HOME TOUR

French Flair

BY OLIVIA DESMIT · PHOTOS BY MAT MATLACK, LV CREATIVE

Tucked away on the west side of Columbia lies a little piece of French Provincial style. Well, perhaps Todd and Kristin Oliver's home isn’t so little, but it does embody the architecture of European country estates.

Todd, a recently retired orthopaedic surgeon at the Columbia Orthopaedic Group, designed and built the home in 2008. In 2015, Jeff Kidwell built and completed the addition of the unattached garage and in-law suite. Paige Davis of Paige Davis Designs helped with the interior design, Drew Parker of Drew Parker Designs worked wonders with the paint brush, and the flooring in the home was done by Traci Best of Busenbark Flooring.

“The reason he built such a big house,” Kristin, co-founder of Bluetail Medical Group, says, “Is that Todd has a big family. It’s a very convenient space to have big family reunions.” The Olivers try to

The custom staircase was built in St. Louis and accentuates the rustic design details of the home.

The window seat in one of the girls' bedrooms boasts a beautiful view of the private lake.

host family reunions each year, with the exception of 2020 because of COVID-19.

“It’s set up perfect for entertaining,” Kristin says, “Todd has an amazing cadre of friends from the days of yore, like high school and medical school, so we have up to 20 people stay here at a time. We’re not huge entertainers, we’re more like ‘let’s have 24 people here for a week’ instead of guests every weekend.”

Todd’s favorite room in the home, the gym, boasts an impressive array of exercise machines and weights and is something they take advantage of every day, he says. The lap pool is also a favorite of his.

Although both Kristin and Todd enjoy the gym, ultimately, they end up spending the most time in the hearth room and kitchen. “That’s just where everyone gathers and when people come over, that tends to be where everyone gravitates,” she says. “Plus, we eat a lot.”

Under the stairs, Todd built a wine cellar, but the Olivers don’t tend to use it. “There was this big space under the spiral staircase that we thought would be ideal for a wine cellar,” Todd says. “But we tend not to have too much wine to save,” he continues jokingly.

The home’s screened-in porch, complete with a grill and dining area, is perfect during spring and early summer, and has a fireplace for slightly chillier fall days.

The backyard hosts a pool, outdoor sitting area and dock to the private lake, which is stocked with large-mouth bass, bluegill and catfish. “The best thing about this property is that you’re close to town, but still feel like you’re in the wilderness,” Todd says. The home is set on 16 acres and every viewpoint faces private land. The pool was installed in 2010 by Columbia Pool and Spa and the lake dock was done by Tiger Docks.

Todd’s father, Terry, and Kristin enjoy fishing in the lake. In the summer, Todd’s children and their friends love heading out on the paddle boards. The Olivers enjoy being able to see and experience wildlife at their home. The birds are abundant and varied, including blue jays, cardinals, hawks, owls and bald eagles. The lake is frequented by duck, geese, herons, osprey, river otters, turtles and muskrats. Daily sighting of deer is the norm, along with common appearances by foxes, turkeys, and a myriad of other land dwellers. And thanks to the Lanes, the friendly neighbors who purchased the Shurnas property, the Olivers get to view beautiful horses roaming the pasture across the lake without actually having to own them.

“The land definitely drew me here,” Todd says. “Coming from a Denver suburb, I couldn’t believe a property like this was available.”

The addition in 2015 of the in-law suite added five extra garage parking spaces, bringing the total to nine. “We wanted a little extra ‘big toy’ storage space and were considering a barn, but ultimately we needed more garage space once the girls started driving,” Kristin says. Jeff Kidwell was able to match the main house perfectly, and it has served as the ideal living space for Todd’s dad.

As the Olivers move on to smaller — but more mountainous — things, Kristin says she wishes they could recreate their home in Utah, where they plan to retire. “If we could recreate this space, we would,” she says. “It’s hard to leave such a great oasis.”

The Olivers home is listed for sale on the MLS, at the time of press.

(Top) The kitchen, the family’s gathering place, was completed by Columbia Showcase Kitchens. The granite countertop complements the cabinets.

(Bottom) The master bedroom hosts separate his-and-hers closets and bathrooms that both open into a shared double shower. Kristin’s closet features a small wet bar with a coffee station.