(Photo by Hannah Brown)
Wayne and Jean Henning (Photo by Hannah Brown)
(Photo by Hannah Brown)
(Photo by Hannah Brown)
(Photo by Hannah Brown)
(Photo by Hannah Brown)
(Photo by Hannah Brown)
(Photo by Hannah Brown)
(Photo by Hannah Brown)
(Photo by Hannah Brown)
(Photo by Hannah Brown)
(Photo by Hannah Brown)
(Photo by Hannah Brown)
(Photo by Hannah Brown)
The cabinetry in the kitchen is custom-built by Mill Creek Cabinets, an Amish company in Bath County.
(Photo by Hannah Brown)
(Photo by Hannah Brown)
(Photo by Hannah Brown)
(Photo by Hannah Brown)
(Photo by Hannah Brown)
For 40 years Wayne Henning has built houses for other people. He owns a UBuildIt franchise as well as a general contracting business in Central Kentucky. Now Wayne and his wife, Jean, have wrapped all that “know-how” into building their own dream home. They have incorporated state-of-the-art technology, money-saving efficient utilities and custom appointments into this special project located up a long driveway on Lawrenceburg Road.
When you walk through the front door there is an inviting family room with vaulted ceilings and a stone fireplace that is open to the kitchen and dining area. But what really catches the eye is the view of rolling farmland dotted with cattle through large windows on the back of the house.
“We designed the home so that when you walk in the front door, you see all the way out the back,” Jean explains. “The sun rises over that hill in the back of the house, and I love seeing that every day!”
The couple bought two tracts that total 17 acres on which to build. “All of this land was the Rockland Farm owned by Robert L. Carter,” Wayne says. “We have a tie of sorts to this land because Bill Harrod and Bob Carter, who owned Carter-Harrod Concrete, were kind enough to loan my brother and me $25,000 when I was 19 years old to start our business. Now, I’ve bought a part of Bob Carter’s farm.”
The goal, according to Wayne and Jean, is to stay in this home as long as they can. They made a point to build a comfortable home with everything they needed on one floor that is very energy-efficient. The 7,500-square-foot brick and stone house has a main level and lower walk-out level. There are four bedrooms and three bathrooms, a three-car garage, a large laundry/mudroom, two living areas, three fireplaces and a screened-in porch with heated floors. “We built this with all the amenities for resale whenever we need to do that,” Wayne says.
“The only thing I picked out in the whole house was the granite for the master bedroom fireplace,” Wayne says, laughing. “Jean and our designer, Letitia Maynard with Select Construction & Design out of Lexington, did all the rest.”
Top-of-the-line efficiency
What Wayne did have his hand in was the utility efficiency and technology for their home.
“This is an incredibly efficient house,” he says. He explained that they used Icynene spray foam insulation, the highest-end geothermal that you can buy, called Trilogy, and solar panels to go on the roof. “We won’t be off the grid, but we estimate zero-dollars utilities in the summer and about $100 a month in the winter,” he says.
The unfinished space in the basement is where the technology lives. The geothermal hot water heater is located here. Wayne points out a tangle of wires in a corner. “This is Control Four,” he says. “It’s integrated audio, video, fire alarm and security. Plus, it will also eventually be able to tie into the geothermal and solar. We will be able to operate it from an iPad device from multiple locations.”
There are speakers and lighting wired throughout the house. “We can choose different-colored lighting scenes and will be able to control cameras at various locations around the property,” he explains. “When we get the gate built at the beginning of the driveway, we will be able to operate that from the house, too.”
Well-built, well-located
“I guess being a builder, I know all the latest trends,” Wayne says. Throughout the house there is custom-built cabinetry — in the kitchen, family living area, Jean’s desk and work area and bathrooms. “Mill Creek Cabinets made all the cabinets. They’re an Amish company in Bath County. I think they did an incredible job,” Wayne says. “They are solid wood with European slow-closing hinges.”
There is an attention to detail in the home — from the beautiful white oak hardwood floors to the secret Murphy door that leads from the entryway to the main bedroom closet as a shortcut.
The main level has 10-foot ceilings with 8-foot doors. The lower level has even higher ceilings, 10 feet, 6 inches. “We wanted to make sure this didn’t feel like a dark basement, so we have high ceilings and tall windows and doors down here, too,” he says.
The couple, who have grown children and two grandchildren, say they enjoy the location. “It’s quiet and convenient,” Jean remarks. “I can be at Walmart and Kroger in just a few minutes, and the interstate is right here. That’s most important because I can get to Lexington fairly quickly to visit my grandchildren!”
Having moved into their home this summer, they still have projects to tackle. “Solar panels still need to go up, landscaping — the finishing touches,” Wayne says. Jean adds, “And we need to put the wet bar in the basement and get furniture for down there.”
“It’s been quite a project and we’re just glad to be in,” Jean says. “During construction, when I would pull up the drive and see a dozen trucks, I would think, ‘Progress!’”
