LMK Concepts and Archistructure Build a Handicap-Accessible Home in Omaha

The assignment—to design, build, and decorate a new house for a family of five—was a challenge: He liked “Colorado rustic”; she liked “modern/contemporary”; and the children, one at college, two in high school, had equally strong likes and dislikes. How to meld these disparate tastes and preferences into an aesthetically coherent, smoothly functional home?

But the challenges didn’t end there for LMK Concepts’ Lisa M. Schrager, an interiors specialist. In addition to being an unassuming and low-maintenance family residence, the house had to accommodate the husband’s progressively compromised health—and to be handicap accessible without looking the part was key. With an assist from Archistructure’s Brad Brown, a contractor well versed in barrier-free homes, the team added easily opened barn-style doors, walk-in showers, extra wide hallways, and bumper details on baseboards to protect walls from wheelchair scuffs. Since the husband often rides a Segway through the house, several docking stations were incorporated into the layout, while a cleverly hidden over-bed patient lift system was installed in the master suite ceiling.

Because the couple are avid wine collectors, a bar was a must, which Schrager faced with dramatic backlit onyx panels. For the husband, a keen hunter, she created a lodgelike man cave complete with big game trophies and comfortable leather sofas. Throughout the house, reclaimed woods and patinated metals lend rustic charm to the interiors’ generally clean and elegant lines. In other words, the design team has fulfilled their multipart brief beautifully.

Project Team: Design Principal: Lisa M. Schrager. General Contractor: Archistructure. Architect of Record: Buffett Design.