.

So she designed one herself, reflecting her love of contemporary style.

"I wanted something with super-high ceilings and open spaces," she said. "I wanted something to grow old in together, and easy to clean."

The construction was likewise a family affair.

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"It’s entirely custom," said Dustin. "Every single aspect of this house has been touched by myself and Nikki and our family."

The result is a tribute to modernism, with soaring cathedral ceilings, polished concrete floors (over radiant heating), exposed steel supports, stark white walls and metal stair railings fashioned by a welder friend of Dustin's.

The main home includes five bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. A loft area includes a playroom, home theater, gym and a music room. Instead of drywall, loft room ceilings are clad in colored vapor barriers.

A breezeway links the main house to the guest wing, which has two additional bedrooms, full living and kitchen areas and its own theater room. A patio rests in the nook between the house and guest wing.

"Our thought was to never leave here but different opportunities arise," said Nikki, explaining the couple's decision to sell.

Added Dustin: "There's a lot of blood, sweat and tears in this place, a lot of pride."

jweiker@dispatch.com

@JimWeiker

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Self-designed and built Delaware County home hits the market for $4.5 million