Spaces
The Spradlin's Massive Remodel
Thanks to a custom expansion and a full remodel, Doug and Natalie Spradlin’s 28-year-old home is now the perfect place to live, relax and play music.
By Savannah Waszczuk
Feb 2018
Photo by Brandon AlmsChad Holgerson of Keystone Building & Design worked with his crew to transform the home’s former galley-style kitchen into an open, inviting space decked out with stainless steel appliances, custom cabinetry and patterned tile. “We were able to salvage the old cabinetry and use it in a new butler’s pantry area,” Holgerson says. The new custom cabinetry is something that Natalie loves more than she ever imagined. “It’s one of those things you wouldn’t really know how much you’d appreciate until you had it,” she says, commenting on the custom cabinetry’s ample storage space and soft-close features. The kitchen also features a new granite-topped island that’s painted a bold shade of blue and features crystal knobs that match the crystal doorknobs Natalie chose to use throughout the home.
When Doug Spradlin decided he wanted a custom-built home in 1989, he rolled up his sleeves and got busy. “I did a lot of the labor myself, with some help from family and friends,” Doug says of the house, which sits near Springfield’s Valley Water Mill area. But Doug was the full-time art director at Ample Labels at the time, and he’s quick to admit he wasn’t exactly the most versed in carpentry. “I did what I had to do to figure it out, with help along the way,” Doug says. “I built it, basically, as a saltbox house.”
After Doug lived in the home for nearly a decade, he married Natalie, who moved in as well. “We met at work,” Natalie says. “Doug was the art director, and I also worked in the graphic design department.” The two continued to live in the space as it was, and they later welcomed daughter Martha Grace—or MG, as they call her—to the crew. “We lived in the house just like it was until October 2016,” Natalie says. That’s when she and Doug shared a life-changing conversation in the downstairs music room one morning. “It was really, really cramped down here before,” Natalie says. “That morning, Doug said, ‘Okay. If you really want to remodel and change this, let’s do it.’”
Before Doug had time to change his mind, Natalie started making phone calls. “I did a Google search, and Keystone popped up,” Natalie says, referring to Keystone Building & Design. “I called and left a message, and Chad quickly called me back.” Chad Holgerson, a custom home designer and remodeler and the owner of Keystone, soon visited the Spradlins to see the house and chat about what could be. “A first step is coming out to see the space and learn the owners’ vision,” Holgerson says. “I meet with them and get it all out there. That way, we can see how many wishes and wants can actually become a reality.”
Next Holgerson used his custom home designer skills to create 3D plans for the home and reviewed them with the family, and then he and his crew got to work to bring many of their wishes to life—they did a full home remodel and expansion and also made the home’s circa-1989 structure more stable and secure. The result is a house that’s gorgeous and serves as a space the Spradlins couldn’t be happier to call home. “I still feel like I’m living in somebody else’s house,” Natalie says.
Photo by Brandon AlmsThe custom fireplace, which sits near the upstairs living room, is another one of Holgerson’s custom creations. “I was picking for a different design job when I found the mantel,” Holgerson says. “I dismantled it, stained it and rebuilt it.” He selected the appropriate fireplace for the mantel and added cobalt blue iridescent tile to tie the piece to the rest of the home. “It didn’t take us long to realize Chad had really good taste,” Natalie says. “We were able to trust him with a lot of decisions.”
Photo by Brandon AlmsThe master bathroom brings a luxurious touch to the home with its freestanding, oversized soaker tub, granite countertops, undermount sinks and walk-in shower decked out with Apavisa porcelain tile. “I wanted a shower big enough to not have a door,” Natalie says. A crystal-draped chandelier hangs above the tub, and oversized windows allow plenty of natural light to flow into the space.
Photos by Brandon Alms
The remodel included expanding the home out several feet on all three levels, and this expansion resulted in an all-new master bedroom on the top floor. The space features the same maple floors as the rest of the home, plus all new bedroom furnishings. “The windows were strategically placed so we could see the sky but still have privacy,” Natalie says. A vaulted ceiling lined with rough-sawn and stained Douglas fir beams adds a grand sense of height to the space, and a balcony opens up to a small deck that overlooks the property.
