The Matt and Susan Stanley Home

BY MARY MICHAELS | PHOTOS BY JULIE PRAIRIE PHOTOGRAPHY

Time flies. That is certainly the sentiment of Matt and Susan Stanley, as they stand in their southeast Sioux Falls home and realize that they have been here for 25 years.

“Our twins were just five when we moved in,” says Susan, “and now they’re 30.”

Prior to buying this home, they were living just outside Hartford. Matt was doing his residency with Avera, and they were blessed with their fourth child in about four and a half years. Living outside of Sioux Falls just presented a few extra challenges for the family.

“It was that big blizzard of 1996 that we realized living in Sioux Falls would be a lot easier,” Susan laughs.

They remodeled a little when they first moved in, and the busy family enjoyed the house as the kids grew. Over time, they refreshed rooms here and there, but about six months ago, they decided it was time for a more substantial update.

“COVID kind of turned it from a six-week project to a six-month project, either with workers being sick or waiting for things to come in,” Susan explains. “And, the whole project started because of the fireplace.”

It was time to make a change from the brick finish and the cement wings coming out of each side of the base.

“I wasn’t a fan of those wings, and I’ve been wanting to change it for so long,” says Susan. “I wanted a wrap all the way to the ceiling.”

Make that all the way to the 22-foot ceiling.

She proposed her idea to designers Michelle Marino and Denise Cotter at Houndstooth House, and it wasn’t long before the design wheels were in motion. As with most home updates, you start with one project and find that leads to another…and another. And, Susan says, the same thing happened with them.

With the help of the design team, the brown brick and walnut mantel from the fireplace gave way to a bright, white finish from floor to ceiling. But then, the rest of the living room needed updating.

“There were arches, and we took those

out,” Susan says. “We did have to design around the piano because that wasn’t going anywhere. There hadn’t been a light fixture in the living room, so we added that, and we also wanted to update the flooring.”

She says the Houndstooth designers recommended a high-grade luxury vinyl that is waterproof and scratch proof with the modern look of gray hardwood floor. The other structural change that came with the recent remodel is something Susan says they probably should have done years ago, but their family was too busy.

“We flipped the laundry room and the bathroom,” she explains. “Originally, you’d come in from the garage and there was a door right there to a full bathroom. Tub, shower, toilet, everything. But then the laundry room was like this tiny closet.”

They broached the topic with the Houndstooth team.

“I talked to Michelle and Denise, and they thought it was a good idea. We had to take a wall out, and it was a major change. When the cabinet person looked at the plans, he suggested a different layout for the bathroom so you wouldn’t see the toilet right when you open the door. That was also a really good idea.”

Susan says that is one thing she really appreciates about the designers.

“They have so many good ideas of their own,” she says, “but they are also open to ideas from others, like in the case with the cabinet guy and the bathroom. It doesn’t matter where the idea comes from. If it’s a good idea that enhances the design or the functionality, they are excited about it.”

Now, the half bath is designed with the toilet set back in a little alcove, a freestanding vanity and pretty wallpaper on the wall.

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“I knew I wanted the new powder room to have wallpaper, because it’s really coming back in design now, and Denise and Michelle do such a good job matching colors and patterns to the spaces they design.”

The mirror’s frame looks like gold branches, and perched on top are two little birds. The accent adds a touch of whimsy and speaks to something that Susan loves.

“I like birds, and they show up here and there around the house, in pictures and such, so I love the accent on this mirror. But, I also love bird nests. I collect them. If I’m out walking and happen to find an empty one on the ground – never from trees – I’ll pick it up. I even have some framed.”

On the other side of the wall, the new laundry room has more storage than they have been able to fill yet.

“One of the things we wanted in creating the new laundry room was extra storage, like an extra space for coats,” says Susan, “and now we have that and more. The stacked washer and dryer saves a little space. We just love it.”

Throughout the project, the Stanleys were able to multipurpose everything from the flooring to paint and carpeting. The area rug in the laundry room is a leftover remnant from the new carpeting added to the staircase leading to the second floor. The flooring from the main level was added to the landing upstairs, and the dark gray paint on the banister gave new life to the built-ins in the family room.

“We just painted those family room shelves, and the Houndstooth ladies don’t even know it yet,” Susan laughs. “I found a gallon of the paint from the stairs, and these shelves were walnut before. So, we gave them a little update. I think Denise and Michelle will be surprised!”

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The comfortable family room was a little more of a challenge from a design perspective, Susan says, just because it is rectangular but with a turret ceiling at one end. However, the designers recommended adding a white wood finish to the ceiling, and then they created a little seating area below the turret.

The roomy kitchen was updated about five years ago, adding ivory cabinets and a glass tile backsplash in warm, earthy colors. Only the flooring was updated in the recent remodel. And in the formal dining room, Susan worked with the designers to freshen up the room with wallpaper. She says it took some time looking through many different books, but they finally found the pretty, black and ivory floral print to go up on the walls.

The main floor also features the master suite, which was remodeled in the “first round” after moving into the house, and in the hallway leading to the master suite are double French doors that open to a spacious office, which Susan calls “Matt’s space,” with a fireplace and built-in bookshelves.

“It is Matt’s office, although when we had two kids home during COVID, he did get kicked out of there on occasion,” she laughs.

When it came to the decision about redoing the staircase, the number of spindles factored into the ultimate choice to just repaint.

“The rail was oak, and the spindles were white,” Susan explains, “but it would have taken so much to replace all of that. So, we went with paint. And, our painter was really great. It completely transformed the look of the staircase.”

The landing at the top of the stairs is open, overlooking the living room. Just off the landing are double doors to a small deck that looks out to the backyard.

When their son was still at home, his room was upstairs, with its own bathroom.

“With three sisters, it was really nice for him to have his own space.”

The guest room upstairs has its own sink and closet, and it is in this room that you’ll find Susan’s collection of framed little bird nests. A “jack-and-jill” bathroom connects the guest room to their third daughter’s room, which has five windows and is pretty and bright. Her room also has its own sink and closet.

The lower level of the home was updated about three years ago, adding new lighting over the bar and changing out a space formerly used for a ping pong table to be the new home for card-playing.

“When the kids were younger, we had a ping pong table,” Susan says. “But now, when we have holidays here, we wanted a place to play cards. Denise and Michelle helped us find some beautiful art to hang down here, and we added the large table and chairs so we can all sit here together.”

Growing up, the twin girls had their bedrooms and bathroom downstairs. One of the rooms has a unique curved wall, which they wallpapered and then added a chair to create a reading nook. That was a space that came in handy during COVID.

Another half-bath downstairs is called the “pool bathroom” since it is located just inside the door that leads to the patio and pool. It already has a basket filled with beach towels ready to go once summer arrives.

The bar area is next to a large, comfortable seating area and a big screen for movie nights.

What had once been a toy room from the “old days” when the kids were little is now the Stanley Family Gym – it even

says so right on the wall. The wide array of equipment has something for everyone… and it needed that variety when Matt and Susan had two of the kids home during COVID.

“This space was really Matt’s idea, but it was good for all of us, especially during COVID,” Susan says.

With the weather getting warmer, they will soon be able to enjoy the outdoor space more with its sport court, hot tub and pool. They are also close to parks and the bike trail, which was one of the reasons they were first drawn to the home as a family with young children.

Twenty-five years went by in the blink of an eye, and now their children are grown. In fact, they will be celebrating this summer as one of their daughters gets married.

“It’s hard to believe we have been in this house for so long,” Susan says. “But when we think about all of the memories here, and all the memories we will continue to make here, it’s hard to imagine being anywhere else.”

201 W 37th Street, Sioux Falls, SD 57105 605.271.2278 info@houndstoothhouse.com

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