‘House that hope built’
Ann and Stephen Winterer met over a cup of bad coffee at church several years ago. They had both experienced painful divorces and neither expected to find love again. But love unexpectedly found them, and together the couple created what Ann calls “the house that hope built.”
The newlyweds tried living in Ann’s former home, and then in Stephen’s, but neither place felt right to them. Stephen decided to build a new home for their new start.
Recently retired from the construction industry, he funneled his love of Arts and Crafts-style architecture into a home that perches at the top of a bluff in north Spokane. He drew up the plans himself and devoted 12 hours a day, six days a week for 14 months to creating a home for his bride.
The couple moved in July 2005. “It was a team effort,” says Ann. “We worked with a tight budget so it took a lot of research.”
Unlike many newer homes that are labeled Craftsman bungalows, this home replicates the detailed use of wood, stone and glass that made the Arts and Crafts style so popular.
The intricately carved wood in the entryway is repeated throughout the home. From the beautiful banister to the living room fireplace, Stephen carefully matched the grain in the wood. He did 90 percent of the work on the house himself.
From the huge north-facing windows the city lights sparkle and Mount Spokane can be seen in the distance.
The walls on the main floor are accented with picture-rail molding. With meticulous attention to detail Stephen matched the wood grain so the molding appears to blend seamlessly, even around corners.
Ann loves the master bedroom. “Stephen brings me coffee in bed each morning at 5:30,” she says, smiling. A charming hammered pewter-look metal insert enhances the fireplace. Stephen added a large window atop the glass slider doors to better enjoy their fabulous city view.
Built-in hemlock bookcases in the library are topped with wide wooden molding and accented with hidden rope lighting.
Quarter-sawn oak cabinets warm the kitchen. Stephen had the cabinets made from one piece of wood in keeping with genuine Arts and Crafts-style architecture. The brown granite countertops gleam with gold flecks.
The lower level is dominated by a large family room and Stephen’s well-equipped shop.
“We built our home for half the cost because I did the work myself,” Stephen says. Ann calls the project “a blast,” but adds, “It’s nice to be done.”