Our Kentucky Home Captures the Beautiful Landscape All Around

This home draws you outdoors. With the Ohio River in our backyard, highlighting the sweeping scenery was our Idea House team's top priority. Inspired by the location, Atlanta architect Brandon Ingram of C. Brandon Ingram Design created a floor plan that maximized rear vistas. "The expanse of views on the back of the house informed how we oriented the spaces," he says. From the front door, you can see straight through the home to the river. As you move from room to room, the house maintains its connection to the surrounding landscape in every space. The result is a sunny, light-filled home that pulls you outside onto the porches and patio. Here's how the design team showcased the natural beauty of the Bluegrass State.

Frame the View

The sight of the surrounding landscape is never lost while you're inside. "We wanted to maximize as much light, as much glass, and as much view as possible from the back of the house," says Ingram. Banks of windows not only flood the interiors with natural light but also maintain a connection with the outdoors. The scenery is a focal point in the first floor living spaces lining the back of the house. In the studio, Ingram designed a built-in bench seat underneath the tall casement windows. In the kitchen, there's an unobstructed view of the sitting area on the porch. The living room's French doors lead to the outdoor dining room. In the main bedroom, interior designer Sarah Bartholomew left the walls white and painted the trim Sherwin-Williams' Silver Lake (SW 9633) to draw eyes outside.

Live Beyond Walls

The house is as inviting from the back as it is from the front. With over 500 square feet of space to spread out, the covered rear porch is designed for all-weather, all-year living. Brick steps spill onto the patio, with an alfresco lounge area and outdoor kitchen. Landscape architect Josh Myers incorporated these ground-level spaces into the backyard with plantings like shapely boxwoods and hydrangeas. A stone pathway leads the bourbon pavilion (which mimics the architectural features of the main house). Underneath an old oak tree, the structure is set of the edge of the bluff for a front-row seat to views of the Ohio River.