Salem Stonework Villa

It all started from an opportunity to serve.  Tom, a retired optometrist, and Joyce, a former clinical laboratory scientist, found themselves frequently traveling from the city of Salem to the surrounding countryside to help their son raise his 5 and 7 year old ­children.  Being heavily involved in the care and activities of their grandchildren, the drive became more and more inconvenient.  When the land right next to their son’s property became available, Tom and Joyce jumped at the opportunity to be neighbors.  Their interest in green building and energy conservation led them to hire Winsome for their three bedroom, two level custom build overlooking an adjacent vineyard and the Oregon coast range.

Completed in March 2016, this beautiful, 3,539 square foot home boasts of multiple high performance features, including ICF construction walls, radiant heat slab, HRV, triple pane vinyl windows and a 10 KW PV array.  Joyce is able to go online each day and view their household’s energy usage.  She excitedly shared that during the summer months, the array produced 2.5 times more energy than they consumed.

For many of the other home building decisions, Joyce mentioned, “We did a lot of shopping around, focusing on a handful of things that were very important to us and fitting the other decisions around our priorities.”  Their decision making process served them well, as Joyce shared a long list of home favorites, starting with the master bath, which she laughed about.  “It sounds funny, but I love the walk in shower.  It is so easy to keep it looking nice with no shower door to clean!”  The nearby laundry room is an added bonus.  She also really enjoys the spacious kitchen, with its granite slab counters, maple cabinets and stainless steel appliances.  “It’s so easy to move around!”  “The proximity of everything to each other is also very good,” with the Great Room floor plan yielding an open yet connected feel.  Joyce commented on the exterior stone work as well.  “The front entry turned out wonderful.  I really like how inviting the courtyard is.”  The heavy timber corbelling is the icing on the cake, both for the stonework and remaining exterior.

The home’s design, created by Buck Bailey, is also beneficial for the couple’s hobbies.  The 945 square foot garage provides both ample storage and an attached shop.  An avid wood worker, Tom spends time in his shop almost every day and appreciates being able to work on his craft while still being accessible from the main house.  Joyce loves growing flowers and is able to enjoy the fruits of her labor as she looks out both her master bedroom bay window and the oversized, South facing windows in the main living area.  When they’re not enjoying their grandchildren or hobbies, the couple also participates in the Institute for Continued Learning at Willamette University.  Two vaulted, coffered studies invite their learning to continue once they return back home.

Speaking to the overall home building experience, Joyce shared, “On the whole, we have been very pleased with almost everything.  Like any project, things can take unexpected turns and we really appreciated the care that Winsome took in making things right every single time.  I think that is the most important part.  Not that it is perfect, but that you leave the customer satisfied.  We are just so happy with the final product!”

View images of this beautiful home in our portfolio: Salem Stonework Villa.  You can also learn more about our Salem custom homes or explore our full portfolio to see the wide range of our luxury work.

We’d love to answer your questions about home building. Call 503-472-7402.