Tour a Sunny Family Home With Plenty of Room and Built-Ins for Dogs

Owner Laura Stevenson and her husband were attracted to the planned development community Hampstead in Montgomery, Alabama, for its vibrancy, beauty and neighborly feel. Plus, they could build a large custom home to accommodate multigenerational living for current family members and future grandchildren, and even customize spaces for their two dogs. They used Harvi Sahota, a Hampstead co-developer who also created his own house in the community.

"He designed an amazing plan to accommodate our wishes," says Laura. On their checklist: "six bedrooms, five bathrooms, a pool, an upper porch, a stone entry and a garage apartment."

"Our kitchen is a focal point of the home," says Laura. "Light and airy details make it an inviting space, and there’s plenty of room for our growing family to cook, eat and hang out," she adds. Only one of four children still lives at home, but this custom house factors in space for plenty of guests and family visits.

The all-white kitchen features Bianco Rhino marble counters and gold-and-acrylic barstools by Gabby. Honey-gold chandeliers by George Kovacs unify the kitchen, from the gold hardware to the variegated hardwood floors.

Color is kept to a bare minimum; even the appliances are white.

The kitchen flows right into the dining room for easy entertaining. It also makes a statement while hewing to a minimalist white scheme, but this 13-light chandelier from Hinkley adds just the right amount of drama.

It's easy to imagine a big family gathering at this Restoration Hardware table under the glow of playful modern lighting. Restoration Hardware chairs in a natural perennial shade balance the heavier feel of the table.

The bar area continues the same streamlined kitchen design, with the addition of a small drawer cooler by GE Cafe. An arched doorway nicely frames this setup.

The living room features a touch more color and is defined by a practical sectional couch in a neutral brown. The large windows and sheer white curtains maximize the natural light. The owners love the working fireplace with its clean lines and how the stone mantel anchors the room.

"This area is used for overflow seating when we entertain," Laura points out. "Our bar seats eight, the dining room table seats 10, and this table can seat four to six guests. The table is from our previous Hampstead home, and I am so happy that I can still use it in this new home."

What's more, this contemporary artwork is hard to ignore in an otherwise monotone palette. "The painting is by Ashley Longshore, who was born and raised in Montgomery, Alabama, and her work adds color and whimsy to the space," says Laura. Although only hinted at throughout the home, pink is a favorite color.

With some minor exceptions, the bedrooms reaffirm a commitment to a simple, neutral aesthetic dominated by white. This room belongs to Laura's son who lives in New York City. "We wanted each of our children to have a space to call their own, but we also want to utilize most of the spaces in the home, whether our older children are home or away," says Laura. To that end, the room features this handcrafted Murphy bed that is both stylish and functional. Built-in cabinets from Dave Stone also free up valuable floor space.

This image shows how the space is used when the Murphy bed is concealed.

One would never guess this room contains a Murphy bed from this angle. Paring back furniture and decor to the bare minimum contributes to the room feeling larger than it is. For a personalized touch, portraits of Laura's four children when they were young are hung around the house, and were all painted by local artists.

The room's hall bathroom functions as a guest bath when Laura's son isn't home. The black-and-white mosaic tile breaks up the white space, along with champagne bronze fixtures and a sink cabinet painted black.

"This bedroom is at the front of the house," says Laura, "and when I saw it on the plans being laid out this way, I paused to think about its location. The room has an incredible view of Hampstead Lake, which is a wonderful way to start each day." So as not to compete with the view, the bedroom is decorated in calm, muted tones. A minimal canopy frame from Restoration Hardware is accented with tall mirrors and lamps in order to emphasize the height of the room's ceilings.

A freestanding Maax Louie soaking tub defines the main bath. Travertini Grigio Al Contro tile lends textured interest while combining the look of travertine wood with the feel of stone.

"There was originally going to be a closet under the stairs," Laura says, "but I love how beautiful this open area turned out. The railing was made by our friend Jim Gowan at Gowan Iron."

"All three upper rooms and the sitting room open into this area, located at the top of the stairs," says Laura about this cute communal space. "It features the only television upstairs, the Samsung Frame TV, which we absolutely love. It also has a door leading to a small upper balcony overlooking the lake." Pink accents find their way into this room with a pink sofa from Everly Quinn complemented by a rug in a delicate rose shade.

Here's a closer look at the balcony from the outside, balanced by a picture window and symmetrical plants.

This separate garage apartment is still connected to the house, and serves a variety of purposes, from a den to a hangout spot for Laura's daughter Anna and her friends. The space is also preferred by Laura's oldest daughter when visiting. "Now married with a baby, she usually stays in the garage apartment for more space," Laura explains.

The garage apartment includes its own bedroom and bath in addition to a small kitchen area. Here too, the space focuses on neutrals and minimalism, with attention drawn to a locally bought lamp that perfectly fits the bookshelf. " It looks like a bunch of mini coconuts or some type of nutshell. I’m not sure exactly what they are but I like it," Laura says.

Anna's room exudes peace and order. The furniture is mostly RH Teen (although many adults also shop for themselves here due to the line's sophisticated and timeless offerings). Soft-pink touches, from the decorative throw pillows to a monogrammed blanket, add a grounding feel to the ultra-airy environment.

The inviting fluffy cream ottoman comes from Lee Industries, a company known for its environmentally friendly products and practices.

This bonus room doubles as Anna's craft space, with continual inspiration offered by the lakefront view.

Though this room officially belongs to Laura's oldest daughter, it's more often used by Laura's mom when she visits. The headboard, mirror and chair come from RH Baby and Child, although these pieces feel anything but childish. Here too, pink sneaks in as the primary accent color.

Laura dedicated equal thought as to how her two dogs would use the new home. "This was a request I shared with the builder and designer," Laura says about her dogs' new digs. At first glance, this space could be mistaken for a sideboard, but a closer look reveals a surprise.

The open doors reveal organized dog toys and a doggie door leading to the backyard. Laura notes, "The gold mesh adds a beautiful touch, and the doggie door gives my dog access to the outside. I can also close the doggie door when needed. My little dog loves this space!"

"We originally built this area for a larger dog, but our dog Mia, who is 18 years old, absolutely loves the space. She has her bed, water, toys and a doorway to the outside," Laura says. "It took Mia about eight months to learn how to go in and out of the doorway, proving you can teach an old dog new tricks." Plant-patterned wallpaper adds a cheeky touch.

Fun fact: The yard's two cedar doghouses, painted the same color as the house, possess solar lanterns, and actually came from Amazon. Laura enjoys decorating them as well. She adds, "They have little wreaths for Christmas and little pumpkins for fall."

"This area has two gates, allowing us to let the dogs out to the back alley or keep them out of the pool area," Laura explains. "It has turf by Vinson Landscaping," says Laura. "The grass is always green and never has to be cut!"

A tall fence lends privacy and zero chance of pets escaping. Here, Pierre the poodle joins Mia for some fresh air. For something a little different, Laura shares how the builder added a "birdhouse" touch to the outside wall, seen in the background.

Laura also used Vinson Landscaping to create this inviting grill area. "It has turf and stone left over from our pool and front porch area," Laura shares.