For anyone in search of the latest and greatest in new home designs, it’s always a good idea to frequent a luxury home showcase. Ideas and inspiration abound for attendees who trek through the custom homes featured in the show. Although with all the excitement, it’s easy to forget that there are actual homeowners who take residence once the showcase ends.
In the case of this summer’s Homearama in Dayton, the upscale and modern farmhouse-style home of Eric and Joy welcomed over 4,300 visitors and received overwhelmingly positive feedback (including, “Wow! You just want to sit down and grab a cup of cocoa or a glass of bourbon.”)—and understandably so. Built by G.A. White Homes, the home exudes Old World charm and contemporary conveniences. Since it was the couple’s third collaboration with G.A. White, they knew the company could deliver on their vision, which was a forever home that could easily accommodate frequent visits from their grown children and five grandchildren.
“We wanted a large area to host family, but at the same time we were looking for a more traditional architectural approach,” explains Eric. “The open concept, where you walk into one giant space, is great but it’s not conducive to lots of activities. No one room has its own function.”
By definition
Accordingly, the couple challenged their architect to create spaces that feel open but that are nonetheless well defined, through features such as changing ceiling heights and the inclusion of half walls that create so-called “room portals.” “On our main floor, all rooms are separate, each with an intentional design,” Eric adds. “We wanted it to be obvious to someone walking through the house what’s what.”
For its part, the expansive chef’s kitchen boasts natural stone counters and custom cabinetry comprised of a warm hickory wood with an earthy morel stain. The cabinetry conceals the refrigerator and freezer, and the exquisite stone surrounds the stove. Builder Chad White explains: “It’s a different spin on a kitchen. Even though it’s not a traditional size or space, we were able to fit a lot of things in.” There’s a bar-beverage area, cooking area, dining area with more stone accents, unique butler’s pantry, and more.
Both the kitchen and great room expand from indoors to outdoors, and the cathedral ceiling in the latter area gives the grand feel of a seamless indoor-outdoor resort-style “room.” All doors on the main level provide access to the four-seasons outdoor living space, which was designed to be anti-slip and with aging in mind; therefore, there are no steps going out to the pool. Rather, G.A. White elevated the pool to meet the grade of the yard, with its lush landscaping, for a uniform look and feel.
“Our pool is right at the level of the house, which required some engineering,” says Eric. “But it’s awesome to walk out and sit down just as you would on a front porch.”
“We created a really neat space,” adds Chad, “and incorporated a putting green and cornhole, as well as fireplaces and televisions—everything you need to entertain outside.”
Quiet time space
The primary suite also serves as a luxurious getaway, with two separate shower areas, towel warmers underneath each vanity, his-and-her closets, a washer and dryer, and private office-writing room. Joy reflects on the spa-like space. “We wanted it to feel comfortable and be relaxed,” she says, “And it even has a coffee bar and a bourbon bar so we can enjoy that first thing in the morning or later in the evening.”
Cheering the home team
Similar to the style in other parts of the home, the lower-level entertainment area is comprised of lots of “spaces” within the same “room.” Chad explains: “No matter where you are in the basement, everyone is separate but still in the same area, whether you’re at the bar, playing shuffleboard, in the banquette area, playing music, hanging out with the grandkids or cheering on the Buckeyes.”
Speaking of, it’s clear what the red “O” on the bar’s ceiling stands for (“That’s important to a lot of folks in these parts,” says Eric, who admits the entire lower level is his favorite “room” in the home.) The couple recalls visiting many a sports bar and sitting in booths to watch Ohio State prior to when most games were available on television at home. Now they have their own “booth” in the tiled walls of the lower level, as well as a sunken theater, bourbon bar and space to play keyboards and guitars. “The whole entire lower level came from ideas we’d seen over the years,” adds Eric.
“We designed this space and the entire home with the intent of how they live,” concludes Chad. “It’s set up for empty nesters, for entertaining and for their grandkids to visit. Everything is based on what will work for them now and for years to come.”
RESOURCES
Builder G.A. White Homes Architect Shawn Duncan Interior design Michelle Pierce Kitchen design and cabinetry Mauk Cabinets by Design Appliances Sub-Zero, Wolf, Ferguson Lighting Visual Comfort, Ferguson Plumbing Kohler, Ferguson Windows Andersen Windows & Doors Countertops Konkus Marble & Granite Tile Hamilton Parker A/V Beacon Audio Video Systems Artwork framing Dayton Art Solutions Landscape design Grandma’s Gardens Hardscapes Ohio Ground Scapes LLC Pool Buckeye Pools
Article by Lee Rhodes | Photos by Dawn M Smith
Article originally appeared in November 2025