A Fairytail Manor: Look Inside the Home of a Local Dream Team

Many old homes have secrets—hidden doors, concealed rooms or tucked-away pantries that surprise visitors. But the home of Mike and Fran Strange has an even bigger secret: it’s that it’s actually not old at all. The homeowners wanted their new construction in east Springfield to look and feel like an old French manor that had been remodeled. A large part of the home’s storybook appearance, designed by Ron Hill of Euro World Design, is the exterior. “We really wanted a 100% stone exterior,” says Mike. “The stone changes colors. It’s white but when it’s humid you see blues and greens, and when it’s dryer it’s more yellow.” The team stayed true to what you would see in Europe, which is what they do best. Mike is a builder, owning M.W.S. Construction and building a lot of homes in Brazil. Ron Hill designs homes overseas as well. “The complicated roof structure, the dormers and shutters, the copper, the exterior is just beautiful,” says Hill. “The timber work is by Ozark Timber Frame, and they did a wonderful job.” 

With Mike taking the lead on the exterior, Fran took the lead on the interior. “We both really wanted the same style,” says Mike. “I had overall say on the outside and she had overall say on the inside.” The couple wanted an open floor plan and lots of windows for natural light. The timber frame inside the home is a beautiful contrast to the more elegant columns that break up the spaces. The black and white checkered flooring creates the same elegant contrast with the natural white oak flooring throughout the home. 

In the primary bedroom, a timber frame truss system vaults up, creating a spacious and grand feeling, and the high windows allow for beautiful views of the woods. “It’s like a greenhouse,” says Fran. “We love to look outside and see all the wildlife.” 

When furnishing the home, Fran worked with Interior Designer Denise Wright of DKW Designs. “Fran and Mike wanted to create a modern and vintage vibe throughout their home,” says Wright. “They wanted some sass with class and the unexpected around the corner.”  The design duo gravitated to warm beiges and black walnut in the kitchen, along with bold patterns and crystal throughout the home. “The chandelier in the foyer was bought before we even broke ground,” says Fran. “I love the roughness of the timber mixed with more refined pieces.” Mike and Fran love everything about the home, especially how useful each room is. “We really use each space,” says Fran. “Like the dining room, we use it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.” No space goes unused and every inch of the home was meticulously designed, built and styled to be a home that whisks you away to France, even though it’s right here in the Ozarks.