Southern Living Idea Home

Every year, the revered Southern Living magazine creates and presents an "Idea House" somewhere in America. For 2021, Kentucky was chosen for the first time as their build site. The new fifty acre community called the Breakers at Prospect is the host for this achievement in excellence, the fruit of the labor of a team of experts who met the challenge and brought a vision to reality. by Rocko Jerome photos by Laurey Glenn / Southern Living and Tim Furlong, Jr.

YOU CAN TOUR THIS HOME!

Looking at the house from any angle, you wouldn't be inclined to think that this gorgeous, timeless place could be brand new. Relaxed and welcoming in equal parts, sophisticated but devoid of pretension, Riverbend just feels like home. It pulls to you, something inside that longs for comfort and security. "You might not know exactly why, but you will feel the love here," says Jimmy King, co-owner of Artisan Signature Homes, the first-rate builder hand-picked for this monumental task, where a thousand little flourishes throughout lead to an almost subliminal feeling of easiness. "There's really something here for everyone. Looking around, you will see an abundance of wood trim. All of the interior paint was brush finished to achieve an old look and feel." Jimmy even added a personal piece – a vintage doorknob on the screen door at the front of the house, made of brass with a perfect patina, so that the first thing you touch going inside holds a historical spirit. "We stopped just short of trying to make that screen door creak," he quips. Inside, no space feels like a showroom, but every inch looks and feels amazing. A thoughtful living space full of ideas, the attention to detail is something to behold. There are built-in antiques and new things, like state-of-the-art appliances that don't take away from the homiest kitchen built in this century. The rooms connect and flow well together, allowing freedom to move through the place, letting it wash over you. Interior Designer Sarah Bartholomew did fantastic work, creating a feel that is at once elegant and appropriately homey. A fantastic size and a cozy sensibility that maximizes sunlight and a beachy, Rhode Island feel is palpable throughout, growing more and more relaxed towards the back of the house.

There, you find that a breathtaking view of the river, flowing since time immemorial with no sign of stopping, is waiting for you. Josh Myers, a masterful Landscape Architect, worked real magic in the green environs here. A tall tree stands, complete with a completely handmade swing from the Southern Pine Swing Company. There's even a doghouse with siding and a cedar roof that any breed of Man's Best Friend would be privileged to call home. The photogenic view can be appreciated from several delightful spots, including a living area around an outdoor fireplace to warm you up on chilly nights, a dining table, or the second floor balcony, perfect for a relaxing evening, just enjoying the sunset.

Not only does it feel as if beautiful memories could be made here at Riverbend, it somehow feels like they already have. Everything feels at once warm and familiar. "There's a wow moment at every turn," says Nicole Hendrick Santee, Brand Homes Director of Southern Living.

Experienceit for yourself

TO TOUR THE SOUTHERN LIVING IDEA HOME:

Tours are open to the public now through December 19, 2021. Tours will take place Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10 am–4 pm, and on Sundays from 1 pm–4 pm.

FOR TICKETS:

Visit ideahouseky.com to purchase tickets. A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales goes to The LEE Initiative, the Louisville-based nonprofit co-founded by Chef Edward Lee and Lindsey Ofcacek, and Gilda’s Club Kentuckiana, a cancer support community providing more than 180 free monthly program o erings.

TO SEE MORE PHOTOS:

Pick up the October issue of Southern Living!

“Our intent is that visitors will want to go back through even after seeing everything. It’s so easy to envision that you live here, to engulf yourself in the Bluegrass.” It’s no secret that the real estate market here is booming as people from everywhere have begun to understand what Kentucky residents have known all along. “This location was approved with the site unseen,” says Nicole. “We always endeavor to bring new ideas and a sense of travel with these homes, as well as creating variety. In seventeen years of creating these destination locations, this was the first that was done virtually. The team was carefully assembled, and everyone involved brought so much to the table.”

It all began in Atlanta with architect C. Brandon Ingram. He’s an expert and specialist in classical architectural design and southern homes. His insight was consistent throughout the project, and we are told that he noted that Riverbend is one of the first homes that, in actual practice, looks like what he drew. “It’s common to make a lot of interpretations, but we were in constant communication, sometimes agonizing over inches, every step of the way,” says Jason Black, co-owner of Artisan Signature Homes. For him, it’s all been a labor of love. “I spent ten years grinding away in corporate America before I decided it just wasn’t for me,” he says. Almost 20 years and 300 houses later, his name has become synonymous with quality, dependable work in the housing industry.

Southern Living began its partnership with Jason and Jimmy fifteen years ago. “We share an appreciation of attention to detail,” says Jason. He also exhibits a knack for being very deliberately selective, conscientious, and holding an eye towards the carefully curated. “There’s a focus on creating unique homes. I have no interest in making the same things over and over; I always want to strive towards innovation.”

Despite challenges acquiring materials throughout the project, the house was still completed only a single week behind schedule, thanks to incredibly hard work. Riverbend stands as a testament- to ingenuity, to teamwork, and to the lasting legacy of collaborative effort.•