Building a Dream
Make plans for patio time
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OmahaHome ENTRYWAY
May Comes Home
This month, there’s a lot to celebrate including Mother’s Day and graduations for many of our readers. Those celebrations often involve flowers for centerpieces, or (especially for Mother’s Day) giving the gift of flowers to the celebrant. Our Maker article is about the Flatland Floral Collective, a place where flower growers and floral designers can collaborate to use local blooms in their work. The Harvest article explains some popular flowers that will bloom in May, for those who want to try growing a garden now, or in the future.
The people featured in OmahaHome this round all have gorgeous homes to celebrate living in. The Tvrdiks renovated the kitchen of their Rockbrook-area home, using a calming blue-green color to give their midcentury modern kitchen a calming feeling.
This issue features houses made by prominent area architects in one feature, readers can glimpse inside the treehouse of the Bello family. These were designed n the 1970s by Tom Findley. The Architecture feature delves into the work of architect Reinholdt Hennig, who created many of the beautiful homes in the Country Club area.
The second feature is about Brad and Amy Schaap’s Gold Coast mansion, built during the beginning of the automobile era. This lovely home features rich dark woods, and a grand fireplace and staircase in the living areas, contrasted by a light and airy kitchen with modern amenities.
There are also plenty of wonderful new-home builders and architects out there, and we also have an incredible new home featured in this edition. The At Home With showcases the Wilkins family, who had a beautiful house built on a half-acre property in the District 66 area, tearing down the existing building and starting from scratch to create their perfect home.
There’s so much to love in this issue. Welcome to OmahaHome
Daisy Hutzell-Rodman Interim Editor-In-Chief, OmahaHome
daisy@omahapublications.com
OMAHAHOME ENTRYWAY
SPACES A Midcentury in Midtown That's Anything But Mid
MAKER Sowing Seeds of Community
FEATURE The Chutes and Ladders House
AT HOME Building a Dream
FEATURE "There’s always a project"
GREEN May Flowers
ASID GOLD AWARD FEATURE Quiet Confidence
ARCHITECTUR E Reinholdt Hennig
TRADITIONAL
Despite undergoing renovations on their 1970s two-story home in Midtown Omaha, the Wilkins finally realized that no amount of renovating could change their home's fundamental limitations. They decided to build from the ground up instead, creating a space that accommodated their evolving work
and worked hard for their family. Read the full story on page 18.
Photo by Sarah Lemke / Design by Nickie Robinson
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Interiors Joan & Associates’ success lies in their ability to blend creativity with psychology, ensuring every design is both beautiful and meaningful. Whether through renovations or new builds, their commitment to excellence continues to shape homes that inspire.
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Editorial
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF EMERITA
KIM CARPENTER
ASSOCIATE EDITOR & STAFF WRITER
NATALIE VELOSO
ASSIGNMENT
EDITOR & STAFF WRITER
ISAAC NIELSEN
EDITORIAL INTERN
JACIE LEIBFRIED
INTERIM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & CONTENT STUDIOS OMAHA MANAGING EDITOR
DAISY HUTZELL-RODMAN
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
BARRY DONSCHESKI · JENNA GABRIAL GALLAGHER
MICHELE HYBNER, ASID · SARA LOCKE
BRANDI LONG-FRANK · BELINDA PABIAN
KARA SCHWEISS · VERONICA WORTMAN PLOETZ
Creative
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
RACHEL BIRDSALL
GRAPHIC DESIGNER II
NICKIE ROBINSON
SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER
RENEÉ LUDWICK
GRAPHIC DESIGNER I
JOEY WINTON
CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
SARAH LEMKE
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
ALTITUDE MOTION MEDIA
MANDY M CGREGOR PHOTOGRAPHY
Sales
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
SALES & MARKETING
GIL COHEN
MARKETING & GROWTH STRATEGIST
MICHELLE SCHRAGE
BRANDING & DIGITAL SPECIALISTS
GREG BRUNS · DAWN DENNIS
FRANCINE FLEGG · GEORGE IDELMAN (POSTHUMOUS)
SANDY MATSON · TIM M CCORMACK
KRISTEN SPRINGER
DIGITAL ADVERTISING SALES SPECIALIST
TRAVIS FISHER
PUBLISHER’S ASSISTANT / OMAHAHOME EDITOR EMERITA
SANDY MATSON
SENIOR SALES COORDINATOR
ALICIA HOLLINS
SALES COORDINATOR
SANDI M CCORMACK
Operations
BUSINESS MANAGER
KYLE FISHER
AD TRAFFIC MANAGER
DAVID TROUBA
DIGITAL MANAGER
LUIS DE LA TOBA
DISTRIBUTION MANAGER
DAMIAN INGERSOLL
Executive
PUBLISHER
TODD LEMKE
CEO
BILL SITZMANN
SPACES
That’s Anything But Mid A Midcentury in Midtown
STORY Sara Locke • PHOTOGRAPHY Sarah Lemke • DESIGN Nickie Robinson
FASHION MEETS FAMILY IN THIS WARM AND AIRY KITCHEN REMODEL
Sarah Lorsung Tvrdik is notable not only for her contributions to Omaha culture, but for her impeccable personal style. Her social media is a testament to tender moments taking place in vivid environments, but bold colors and vibrant lighting are only a backdrop to the sweet life she’s built with her husband, Jon, and their three children.
“We fell in love with how cozy this house is,” Sarah recalled of her move from Dundee to Rockbrook 10 years ago. “It was evening the first time we viewed it, and the lights were low. It had a glowing, warm feeling. There had been only one previous owner who raised four boys here. You could feel how much they loved it, and they were sad to leave it, but it was time for them to move into a smaller place since the boys had moved on.”
Sarah and Jon made a few reverent renovations to the living space, altering rooms to reflect their personal adventures and experiences, but hadn’t dug deeply into changing much about the home they loved so well until kitchen appliances started going out, a clear sign from the universe that it was time to embrace a change.
“We do a lot of entertaining, and so one of the first things we wanted to do when changing the kitchen was to take down a wall that was dividing the kitchen and dining room,” Sarah said. “We lost a desk and some cabinet space with that move, but it
immediately felt lighter. This made space for guests without creating any congestion.”
Though Sarah is known for her signature aesthetic, when it came to cultivating the perfect room, she consulted a professional.
“We fell in love with how cozy this house is.”
Sarah LorsUng Tvrdik
“I have strong opinions about colors, wallpapers, print but I don’t think I do an especially good job at designing a space. I had been online friends with an interior decorator, Megan Pettipoole, for years, and I knew that she had worked at Hutch a long while ago. I really loved her designs, so I hired her to consult.”
“I was so thrilled when Sarah reached out!” Megan said. “She has such a strong sense of style that I had really admired. When we first discussed her kitchen renovation, she already had a solid vision and had chosen most of the materials and finishes, which was great to see. The concept was already there, my role was really more about refining the layout and making sure everything felt balanced and intentional.”
The team decided to replace the upper cabinets with open shelving, change to new café appliances, and add a new waterfall kitchen island. Wood floors were installed to create a cohesion with the rest of the house.
“The home’s mid-century architecture had a big influence on the design,” Megan added. “The vaulted ceilings and gorgeous beams really caught my eye, but they presented a challenge. The natural inclination was to center the cooktop and hood, but we couldn’t because the beam would obstruct the venting. As a result, they had to be positioned off-center, and it was important for that placement to feel intentional.”
Megan suggested creating two floating shelves on one side of the hood, and just one on the other. “This created a balanced composition, while also playing up the asymmetry and making it feel purposeful," she added.
Pale mint paint for the cabinets complements the cream-colored appliances and rose gold hardware. Geometric half-moon brass pulls add a celestial whimsy to the warm, polished space. The Tvrdik family is happy to carry on the tradition of raising a happy, healthy family within the walls of their District 66 home.
You can find more of Megan Pettipoole’s work online at mpettipoole.com.
STORY
Veronica Wortman Ploetz
PHOTOGRAPHY Sarah Lemke
DESIGN Nickie Robinson
Sowing Seeds of Community
Artist Uses Flower Farm to Foster Artistic Collaboration
rowing up on a family farm, Jamie Rohda developed an early connection to the land. When she married her husband, Norm, they enjoyed gardening together and turned a small patch of fruits and vegetables, planted to offset grocery bills, into a thriving cut flower farm. Their 11 acres outside of Waverly, Nebraska, are well-known and beloved as Harvest Home Flowers.
“Someone before us took good care of that land,” Rohda said. The rich, well-caredfor soil would be the springboard for future success.
Their garden produced in abundance and they sold extra produce at local farmers’ markets. That’s where Rohda discovered a niche market for flowers. “A couple vendors would bring flower bouquets to market and they always sold out I thought it was so cool,” she said. “So, I started by gathering pretty flowers that grew in our landscape, and made them into bouquets for the market.” Bouquets sold and interest soared. By 2015, the Rohdas were exclusively producing cut flowers and expanding their business ventures to wedding floral arrangements and selling wholesale to florists.
Flower farming isn’t just about planting seeds it’s about understanding soil, timing, and the perfect conditions for each flower. “Soil health is everything. We work the land by hand, test it, and nurture it, because we know that healthy soil means better crops,” Rohda said. A no-till approach is used on the farm to allow the soil’s natural structure
to flourish and encourage biodiversity, from worms to beneficial insects. Her process works, producing a wide variety of beautiful ranunculus, petunias, dahlias, fragrant tuberoses, peonies, hardy lisianthus, vines, delphinium, eucalyptus, hydrangea, and many more over a 25-year career.
There is an art to knowing when to cut each bloom. “I’m out there every day, checking on the buds, watching them grow. It’s like being a new, proud parent when something pops up,” she mused. There are a few crops which need to be cut multiple times each day. Peonies, for example, need to be cut at an exact time of the blooming process, which Rohda describes as the “marshmallow stage, or when squeezing a bud should feel like squeezing a marshmallow.” She recommends storing the stems dry, in a cooler. “Social media and television shows make flower farming look so romantic, and it can be, but it is also a lot of hard work,” she said. “Whatever we are cutting, the maximum vase life for our end customer takes priority.”
Rohda’s impact on the industry extends beyond the farm. In 2021, she collaborated with Omaha event designer Elle Seals and Farma Flowers of Lincoln to launch the Flatland Floral Collective. Farmers experiment with growing unusual crops and florists can source several local farms to fulfill larger-quantity requests or obtain hard-to-get varieties. “We don’t try to compete with standard flowers that can be shipped in. We focus on what must be grown locally because it won’t ship well,”
“I’m out there every day, checking on the buds, watching them grow. It’s like being a new, proud parent when something pops up.”
Jamie Rohda
Rohda said. “Zinnias, tuberose, and dahlias are all super easy to grow here but don't ship well at all.”
Collective supporter Holly Lukasiewicz is an artist, environmentalist, and owner of District 2 Floral Studio. When she creates arrangements, her goal is to use local seasonal flowers and prioritize sustainable practices. “To minimize my carbon footprint, I first source from our personal garden and local farm partners, majority through Flatland Floral Collective (FFC), supplementing with flowers from American/domestic farmers. I remember the first large wedding I was able to design 100% with locally-grown blooms in July 2023 was a dream come true!”
When new farmers seek out Rohda’s expertise, her best piece of advice is to “try to relax and just put seeds in the ground to see what happens.” Her commitment and passion for her craft and sustainable practices ensure the farm and the collective are, as Rohda puts it, “alive full of possibilities for generations to come.”
A VINTAGE LOVER FINDS A HOME FOR HER FAMILY AND COLLECTIONS IN A VISIONARY 1970S ARCHITECTURAL VENTURE
STORY JENNA GABRIAL GALLAGHER | PHOTOGRAPHY SARAH LEMKE | DESIGN NICKIE ROBINSON
Kelli Bello was drawn to her leafy pocket neighborhood long before she and her family moved into it in 2022. “I used to walk my dog near here and sort of creep around,” she said. “I was so curious.”
She’s not alone. The collection of 11 treehouses on about an acre-anda-half of land behind a Cape Cod farmhouse near 60th Street and Western Avenue has piqued Omaha’s curiosity since it was first built in the late 1970s. “It’s such a romantic origin story,” Bello said. “Five friends, all architects, in their thirties and at the start of their careers, coming together to create a little compound up in the trees.”
The Chutes HOUSE and Ladders
“I
couldn’t imagine a better living situation. Everything now is so disposable and fast. The Treehouse architects really put a lot of thought into creating a place people don’t want to leave.”
Kelli
Bello
“It’s such a romantic origin story. Five friends, all architects, in their 30s and at the start of their careers, coming together to create a little compound up in the trees.”
Kelli Bello
The endeavor which came to be known as The Treehouse Association was one of Omaha’s pioneering urban infill projects an architectural practice of utilizing underused land to make the most of space in population-dense areas. It was spearheaded by renowned local architect Tom Findley, who brought in colleagues including his brother Scott Findley, Gary Bowen, Gary Tasich, and Jack Savage.
“None of us had any money,” Bowen recalled. “We begged, borrowed, and stole to put down a modest down payment on the farmhouse and its land.” The property, which had been owned by former Omaha mayor A.V. Sorensen and his family, had to be rezoned to allow multiple residences.
“The zoning department scratched their heads because nothing like this had ever been done before in Omaha. It went all the way to the city council and passed on a 4-3 vote,” Bowen said. “The whole thing was nearly blackballed on the city level.”
Once the red tape was cleared, the friends sold the farmhouse to raise money to build homes on the property for themselves and their families plus four additional residences in Phase Two around a set of design guidelines they all agreed upon. The wood siding would all be stained the same color, the roofs would all have the same pitch and shingles, and the homes would all be arranged around a central courtyard, paved in brick, with a large oak in the middle. The collective had a shared goal of disturbing as few trees as possible, building some of the homes around existing trees. Once all the constraints were met, they could let their imaginations run wild.
The Bello family bought their home from Tom Findley. “It’s a Chutes and Ladders house,” Bello said, ascending one of the home’s many stairways to a balcony high enough to see over the canopy of trees. Friends warned Bello and her husband Brian that so many levels might not be the best setup for their young children (the eldest is 9, and they have twin 4-year-olds), but she pointed out that the Findleys raised a family of five there. “If they can do it, we can do it.”
Now, the twins deftly scoot up a ladder to reach their room a long, secret clubhouse under the eaves, with a closet decorated in stickers from brands that were cool in the '90s, and initials carved into the wooden beams. “Whispers of the Findley kids from when they were teenagers,” Bello said.
As the director of development and outreach at Joslyn Castle, the owner of Spearmint Vintage, a collector of old advertising memorabilia, a connoisseur of “weird lighting,” and a letterpress artist, these moments of found arts et métiers delight the magpie in Bello. “I love the micro-history of homes,” she said.
In the primary bedroom, yet another ladder leads to an aerie where Bello restores and archives vintage clothing. “As a little girl, I’m sure I dreamed of living in a treehouse and climbing a ladder into my dressup loft,” she mused.
Downstairs, the cathedral ceilings in the living room offer a fitting counterpoint to an arched stained-glass window that Findley had salvaged from Good Shepherd Convent “where all the bad girls went,” Bello said mischievously. She attributes a crack in it to another echo of the Findley teenage years.
In the can-do spirit of the home’s original owners, the Bellos have undertaken a small cosmetic update to their galley kitchen themselves replacing a gray backsplash with rich emerald tile, inspired by the self-portrait of Art Deco artist Tamara de Lempicka in a green Bugatti. Beyond that, they don’t have plans to change anything.
“There’s no way we can improve on what’s already here,” Bello said.
The lofty expectations the young architects had for The Treehouse Project have endured through the years. Like the Bellos, most of the residents bought their homes from the original owners, and they all share
a common goal of preserving their enclave’s unique heritage and camaraderie.
“I couldn’t imagine a better living situation,” Bello said. “Everything now is so disposable and fast. The Treehouse architects really put a lot of thought into creating a place people don’t want to leave.”
At Home Building a Dream
STORY
PHOTOGRAPHY
DESIGN
Brandi Long-Frank
Sarah Lemke
Nickie Robinson
W At Home
THE WILKINS FAMILY'S JOURNEY TO A NEW HOME
hen Ryan and Jenny Wilkins decided to build their dream home, it wasn’t just about creating a beautiful space it was about designing a home that truly fit their family’s needs and lifestyle. Along with their daughters, 9-year-old Poppy and 7-year-old Nina, and their beloved Goldendoodle, the Wilkins family built a home that seamlessly blended functionality, warmth, and timeless design.
The Decision to Build
For years, the Wilkins family lived in a 1970s two-story home in Midtown Omaha, undergoing renovations one level at a time. Jenny, passionate about home design, had always been excited about improving their space. However, after visiting the Street of Dreams, she realized that no amount of renovating could change fundamental limitations ceiling heights, hallway widths, and overall layout. The only way to get exactly what they wanted was to build from the ground up.
They found the perfect lot: a half-acre property in the Westside School District with a small, 1,300-square-foot ranch-style house built in the 1950s. Instead of attempting a renovation that wouldn't meet their needs, they chose to tear down the existing home and start fresh. However, they were committed to sustainability and partnered with Habitat for Humanity and Johnson Deconstruct to donate and repurpose as much as possible. Everything from flooring and doors to light fixtures and plumbing was salvaged, ensuring that nothing usable went to waste.
Designing the Dream Home
The Wilkins family took their time crafting a design that balanced classic elements with modern convenience. Jenny focused on incorporating timeless materials like brick and natural stone while ensuring the home felt airy, welcoming, and ideal for both everyday living and entertaining.
One of the standout features was inspired by their previous home a sunroom with outdated decor, but stunning natural light. They reimagined it in their new home with large windows, skylights, and an elegant, sophisticated feel. The upstairs was designed with their daughters in mind, complete with built-in study desks, a lofted living room, and a Jack-and-Jill bathroom that was designed to grow with them featuring separate sinks, a shared shower, and pull-out step stools for their early years, but also a makeup vanity for when they got older.
A Home for Living and Gathering
More than anything, the Wilkins wanted a home that worked hard for their family. They love hosting gatherings, whether it is a small group of close friends or a 40- to 50-person community event. They prioritized a warm and inviting atmosphere with cozy neutral tones, natural wood flooring, and an open, flowing layout.
“As much as I loved stylish design statements, we wanted to ensure the home still felt approachable,” Jenny explained. “I never wanted a space that felt like a museum where people were afraid to sit down. Our home is an extension of our care and connection with the people in our lives.”
The home also accommodates their evolving work life. Ryan and Jenny work from home, and while Ryan hadn’t initially worked remotely when they built the house, having a dedicated office space turned out to be invaluable.
Beyond functionality for their family, they designed with their daughters’ friends in mind. They wanted to create the kind of home that kids loved to be in a welcoming, fun space where Poppy and Nina’s friends would always feel comfortable spending time.
Where Function Meets Beauty
To even out early morning spikes in demand,
and
A Passion Turned Career: SWOON Home + Design
Throughout the home-building process, Jenny’s passion for design grew. She worked as a dental hygienist before stepping away to focus on raising her daughters. But through this experience, she gained the confidence to turn her love of home design into a business. She later founded SWOON Home + Design, a home remodeling and interior design company that helps clients transform their living spaces.
“Building or renovating a home can feel overwhelming,” Jenny said. “For every decision you make, there are 67 questions you don’t feel qualified to answer. I love helping people navigate those details and create homes they truly love.”
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OMAHA: (402) 592-5577
OMAHA: (402) 592-5577
LINCOLN: (402) 477-5549
LINCOLN: (402) 477-5549
COUNCIL BLUFFS: (712) 323-3302
Her passion even extended into real estate, earning her a license to assist others in buying and selling homes. She understood that a home wasn’t just a financial investment it was deeply personal. Her experiences equipped her with insights that helped her clients feel confident in their choices, making the process less daunting and more fulfilling.
A Home Built for the Future
For the Wilkins family, their home is more than just a house it's a space designed for making memories. From thoughtful design choices to a commitment to sustainability and community, their journey showcases how a home can reflect both personal values and functional needs. With Jenny’s growing design business and their daughters thriving in their new space, this home has truly become the foundation for their family’s future.
STORY Kara Schweiss | PHOTOGRAPHY Sarah Lemke | DESIGN Nickie Robinson
"There’s always a project"
21ST-CENTURY LIFE IN A 1908 HOME
Entering Brad and Amy Schaap’s Gold Coast Historic District home is like stepping back in time. The circa-1908 Edwardian/Neoclassical home boasts countless original features mostly intact, some restored like leaded glass windows, hardwood floors, intricate millwork, transom windows, hexagon mosaic tile flooring in transitional areas, ornamental plaster, built-ins, and curved wooden benches beneath bow windows. Quirky fixtures such
as a laundry chute, and sinks in several bedrooms have proven to be surprisingly practical for the family. Other artifacts, including a working original high-tank antique toilet, a steep servant’s staircase, coal chute doors, and the basement’s walk-in safe, are simply fun to show off.
When the home was built, Theodore Roosevelt was president, the Wright brothers made their first public flights, Henry Ford
launched the Model T, World War I was six years away, and a dozen eggs cost around 14 cents. There are challenges to living in a home built nearly 120 years ago, Brad said, like the half-century-old boiler they must conscientiously maintain, or the yard’s prolific walnut trees. Many projects still lie ahead, including cosmetic fixes for old water damage, restoring missing tiles, creating a first-floor closet, and shoring up retaining walls.
“There’s always something to fix,” Amy said. “There’s always a project. There will never be a ‘we are done’ with this house.”
However, their now-beautiful home has been worth the investment of money, time, and labor over nearly a dozen years, she said.
The six-bedroom, 5,438-square-foot home has two and a half stories above ground and one floor below, and the property includes a carriage house with a small apartment. The house fit two past families with 10 children each, so there is ample space for the Schaaps’ four tween-to-teen children. Amy joked that on an early visit to the property, “We lost the kids.”
“They were in the third-floor porch, and we couldn’t hear them at all,” Brad said. Before they had cell phones, a loud wall bell summoned the Schaap kids from all floors.
It was serendipitous that the family ended up with the home. In 2012, they purchased a lot for a new home designed by Amy, an architect.
“We were about ready to get a construction loan and sell our current house,” she said. “But I have always loved historic houses.”
More for fun than intent, Amy perused local historic houses online. She was compelled by one particular listing when Brad, a structural engineer, was working out of the country.
“I toured it before he even got home. I brought some architects with me one who specialized in historic architecture and I kind of expected them to talk me out of it,” she said. “But I could not hide how giddy I felt in this space.”
Brad agreed to move forward. “We made an offer two weeks later,” Amy said.
Research revealed that the home was built by S.B. Doyle from original plans drawn by noted Omaha architect Thomas R. Kimball. The 1997 Gold Coast Historic District registration document for the National Register of Historic Places described the home as “…two and one half stories and is covered by a low pitched hip roof. Dormers flank a central balcony with an ornamental parapet. The cornice is extended and enclosed and has decorative dentils and elaborate brackets. Limestone is used for sills, lintels, a belt course and quoins. A central projecting and curvilinear entry porch is enriched with fluted Ionic columns. A classical porte cochere of similar detailing is found on the southern facade.”
The Schaaps found interior and exterior photos through the Durham Museum’s online archives. They also connected with people who had been in the home, which only a handful of families owned over time. Among their stories were a sibling locked in the safe, a wedding reception on the first floor, and children climbing into the laundry chute.
“This house has so much character,” Amy said. “We love the history of that.”
The home sat vacant at times, and some areas had once been partitioned and rented out. Previous owners Gordon Mundell and Elvira Garcia made substantial progress over decades of renovation, like tearing out green shag carpet, reintroducing the overgrown front entrance, and renovating bathrooms and the kitchen. However, the Schaaps had further updates and restoration ahead of them, like modernizing the kitchen with respect to the classic style of the home, installing upgraded lighting on the first floor, removing dated wallpaper and ceiling fans, and refinishing the hardwood floors. Their work evolved enough by late 2014 for the home to be included in the Joslyn Castle Holiday Historic Home Tour.
“This house has so much character. We love the history of that.” Amy Schaap
Mundell has been a valuable resource, sharing his knowledge of the home’s history and recommending contractors involved in past projects for the property.
“Every time we are hiring somebody, the first thing we ask them is, ‘What is your knowledge of historic homes?’” Amy said.
The family is making its own history in the home. Paintings by Amy’s father, artist Kim David Cooper, hang throughout. An upstairs sun porch has been turned into a Lego room, and another perfectly fits seats salvaged from Rosenblatt Stadium. The top-floor ballroom has been transformed into a teen hangout. Other changes to classic spaces accommodate the contemporary family, like bringing a television to the living room.
“I am grudgingly keeping the TV in here for family harmony,” Amy said. “It’s a great place for us to hang out.”
GREEN May Flowers
STORY Barry Donscheski
PHOTOGRAPHY Sarah Lemke
DESIGN Nickie Robinson
Plants that Anyone Can Grow
May is one of the most perfect months in Omaha, weather-wise. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, which monitors weather, reports that Omaha’s average high in May is 74 degrees, with an average low of 52 degrees, and about nine days of precipitation. It’s no wonder so many flowers appear during this month. Here are five of the easiest May flowers to grow.
No. 1 — Creeping phlox
In Omaha, which falls within hardness zone 4, Phlox subulata, also known as creeping phlox, is a low-growing, evergreen perennial that forms dense, mat-like ground cover with needle-like leaves. In spring, it bursts into a profusion of star-shaped flowers in shades of pink, purple, white, or blue, thriving in full sun and well-drained soil.
No. 2 — Tulip
Tulips are perennial, bulbous plants that bloom in early to mid-spring. They can be planted in sun or part shade. Tulips come in many colors, including yellow, orange, purple, red, and white.
No. 3 — Crocus
The crocus is a small, perennial flowering plant in the iris family, known for its cupshaped blooms that emerge in early spring or fall, depending on the species. It grows from corms and thrives in well-drained soil, producing vibrant flowers in shades of purple, yellow, white, and blue.
No. 4 — Dianthus
Dianthus is a genus of flowering plants, including carnations and pinks, known for their fragrant, fringed-petal blooms in shades of pink, red, white, and purple. These hardy perennials or biennials thrive in well-drained soil and full sun, attracting pollinators and adding vibrant color to gardens.
No. 5 — Hellebores
Hellebores, also known as Lenten roses, are hardy, shade-loving perennials that bloom in late winter to early spring, producing nodding, cup-shaped flowers in shades of white, pink, purple, green, and deep burgundy. They have leathery, evergreen foliage and thrive in well-drained, humus-rich soil, making them excellent for woodland gardens.
Barry Donscheski is the former owner of Elements Landscape Construction and a project manager at Lanoha Nurseries.
A S I D G O L D A W A R D F E A T U R E
QuietConfidence
STORY Michele Hybner, Foundry Home Interior Design, Inc.
PHOTOGRAPHY Altitude Motion Media
DRAFTING, ENGINEERING AND BUILDER Tweedt Engineering and Construction
INTERIOR DESIGNER Michele Hybner, MS in Arch/Allied, ASID,
Foundry Home Interior Design, Inc.
STORY DESIGN Nickie Robinson
CREATING CALMING INTERIOR ENVIRONMENTS
Every home designed has a unique personality. Some interiors are bold and brazen with saturated paint colors and graphic patterns in wallpapers, tiles, and fabrics. Others are traditional and romantic, filled with millwork details, ambient lighting, and charming nooks for dining, reading, or relaxing. With personalities as varied as the people who inhabit them, due diligence in planning makes all the difference in defining each home’s character. A home’s personality is communicated visually, but it is also felt and experienced by its occupants. Details matter, which is why clients’ needs, wants, wishes, and points of inspiration are always top of mind in every design decision.
The clients in this particular home were in the early stages of building a custom home when I first met with them. They made the decision to build because they were looking forward to right-sizing their home accordingly for the two of them and their adorable little dog.
The couple hosts family gatherings, so they needed seating for a minimum of 10 to 12 people. To maximize seating, knee space was designed on two sides of the island to accommodate six counter stools. Addition-
ally, a rectangular dining table was specified to seat up to eight people, allowing for a total of 14 guests during holidays and dinner parties. In the great room, upholstered benches flanking the fireplace were chosen instead of built-in cabinetry. These benches can be moved into the seating area when the couple is entertaining, providing seating for up to eleven on an everyday basis in the space.
Michele Hybner
The couple requested a neutral and warm palette; they wanted black and white only no color. White quartz countertops with gold veining were specified in the kitchen, along with a creamy natural wall color, Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige, throughout their social spaces. Cozy boucle and teddy bear fabrics were incorporated into the custom furnishings to amplify the design element of texture, while a light wood stain was selected for their cabinets and flooring. The lighter finishes contrast with broad brushstrokes of Sherwin Williams Caviar Black for their interior doors, shiplap accent walls, and the linear three-dimensional tile on their great room fireplace. A streamlined look was a priority for the couple, leading to a minimalist design approach that emphasized clean lines, tactile textures, and repetition of materials to create unity and harmony throughout the interior spaces. The finishes in the elevator, pantry, and laundry room reflect this intentional visual consistency. The earth tones and repetition of materials create a calming environment, mirroring the warmth and quiet confidence of the couple themselves.
STORY Daisy Hutzell-Rodman
PHOTOGRAPHY Sarah Lemke
DESIGN Nickie Robinson
Reinholdt Hennig
BUILDING THE FUTURE, AND THE PAST
The Country Club District of Omaha started development 100 years ago when Metcalfe Company bought around 80 acres of land, promising to build “The Show Place of Omaha.”
According to the original sales literature, the area was so sought-after that the majority of lots were sold as soon as they became available. The Country Club Historic District website states that several noted architects worked on the development. One of those architects was Reinholdt Hennig.
Hennig was the architect of the building in that area known as the “House of Tomorrow.”
According to documentation from History Nebraska, Hennig graduated from Central High School in 1920, and was a draftsman by 1922 before becoming an architect in 1926. He was a part of the team that created St. John’s AME Church, one of Omaha’s best-known Prairie-style buildings, and designed by Frederick S. Stott. Hennig subsequently created several of the houses in the Country Club area and beyond.
Hennig was the architect of the building in that area known as the “House of Tomorrow,” an Art Deco and Art Moderne style house at 2043 N. 53rd St. built in 1933 for the Junior Chamber of Commerce (the group known today as the Jaycees). This building was constructed of poured concrete and concrete block and features a stepped-down front elevation, flat roofs, metal casement windows, and a semi-circular, projecting wing.
Among old-home lovers in Omaha, a buzz still sounds when a Hennig house is up for sale, as happened recently with the one at 2707 Country Club Avenue. This house has three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and 2,488 square feet. It’s a Tudor-revival home, made of red brick with the exterior feature of a gothic-style parapet in the front that evokes the idea of a home being one’s castle. The gothic touches also extend to the narrow leaded windows. This home, built during the automotive age in America, also includes a one-vehicle garage, with the door being recessed.
The foyer leads to a staircase that rises three stairs before turning to the left. The remainder of the staircase leads to the second floor, where a landing looks out over the leaded glass windows above the parapet, and one can walk a balcony-esque hallway that looks down over the first floor.
In true Tudor-revival form, the house includes several hipped roofs and gables, so many of the second-floor rooms feature handsome nooks and crannies where one can stare out the window and daydream.
Instead of walking the hall and ascending the staircase, one can stay on the first floor and walk through a gothic archway often featured in Tudor-revival homes to a living space with a large, hooded fireplace as a focal point. The opposite end of the living room shows a larger gothic archway leading to a dining room.
This house recently sold, and the new homeowners will surely be delighted with this piece of Omaha created by the man who later designed the J. B. Low house at 91st and Hickory streets and the prairiestyle home at 1503 S. 58th St.
Traditional WithaTwist
A Jewel Box of a Room
STORY Belinda Pabian • PHOTOGRAPHY Mandy McGregor • DESIGN Nickie Robinson • INTERIOR DESIGNER
A PASSION FOR RESTORING HISTORIC HOMES FOR TODAY’S MODERN WORLD
After refreshing the exterior of the 1920s Dutch Colonial by taking it from dark and forgotten to bright and vibrant, it’s time to venture inside the front door. For those who haven’t already, be sure to check out the latest edition of Traditional with a Twist to see the dramatic before and after.
The exterior sets the stage for the home, and the foyer welcomes guests. It was important that the transition be seamless. At the start of the project, the foyer felt like it was missing the grandeur that the bones of the staircase carried. It’s a traditional 1920s staircase with a landing three-fourths of the way up.
Belinda Pabian
Traditional design is all about the details, and the walls needed more dimension. Applied wainscoting was added, and once it was complete, it felt as if it had always been there. The trim was kept white and warmed up with a glossy new Benjamin Moore color, then a soft white was added above on the walls and ceiling. The look feels understated, like a breath of fresh air. The floors were refinished in a medium and warm brown tone, which provided a beautiful contrast to the white wainscoting, and helped bring elegance to the space.
Next came solving one of the main pain points of the home the lack of a bathroom on the first floor. At the time, the only bathrooms were on the second floor, meaning guests would need to trek all the way upstairs.
Square footage was limited, as every space was purposeful and being used, but there was a tiny 12-inch-deep closet in the foyer. It was painful to take away some of the elegance of the staircase, but the compromise
proved to be rewarding. Plus, it’s charming that many historic homes have tiny powder rooms on the first floor. First, an unnecessary door in the foyer that led to the kitchen was closed off, then the wall from the closet was bumped out to create enough room for a powder room.
“Blue and white have a long history with traditional design, and the Schumacher wallpaper selected felt like a fresh take on the traditional color combination.”
— Belinda Pabian
Since the powder room is flanked by more formal living spaces (a formal dining room and formal living room), it needed to feel special, like a jewel box, and with a pop of color. Blue and white have a long history with traditional
design, and the Schumacher wallpaper selected felt like a fresh take on the traditional color combination. The antique mirror and art laid against it created a stunning contrast with the wallpaper. Due to the size of the bathroom, the smallest sink possible was sourced just big enough to wash your hands. In the end, this powder room not only added function to the home, but also a great conversation piece while guests are entertained.
Now that the journey has moved from the exterior to welcoming guests inside the home, stay tuned for the next issue, where more will be shared about decorating and how parts of the home were furnished before diving into the kitchen renovation. More to come, as this home continues to be featured with a traditional design, with a twist, made for today’s modern living.
Writer/Interior Designer: Belinda Pabian, @belindarpabian
Professional Photography: Mandy McGregor, @mandymcgregorphoto
REHEARSAL DINNERS • WEDDINGS • RECEPTIONS
OMAHA PRESS CLUB • LOCATED ON THE 22ND FLOOR OF THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK BUILDING • 1620 DODGE ST.
Seating from 25 to 250
Unique location with one-of-a-kind views of downtown Omaha
Open, flexible layout
Club rental includes tables, china, flatware and glassware
Wide variety of delicious food options prepared by a Hall of Fame Executive Chef — from hors d’oeuvres to buffets to a full, multi-course, sit-down dinner
Hosted and cash bars available
