This 4-bed English cottage-style home in Kentucky was custom-built off a picture in a magazine

In 1997, Sacha Powers’ parents decided to build a brand-new home from the ground up. Her father, Dr. William Powers, said it all started with a photo his wife saw in a home magazine.

“(The house) was actually described as a cottage,” William recalled. “The picture in the magazine was (of only) the front and about half of (the great) room — (but) she fell in love with what she saw.”

Pieces of a Picture

Unable to obtain the home’s floor plan from the publishing company, they decided to ask some friends for help.

“She (took) the picture to a friend of ours who was in college at that time but was studying architecture,” William explained, adding that the then-college student created a floor plan based on what they could garner from the magazine photos.

After getting input from a designer friend, William and his wife brought the plan to a licensed architect, bringing the dream one step closer to reality. But first, they had to make space on their 13-acre lot in Simpsonville.

“It was just thick woods back here,” William said. “We had to do a lot of excavating.”

Though a significant number of trees had to be removed to make way for the house, the Powers made sure it wasn’t too much. They maintain about seven acres of the property today, leaving the rest virtually untouched. After all, the surrounding forest was a main feature of the great room that the entire house was designed around.

“The idea (was to have) the woods and trees … available visually,” William said, pointing out the views from five sets of French doors.

With all the sunlight shining into the pale yellow room with almost 20-foot ceilings, the room already looks massive. Opening the doors not only brings the outside in, it also makes the spacious room feel even bigger than it already is. Plus, it provides multiple ways for the traffic of large parties to flow.

Made of Memories

The house is ideal for hosting and served as the site of Sacha’s wedding 21 years ago. She and her husband, Clint Gill, were married outside amid the trees, and their reception was held in the great room.

“(With) a jazz band and the piano, it makes for a good time,” Sacha exclaimed, adding that her daughter is thinking about having her wedding there one day, too.

For now, the outdoor area is home to a plethora of plants that Sacha and Gill lovingly tend to.

“We have people weed eat for us, but my husband and I do a lot of the property maintenance,” she said. “I really enjoy it. (The plants) are my babies.”

Sacha explained that she, Gill, and their children moved into the home in 2018. With her mother in an assisted living facility, her father considered selling the property and moving into a condo — but they’re all quite happy with the way things turned out.

“My kids were in middle school at the time — and they’re both in college now,” Sacha said. “It’s been really awesome for them to live with their grandfather for a few years. It’s been really meaningful.”

Delightful Details

In addition to the memories Sacha has been able to make with her family, there are certain features of the house itself that she is quite fond of. This includes the abode’s symmetrical look, with a recessed front door area set between two matching sides with gabled roofs.

“I think houses went through a period where it was (all about) asymmetrical (features) and different roof lines and pitches,” she said, “but I find the symmetry of this house very calming.”

This symmetry continues inside as well. Upstairs, the Powers children have identical bedrooms — complete with window seats — and share a Jack-and-Jill bathroom.

On the main floor, the space above each door boasts a handpainted work by local artist Melissa Wilson. The various paintings were Wilson’s designs, featuring pastoral scenes per the decorator’s suggestion.

Sacha and Gill spend quite a bit of time in the basement, which was finished about five years ago. The space boasts a bedroom, bathroom, roomy living area, and a kitchenette. But the area of the house that gets the most use is, by far, the great room.

“It’s such a special room for entertaining, and fellowship, and family, and friends,” Sacha said. “There’s something so traditional and southern gracious about this home.”

Know a house that would make a great Home of the Week? Email writer Lennie Omalza at aloha@lennieomalza.com or Lifestyle Editor Kathryn Gregory at kgregory@gannett.com.

nuts & bolts

Owners : Dr. and Mrs. William Powers, Sacha Powers, and Clint Gill.

Occupations : Dr. Powers is a retired physician, and Sacha Powers is a human resources executive.

Home : This is a four-bed, four-bath, 5,000-square-foot, English cottage-style home in Simpsonville. It was built in 1997.

Distinctive elements : Great room with vaulted ceiling, two fireplaces, statement chandelier, baby grand piano, and multiple seating areas.

Applause! Applause! Wendy Balas for architectural design; Walter Martin for interior design; Melissa Wilson for transom artwork; builder Calvin Burris; and Reagan Byrnes for basement refinishing.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: This 4-bed English cottage-style home in Kentucky was custom-built off a picture in a magazine