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JUNE / JULY 2013
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HOME & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE
BEYOND THE FENCES Remodeled home fits the bill for Ellis family
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1101 Main • 785-625-5666 • Hays, KS 1-800-794-4626
We’ve got the quality • We’ve got the style • We’ve got the look We Are
The Look
People ask me every day about furniture trends. One of the biggest shifts we’re experiencing is an increased demand for products made in America. Beginning in the mid-90’s, the industry focused on price which led to a large increase in imported products. As a result, many furniture retailers adopted a “big box” philosophy. After 15-20 years, consumers have tired of the “Made in China” quality challenges and have come to appreciate the need to support domestic companies and the American work force. We have committed ourselves to providing our customers with the opportunity to purchase high quality “Made in USA” furniture. We work hard to locate lines which offer great design, optimum quality
and domestic manufacturing. We are proud to offer American-made, Amish-built furniture and bedding. Yutzy’s Bedrooms and Palette’s Dining take American-made to the highest level. These companies harvest their woods from their own forest and operate their own lumber mill which allows them to perform quality control from the beginning. First, they kiln-dry their lumber to a perfect 7% moisture content to prevent splitting and cracking. All of their products are handsanded. Hand-sanding their products allows them to create a perfect, even finish that is silky to the touch. Their products are offered in your choice of cherry, maple, walnut, hickory, oak or quartersawn oak and over 20 possible finishes. Stop by The Furniture Look where we know quality and offer it at a very affordable price. We offer free room planning and furniture as unique as you are. We look forward to serving you!
Open 7 days a week for your convenience at The Furniture Look, 1000 Main, Hays or contact us at our website: www.thefurniturelook.com
Haus Das
features 5
Tolerating the Drought
Planting the right trees, shrubs and flowers can save water, time
12
8
At home IN ELLIS
Beyond the Fences
Picturesque home brings family back to its roots
Up on the Rooftop
Unique home features concrete construction, energy savings
14
Maintaining the Splash
Pool maintenance all summer long will ensure fun in the sun
DAS HAUS • www.HDNews.net
JUNE / JULY 2013 • 3
“Manufactured In HAYS”
A Little Stone adds a lot • • • • • • • • • •
New Construction Remodel Interior Walls Fire Places Fire Pits BBQ Grills Retaining Walls Collums Commercial Properties Signs
Haus Das
Published and distributed by The Hays Daily News 507 Main, Hays, KS 67601 HDNews.net (785) 628-1081
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785-639-3143 4895 General Hays Rd. • Hays, KS www.westernstonecompany.com
Contributors Diane Gasper-O’Brien • Writer Dawne Leiker • Writer Kaley Conner • Writer Randy Gonzales • Writer Chad Pilster • Photographer Jolie Green • Photographer Elisha Jones • Creative Services Juno Ogle • Creative Services Tiffany Reddig • Creative Services Account Executives Joleen Fisher Sandra Harder Eric Rathke Online Edition at HDNews.net Created by Pixel Power Haus Web design division of The Hays Daily News pixelpowerhaus.net Das Haus is published by The Hays Daily News. Copyright © 2013 Harris Enterprises. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Das Haus is a registered trademark of The Hays Daily News.
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Printed by Northwestern Printers, 114 W. Ninth, Hays northwesternprinters.com
Tolerating the drought I
n a drought-stricken area, it can be a challenge to bring color and variety to a home’s landscape. But with careful mulching and watering methods, plants can bring a touch of nature to nearly any home. Plants recommended choosing the RIGHT PLANTS specifically for By DAWNE LEIKER western Kansas by Kansas State Extension can be accessed online at www.ksre.k-state.edu. “That’s a good place to start,” said Holly Dickman, Ellis County Extension horticulture agent. “I’ve revised the list a couple of times, but I still use it extensively.”
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JUNE / JULY 2013 • 5
Continued from page 5 Kansas-tested annual and perennial flowers also are listed on the site, which is updated frequently. Many of the flowers are tested at the Kansas State Agricultural Research Center in Hays. “These are all plants that are maintained under what we call ‘lazy gardener care,’ ” Dickman said. “So they get thrown in the ground and they get a maximum of 1 inch of water per week, maybe less than that sometimes. “If they survive and do well and have plenty of flowers for at least two or three years, then they will be placed on that list.” In choosing whether to plant perennials or annuals, Dickman said several factors can come into play. “Perennials might bloom for a couple of weeks in the spring or fall but they don’t give you that seasonlong color that people like,” she said. 6 • JUNE / JULY 2013 • DAS HAUS
“That’s part of the advantage of annual flowers.” Just because a plant is considered drought-tolerant does not mean that plant does not need regular water as it becomes established, Dickman said. Drought-tolerant trees, for instance, can take two or three years to get a firm foothold, requiring additional moisture during that period. In addition, organic mulch, not
Wow!
landscape rock, can provide a further benefit to plantings. “I never recommend the use of rock around plant material,” Dickman said. “It reflects heat against your plant. “It also reflects heat against your house and everything else. It’s very compacting to the soil and really heats up the soil right around the plant.”
Q&A
Realtor’s corner
With Lynelle Shubert & Sue May
Want your home to look like a “magazine model home”? This month we wanted to share some tips with you to make your home say “Welcome” to you, your family & friends or to potential buyers. You can give your home current appeal without spending a lot of money on remodeling. Here are a few tips to help your home feel like something special. Impressions: You Never Get a Second Chance to Make a First Impression Let’s start with your front yard & front door. You can make your yard more welcoming by trimming bushes, hedges and edging grass along the sidewalks or shoveling snow out of the way in the winter. Make sure your children’s toys are picked up and put away. That squeaky screen door maybe could use a little oil, and you can really brighten up the entry by painting your front door a new color, maybe a contrasting color than the rest of the home. Shutters are also an easy addition on the windows to add a little architectural detail and something a little different. Consider putting flowers in a pot by the front door to add some color and aesthetic appeal.
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Pay Attention To The Little Things There are lots of little things that will make your home look warm & inviting. If you have a fireplace, clean it out & put in fresh logs. Clean the windows & open the curtains, let people see how bright & cheerful your home can be. Don’t forget to replace those burned out light bulbs. Take time to make small repairs such as that dripping faucet, loose knobs, sticking windows & doors. Rotate your decorations, knick knacks & special treasures as the seasons come & go. Re-arrange the furniture allowing for opening up space and making a room feel bigger and more welcoming. Get an attractive basket to hold newspapers and magazines, rather than have them strewn on a coffee table. Don’t forget about your closets. Neat, uncluttered closets show that the space is ample. Freshen up rooms with new paint. Neutral colors are wonderful and allow for almost any taste in furniture to fit right in. Shampoo carpets. Add air fresheners or aroma diffuser in
soft scents, nothing too bold or strong. Not only do you want your home to be attractive to the eye, but inside, you want it to smell like home. Pets, they are part of your family! But your friends or potential buyers may not always appreciate their presence or their hair on their clothes. Keep pets out of the home while potential buyers are visiting. Many prospects are afraid of or allergic to pets. Make bedrooms inviting. Remove excess furniture and use attractive bedspreads & curtains. A small night stand with a soft light and fresh flowers is a nice inviting touch. Don’t forget those bathrooms; make this room sparkle. Put dirty laundry in a hamper that shuts or has a lid. Make sure the toilet lids are down. Put out clean towels and make sure your tub/shower is squeaky clean. The little details can make a bigger difference than you think. This is the time to make your house say “WELCOME HOME.”
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1513 E. 27th • 785-628-0525 www.advancedhays.com
Beyond the fences
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DAS HAUS • www.HDNews.net
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his wasn’t exactly the white picket fence Doug and Jill Shaw had in mind when they moved their young family from Texas to their native Kansas 10 years ago. The mile-long vinyl fence highlights their 350-acre farm that can be spotted from Old U.S. Highway 40 on the southeast edge of Ellis. The spacious country home that includes a mom, dad, two kids and a dog — and that white fence — features a modern addition to a historic limestone dwelling that was believed to have been built in the 1930s.
DAS HAUS • www.HDNews.net
story by Diane Gasper-O’Brien photography by Jolie Green
JUNE / JULY 2013 • 9
At home IN ELLIS Natives of Kansas, the Shaws wanted to raise their sons closer to home. “Our parents were back here,” said Doug Shaw, who moved his successful construction business from Corpus Christi, Texas, to northwest Kansas. “That drove our decision.” While considering where they should make their new home, the Shaws ran across an old limestone house for sale on the Internet. It was just outside Ellis, a small town about midway between Doug’s parents in Selden and Jill’s in McPherson. Shaw had gotten his start in construction by remodeling old homes, so this was right up his alley. They bought the property and lived in Hays for a year while remodeling the two-bedroom, 900-squarefoot structure. 10 • JUNE / JULY 2013 • DAS HAUS
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They moved into the house in 2004, and about a year later, they added on a master bedroom and living room, with a basement below. Tying the old to the new included adding a gazebo-like front porch and keeping the north outside wall of the original structure as an inside wall to the current living room. “It was neat we were able to keep that intact,” Shaw said. The original home included a one-car garage in a walkout basement. “You don’t see that a lot (in older homes),” said Shaw, who left intact the original staircase leading out of the kitchen.
Continued on page 15
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Up on the rooftop
Concrete home surrounded by dirt offers energy savings
W
hen building a new home for his family, Darrell Blosser chose some unusual materials for roofing — concrete, dirt and buffalo grass. That was up on the ROOFTOP 31 years By KALEY CONNER ago, and the 2,500-square-foot earth shelter home at the corner of 29th and Barclay in Hays is a comfortable and efficient place to live for Blosser and his wife, Diana. “It’s worked well,” Blosser said. “It really has.” Blosser spent 40 years working
12 • JUNE / JULY 2013
as a concrete producer in Hays and wanted to build a home using his own product. Most of the house is made of concrete, which is neces-
sary to support a heavy load — the roof is approximately 12 inches thick, topped with 4 inches of insulation and approximately 2 feet of earth. DAS HAUS • www.HDNews.net
“Interest was high, and everyone thought it was going to be expensive to heat and cool homes ...” Darrell Blosser, homeowner The home was built during a time of economic trouble in the early 1980s. “Interest was high, and everyone thought it was going to be expensive to heat and cool homes, and there were a lot of ideas coming in,” Blosser said. One of those ideas was earth shelter homes, which are more energy efficient because they are surrounded by natural insulation — dirt. The Blosser house is all electric, and the couple pays slightly more than $200 each month for utilities. They burn wood in the winter for extra warmth, but the earth surrounding their home helps keep it warm in the winter and cool in the summer, he said. The home offers other benefits — it blocks outside noises, its concrete shell is virtually fireproof, and the home is a safe haven during severe weather. “My youngest son was paranoid about storms, but he loved this place because when the storm clouds
rolled in and there was a threat, we were just as safe in here as you can be,” he said. It’s also low-maintenance. The couple never needs to replace the home’s roof or repair shingles, and rain water leakage has not been a problem. The only exterior item they have had to update is window sills, Blosser said. The roof, which can be accessed from the garage or a back exit, gently slopes toward the front of the home. It is planted with native buffalo grass, which has been declining in recent years due to drought, Blosser said, and the front is lined with various bushes. Improvements have continued through the years — Blosser recently added a two-story garage for
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extra space. “My kids think this is supposed to be a man cave,” he said, walking up the stairs to the upper story, which looks similar to a small, rustic barn. It’s still a work in progress, but it already is equipped with a flatscreen television. A sectional sofa and basketball goal will be added later, Blosser said. In years past, the home generated a lot of interest throughout the community, he said. He described a particular incident in which he emerged from the home during construction to find curious spectators who had parked their vehicle right on top. “I said, ‘Hey look guys, this is not a public parking place and it’s not the street. Furthermore, you’re sitting on the roof of my house,’ ” Blosser said with a chuckle. “But it’ll carry a car and then some.” DAS HAUS • JUNE / JULY 2013 • 13
Continuous pool maintenance keeps the in
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nance on their pools. he busy time of the year is just starting for Bob Dreher. Normal maintenance is a problem for some pool owners, Dreher said. “It’s been pretty crazy,” Dreher said. “Stay pretty crazy now through September.” “Lot of people don’t check their pumps; it’s really Dreher, co-owner of Dreher’s Pools important,” Dreher said. “Make sure all your equipment’s working right, that’s & Spas, 1107 E. 13th, said sales begin maintaining the SPLASH probably the biggest thing.” picking up in spring and early summer By RANDY GONZALES Dreher said it is important to keep for pools. “Everybody starts calling, filling up your water levels where they should be, pools, stuff like that,” he added. “We’re filling pools for both above-ground and in-ground pools. up, clearing up lines, getting everything ready to “That’s very important,” he said, adding if you don’t do that, the water won’t circulate, making it go. Some of them, we have to drain all of the water out of the pools, start over. Try to wash them down, hard on the pumps. clean them, get them ready to go.” Dreher also said cleaning the filters on a regular basis — “back washing” — helps; he recommends Service work on pools and spas is year-round. Some customers have Dreher do the weekly mainteonce a week.
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DAS HAUS • www.HDNews.net
Continued from page 11 He said his sons, now ages 11 and 9, thoroughly have enjoyed running up and down both staircases while entertaining friends in their unique home. The new basement section is
a recreation room with a TV and games, while the original garage area — complete with a two-foot concrete header — serves as an office and work area. The Shaws installed several large picture windows, upstairs and down,
For more information stop by or contact us.
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785.628.3241 viachristivillages.org
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so they could enjoy the view outside. “They sure built it in a picturesque setting, didn’t they?” Shaw said while looking out the window at the rolling terrain that surrounds the house. The property includes a limestone dairy barn in which the original owner, Robert Moore, milked cows. “My mom talked about riding on the (milk) delivery truck with Grandpa,” said Joyce Stewart, whose grandfather built the limestone home with the help of his brother, Emil Mauth of Bazine. Stewart, who was born and raised in Ellis and now lives in Oklahoma, said she didn’t know how long it took to build the house but she does remember her mother telling her she moved into their new home when she was 16 years old, which was in 1935. “I’d say in the ’30s, considering it had a garage,” Shaw said. Shaw said his intention when adding on was “nothing extravagant, but functional.” “We sure have enjoyed it,” said Shaw, whose home now anchors the east end of Cedar Lane, which features several homes built by Shaw Builders LLC. DAS HAUS • JUNE / JULY 2013 • 15