Home At Last

Although both grew up in Iowa, Ken and Barb Wetzell built careers and raised a family far from the Hawkeye State. They never expected to return permanently. But as John Lennon famously said, “Life is what happens when you’re making other plans.”

“We came back once or twice a year because our extended family is all here,” says Ken. “But we lived in California for a while, then most recently in Franklin, Tennessee. We loved it there and didn’t have plans to move back.”

Ken, a CPA, runs his own firm and has worked remotely since before COVID made it a necessity. Barb now works for him, managing the office. So when Ken’s dad began declining physically, the couple reconsidered their options.

“Over the past 30 years, I was probably able to spend about 60 good days with my dad on those visits home,” Ken says. “I wanted to have some more time with him while I still could, and with my job, home could be anywhere.”

After researching the Des Moines-area communities, the Wetzells settled on Ankeny for their home search because it fit their very specific criteria. They had a budget in mind, they wanted to be on a golf course, and they wanted to be in a community but not necessarily in Des Moines.

Ken says, “I found a home I really liked in one of Kimberley Development’s new neighborhoods. I loved everything about that house. But after touring it, I decided I didn’t really want to be that close to the interstate.”

Fortunately, Barb had been doing her own house hunting and had found a lower-priced home in the perfect location. “This one was also a Kimberley home, and it had everything we needed. And the view out the back of the house is just gorgeous.”

The view inside the house was less to their liking. “When we found out Kimberley had a remodeling division, we went to them before the sale was even final and said, ‘We want you to make this house look like that one,’” Ken says. “They started two days after we closed.”

“That” house, now known to the Wetzells and the Kimberley team as the “buffalo house,” included some specific features Ken was keen to have re-created in their new home. “We call it the “buffalo house” because it had a painting of a buffalo over the fireplace. And one of the rooms I really wanted exactly like that one had was the master bath,” says Ken. “They did a beautiful job. And we even hung a picture of a buffalo in it in honor of that original house.”

The spacious, two-story home was completely gutted on the main level to re-create a look very similar to the “buffalo house.” But every area of the home saw some changes, including new carpet in the lower level and updated cabinetry in the upstairs guest bath.

“Tom and Matt are like family now,” says Barb, referring to project manager Tom Monson and team lead Matt Bruce. “They were so gracious and thoughtful and made it as easy as possible for us to still live and work here while they were working.”

Monson says, “Very rarely do we get projects that are not owner-occupied, so we’re very mindful of the impact we have in each and every situation. We always carry ourselves as if we are guests in our clients’ homes and strive to accommodate their needs at every step.” To accomplish that, the Kimberley team rearranged the order of some stages of the job to ensure the couple had a functioning kitchen as well as a full bathroom and bedroom accessible at all times.

“This project was a bit more challenging due to the extensive scope of work we had planned, the deadlines for moving truck arrivals, and the fact that the Wetzells had just moved from out of state and jumped straight into a major, whole-house renovation,” Monson says.

Barb jokes that they probably created more change orders than the typical remodeling client. But she says everyone they worked with at Kimberley Construction treated them as if their project was the most important job on their calendar. “There were so many decisions and selections, I wouldn’t have known where to begin. But Rylee Knutson, their designer, knew exactly what we’d like and gave us options that just brought everything together,” she says.

Knutson says, “Going through Ken and Barb’s inspiration photos, we were able to narrow down their finish options and make sure everything that was selected was exactly how they envisioned it. It’s exciting to see everything they selected in our showroom come together in the finished space.”

The project involved a near-total remodel amid the worst supply chain problems in decades. But Monson and Bruce led the project through a steady schedule that completed the work before the holiday season.

“We worked hard throughout the job with all the vendors and subcontractors to keep the job running efficiently and on time,” says Bruce. “Our main goal is always to keep our customers comfortable and happy throughout the construction process.”

When asked what their favorite feature is now that the project is complete, Ken and Barb both say it isn’t one individual element.

“We bought the house because of the view,” Ken says. “But that gorgeous view is even better because the view inside is so wonderful.”

Barb says, “We’ve lived in some really nice homes over the years, but this is my favorite by far. Not only is it all just beautiful, but it’s so well-planned that we use every space. There isn’t a single room that we don’t use on a daily basis.”

When the Wetzells sold their home in Tennessee and relocated to Ankeny in late July of 2021, the plan was to make a home, at last, where they could be an active part of their extended family. Less than two months later, Ken’s father passed away.

Sitting in their new family room, gazing out at the golf course through the shade trees, Ken says, “I don’t regret the move one bit. I had 50 wonderful days with my dad that I wouldn’t have had if we’d stayed in Franklin.”

That’s what home is all about. •