Pranav and Yogyata Dave (pronounced Dah-vay) took a major and admittedly risky step when they decided that a Truberry Group Sherman Model would be their first ever house. They spent weeks looking at a gamut of models until they walked into the Sherman Model at Tartan Fields and thought “wow,” according to Yogyata.

The young couple was just moving to Columbus after he completed his residency in radiology in Pittsburgh. They had never been to Central Ohio and “didn’t know what a Buckeye was,” Yogyata says.

She says that Truberry’s Bethany Gehring was especially helpful as the couple decided to take on the arduous task of building a large home in a strange community far from those they knew. “She made us very comfortable and supplied names of other Truberry home owners for us to contact. Sometimes it matters what kind of people you deal with,” Yogyata says.

“We were very risky,” she adds, picking the model and then making alterations to fit their wishes for the 4,300-square-foot model.

The couple had most of the features upgraded, and their personal touches, while not too obvious, are plentiful and enhance each area.

Beginning outside, they devised an architectural design that features a “cat slide” roof over the entry. They also added more stone.

Pranav wanted to be certain that he had plenty of turning room without having tight maneuvers to get in and out of the three-car side load garage, so they had the driveway widened. To avoid having a big, black space, they had a nicely designed paver drive installed.

The foyer entry, with wood floors that are used prominently throughout the first floor, is bordered by the yet-to-be furnished dining room on the left and the study with custom built-in shelves and cabinets through French doors on the right. Yogyata lauds the craftsmanship of Truberry’s finishers who built the full-wall installation.

The circular design in the entry’s wood floor is a tile mosaic, not a rug, that Truberry’s crews designed and installed.

Other added touches in the entry include two built-in lighted shelves on one wall and steps set at an angle leading to a landing that was a added near the bottom of the second-floor stairs. Yogyata felt the angled steps and landing with an open rail gives them more appeal than a straight stairway that would not have been part of the foyer.

While the Daves left the great room pretty much as designed, with wood floors, they did bump the rear wall 4 feet and the adjoining kitchen 2 feet. With only a pillar and virtually no wall between much of the kitchen and great room, the expanse is inviting and almost combines the two rooms.

In the kitchen, the Daves chose an enlarged island to allow additional cabinets. The countertops are “Cleopatra” granite. The floor is a hopscotch pattern of ceramic tile with a background that has a reddish accent. While designers were uncertain how dramatic the red would be, Yogyata decided to take the chance because she’s always wanted a Southwestern feel. She also added a work station at the end of the kitchen counter for typical household papers and storage.

Off the kitchen is a pantry with custom shelving. And in the nearby laundry room, they added a closet useable when entering and leaving the garage. And, in a nod to days gone by, she had a laundry chute added to serve the master suite above.

Across the great room is what is called a flexible room with five large exterior windows. The Daves plan is to use it for a baby grand piano for Pranav, a pianist. And because it also can be used as a bedroom, the Daves had a full bath rather than half-bath installed in the hall outside the room. Also off the great room, stairs to the lower level were left open to add to the spacious look and to provide an additional accent with a wood railing and wrought iron spindles.

Upstairs, the catwalk that connects the two sides of the home is open to the foyer and the great room and is accented with the same wood railings and spindles. On one side are three bedrooms, including two with a Jack and Jill bath. The other bedroom is the nursery for their son, Vedan, who recently turned 1-year-old.

Across the catwalk is the master suite, enlarged because of the kitchen wall bump, which features a deep red wall and other accents based on Chinese interior design, a style Yogyata favors. The suite features a bath with a large shower that’s possible because the Daves didn’t want a space-eating Jacuzzi. Finished in ceramic tile, it has a glass block exterior window and glass block interior walls with no door. Although there are two shower heads, one on each wall, the shower’s large enough that water does not splash out. Their twin-sink counter is done in summer yellow granite. Off the bath is a generously-sized walk-in closet. “It’s a woman’s dream,” Yogyata says, although both use it.

In the hallway is another subtle touch: a double-door linen closet. A large “bonus room” sits over the garage, which the Daves, who are Hindu, use for prayer and meditation. They chose the largest space in the house because “God is giving us everything, really,” Yogyata says.

The Daves expect to live in their new home for many years in what they describe as a family-friendly neighborhood.

Duane St. Clair is a contributing editor for Luxury Living Magazine.