Rooms With View

Park Proximity Inspired This Renovation

The Reeves family purchased their Carmichael property in 2008. It was a relatively new custom home, but Dr. Aaron Reeves spent a decade renovating the home to suit his family of four. Reeves is a dentist and dental entrepreneur, but his vision and design expertise is on par with many design professionals.

When he was house hunting two decades ago, the late real estate legend Marge Reid suggested he look at the property overlooking Ancil Hoffman Park and Golf Course.

Reeves thought it was too far from town. “She wouldn’t take no for an answer and next thing I knew, we were here,” he says. “I immediately fell in love with the view. She knew better what I wanted than even I did at that point. Her wisdom was much appreciated by a relative youngster like me.”

He continues, “Our family feels very blessed to live in this 4,000-square-foot home. We only added a little of that space, but more importantly we reinvented the interior and exterior spaces. We have four bedrooms, an exercise room, five bathrooms and a couple outdoor showers. It’s primarily a one-story home, but we have a walkout lower level by the pool as the lot slopes down toward the park.”

Reeves started with a quality California Spanish home, cream-colored stucco exteriors and clay tile roofing. “This home could easily fit into Santa Barbara, a style of design that we love,” he says. Bronze-clad window treatments and doors add a classic touch.

By Cecily Hastings

Photography by Aniko Kiezel Open House

But the original layout missed something. It didn’t take advantage of the views. “We opened up the rooms, adding additional windows and openings that made sense,” Reeves says. He installed accordion-style window walls not available when the home was built about 20 years ago.

The family room features a modern cook’s kitchen and island, an open casual dining and family area, and game table. The grand space sits adjacent to a separate dining room for formal entertainment. An office for Aaron is off the kitchen.

The central living room opens from arches in a wide entry hall with clerestory windows. The living space features large-scale furniture and art and accessories detailed with a neutral color palette. “The design serves as background to the views,” Reeves says.

The master suite emphasizes the backyard view and includes soft, neutral colors and textures. The private patio has a hot tub.

Two teenage sons have contemporary-designed bedrooms with space for their sports and special-interest collections. The boys share a “Jack and Jill” bathroom. Part of the front yard became a walled sports court accessible from the boys’ bedrooms.

The lot runs about three-quarters of an acre, but feels larger since the back spills into the parkway. “I grew up in Pilot Hill and Cool, so my favorite thing about this house is to be able to look out and see the beautiful parkway landscape,” Reeves says. “On a clear day we can see all the way to the Sierras.”

Reeves was assisted by several designers on different phases, but his own instincts were the guiding force. He’s a multitalented, successful businessman but remains kind and humble, and appreciative of what he created for his family.

“My wife, Heather, and I may never have to worry about having an empty nest!” he says.

Cecily Hastings can be reached at publisher@insidepublications.com. To recommend a home or garden, contact editor@insidepublications.com. More photography and previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n