Located in the Hillgate Farms neighborhood off Old Richmond Road, the home of Russ and Vicki Hensley will be featured in this year’s Kitchens of the Bluegrass Tour. Photo by Sarah Jane Sanders
In 2013, the Hensley family purchased a 10.2-acre plot in the Hillgate Farms subdivision off Old Richmond Road with the plan to eventually move from Richmond after building a house on the new property. While construction didn’t begin until several years later, this past January, the busy family of five finally moved into its dream home: a nearly 3,000-plus-square-foot contemporary farmhouse overlooking rolling pastures and a neighboring horse farm.
Though largely designed according to plans the couple purchased from South Carolina architect Don Gardner, the home is adorned with personal touches and unique details that showcase the vision, resourcefulness and hard work of the family matron, Vicki Hensley. Between demanding jobs as a pediatric nurse practitioner and being a mother of three, Hensley essentially took on the role of project manager: sourcing custom materials, coordinating with contractors and sometimes even eschewing the advice of professional designers to accommodate her specific vision.
“I even bought her a miter saw,” Hensley’s husband, Russ, said with a laugh.
Like most modern families, the Hensleys desired a kitchen that would be the heart of the home and as functional as it would be beautiful. Off the bat, that meant adjusting original design plans for the kitchen, which placed a primary counter against a wall that would divide the kitchen from the living room. Wanting more of an open floor plan, Hensley converted the plans to eliminate that dividing wall and reposition the counter perpendicularly, expanding it into a large central island.
The result is a very functional design that allows the family – which includes three sons ages 4, 8 and 12 – to coexist in the same open space while working on a variety of activities.
“The boys can do homework while I cook dinner, and we can watch TV or play games at the dining room table and be together,” she said.
The Hensleys also made the decision to forego the originally intended formal dining room, repurposing that room into a study and instead using the kitchen’s built-in dining nook for family meals – a much more practical layout for the active family.
“We eat all of our meals in the kitchen area, and the table can be expanded for larger groups,” she explained. “I didn’t want a room that we only used a few times a year.”
Extensive online research armed Hensley with a list of the specific fixtures and furnishings she wanted, which she ordered from various local suppliers. Wanting simple patterns and a light, clean look led her to choose quartzite countertops and an ivory-colored herringbone backsplash tile.
“I like the symmetrical colors throughout – I think it’s timeless,” she said. “I don’t think I’ll be tired of it in 10 years.”
Also, uncomplicated and timeless are the cabinets: solid maple with a simple gray stain, handmade by the London, Kentucky-based company East Laurel Furniture. The Hensleys chose the cabinets after they saw similar ones in a friend’s kitchen and were very impressed with the quality of the Mennonite craftsmanship.
“They’re meticulous and pay a lot of attention to detail – they came to hand-measure everything,” Hensley said. “And the prices are excellent.”
Floating shelves made from reclaimed wood from Longwood Antique Woods – installed by Hensley herself, who put that miter saw to good use – add an organic and rustic twist to the kitchen. The wood ties in with the mantle and additional open shelves in the living room, which also feature reclaimed wood from Longwood and visible from the kitchen.
Though timeless by and large, the kitchen is not without its modern touches: Hensley chose sleek and polished LED pendants from Elan Lighting to illuminate the island, and the aptly named Chaos LED pendant from ET2 Lighting hangs over the dining room table, adding circular lines and a touch of whimsy to the otherwise streamlined space.
The kitchen has become the central hub of activity in their home, welcoming family and friends for celebrations and everyday gatherings.
“I believe in family dinners – we eat here together five nights a week,” she said. “The area really works for our family.”
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With a design that was almost completely customized by homeowner Vicki Hensley, the farmhouse kitchen features timeless elements such as quartzite countertops, herringbone backsplash and stainless steel appliances. Photo by Sarah Jane Sanders
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With a design that was almost completely customized by homeowner Vicki Hensley, the farmhouse kitchen features timeless elements such as quartzite countertops, herringbone backsplash and stainless steel appliances. Photo by Sarah Jane Sanders
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With a design that was almost completely customized by homeowner Vicki Hensley, the farmhouse kitchen features timeless elements such as quartzite countertops, herringbone backsplash and stainless steel appliances. Photo by Sarah Jane Sanders
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With a design that was almost completely customized by homeowner Vicki Hensley, the farmhouse kitchen features timeless elements such as quartzite countertops, herringbone backsplash and stainless steel appliances. Photo by Sarah Jane Sanders
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With a design that was almost completely customized by homeowner Vicki Hensley, the farmhouse kitchen features timeless elements such as quartzite countertops, herringbone backsplash and stainless steel appliances. Photo by Sarah Jane Sanders
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With a design that was almost completely customized by homeowner Vicki Hensley, the farmhouse kitchen features timeless elements such as quartzite countertops, herringbone backsplash and stainless steel appliances. Photo by Sarah Jane Sanders
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With a design that was almost completely customized by homeowner Vicki Hensley, the farmhouse kitchen features timeless elements such as quartzite countertops, herringbone backsplash and stainless steel appliances. Photo by Sarah Jane Sanders
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With a design that was almost completely customized by homeowner Vicki Hensley, the farmhouse kitchen features timeless elements such as quartzite countertops, herringbone backsplash and stainless steel appliances. Photo by Sarah Jane Sanders