When Girish and Anu Abhang made design choices for their Bob Webb home, convenience and easy maintenance were their primary goals.

The natives of India, who had lived in a Dublin condominium unit for eight years, were expanding their lifestyle as their daughter, Ashlesha, neared school age. The couple chose the Westminster model to build in Tartan Fields. It would give them a yard where their daughter would have playmates her age and it would be within walking distance of her elementary school where she’ll enroll in the fall.

Further, with about 3,800 square feet, they would have plenty of room for frequent visits from family members, including Ashlesha’s young cousins.

Girish and Anu revised the original plan for the kitchen and adjoining laundry room that had access to the three-car garage. They moved the laundry room to the second floor and moved the wall 2 feet into the garage. That, plus “bumping” the outside wall 4 feet facilitated changes they wanted in the kitchen.

Instead of the laundry room off the kitchen, they have a large walk-in pantry. The rest of the extra space toward the garage is a mudroom. The pantry, plus ample cabinet space in the enlarged kitchen, provides plenty of storage so that nothing’s kept on countertops.

Girish adds that cabinet space is always a strong point when a house is to be sold. Granite countertops are generous. Appliances are stainless. The often-used 5-burner gas stove is well vented through a decorative hood and vent pipe that are fully exposed. The selected white cabinets feature solid fronts except for a glass 4-door cabinet over a work counter along one wall. Their kitchen arrangement includes a large, double door refrigerator and built-in microwave and convection oven.

They also placed dishwashers on each side of the sink for convenience should there not be time to empty a clean load as another begins building. Anu’s a working mother who also does all the housework. Girish travels frequently so she wants to have plenty of time for her daughter and not be burdened with too many housekeeping chores.

Their design approach prevails throughout. In the kitchen, the backsplash tiles are 18 square inches, to reduce the number of grouted joints to be cleaned. The mudroom floor is covered with 12-inch ceramic tiles, again with grouted joints in mind.
The original plan called for wood floors in the kitchen and eating area. As they pursued their floor covering options – wood, carpet or tile – they chose wood throughout the first floor, on the front and back stairs and on the enlarged walkway between upstairs bedrooms, which have short pile carpet. The den off the great room is Berber carpet. Besides the ambiance and warmth of wood, ease of cleaning was a key in that decision, Anu says.

A large television mounted on a modern pedestal is along one great room wall opposite the kitchen. All the attendant electronic gear is out of sight on shelves in what had been designated as a wardrobe off the den. Girish explains that the house was pre-wired for them with speakers throughout the first floor. The CD player, television and other equipment are rigged so they can be remotely controlled from the great room. The family’s computer is in a niche in the den.

The living room is to the left off the entry foyer. The dining room, accessible from the kitchen, is to the right off the foyer. Stairs from the foyer and the great room lead to the second floor after joining at a landing half way up.

On the second floor, the family revamped the layout when they decided to build what often is described as a bonus room above the garage. Rather than use it as a workout room or for some other informal activity, the Abhangs made that the master suite. It has two walk-in closets. In the bath, there’s a large, glass-enclosed shower with a seat. It’s lined with 12-inch ceramic tile, again an easy cleaning feature. The two sinks and vanities are on opposite walls rather than adjoining. A Jacuzzi sits in one corner.

Their daughter’s room, with its own bath, is next to the master suite. On the opposite end of the floor near the stairs is a guest bedroom, plus another bedroom the family uses as a prayer room and for light exercise. The shared bath for the rooms is off the hallway between them.

Their daughter’s room and the prayer room are the only ones in the house that are not painted yellow, a color Anu chose because it tends to make the rooms flow together throughout. Her daughter wanted a shade of pink and Anu had some purple tint added.

In making some design decisions, the family relied on building sciences prescribed in India. Hence, the prayer room is blue.

For the family, as with all others in a new and larger home, furnishing and decorating continue. “We’re still taking our time,” Anu says as they near their first year in the home.

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