Tour award-winning, ‘masterpiece’ model amid unmatched fall views

Cottonwood Canyon’s new model home has only been open a few weeks, yet it continues to attract brisk buyer traffic from throughout the Kansas City area. The neighborhood has already solidified a well-earned reputation as an upscale Lenexa oasis with some of the best views in the metro. And with the new model from acclaimed local builder B.L. Rieke Custom Homes, Cottonwood Canyon has emerged as an unparalleled destination for homeowners that crave the coveted combination of a prime location, enchanting surroundings and stately, welcoming homes.

The reverse 1½-story floor plan is the first of its kind from B.L. Rieke, which in and of itself is exciting for those who have followed the company’s work over the years. The home is also a breathtaking example of eye-catching architecture and thoughtful attention to detail, providing an excellent opportunity for the building team to debut new features and finishes.

“This home has some new looks for us,” said Bruce Rieke, president of B.L. Rieke Custom Homes. “We’ve done a lot of what I call ‘Western style’ — this home has a few of those elements, but also new looks as well as grays, different ceiling and fireplace treatments, and better-quality product.”

High-end fixtures and finishes add enviable luxury to the spacious, airy home. A beautiful front door by Anderson is an eye-catching entry point, which leads to an open main level with soaring ceilings anchored by exposed trusses. Rieke said the home also includes “trim treatments you don’t normally see — we took everything up a notch in the fit and finish.”

That careful focus on every aspect of the home’s aesthetic is also reflected in the décor. Rieke credited his wife, Toni, as the creative force behind the home’s fully furnished interior.

“Toni is an extremely talented designer,” Rieke said. “We bought all new furniture, and she’s putting her signature on the interior. We used to do a masterpiece home every two years, and this new model home is what we’re calling our masterpiece. We’re trying to push the limits as far as we can without breaking the bank.”

One of the home’s more popular features is likely to be the sumptuous master suite, conveniently located on the home’s main level. Rather than have the master suite directly off of the great room, Rieke tucked it away in the home’s back corner, which he said gives it “a more private setting.”

Additional highlights of the new model home include a gracefully curving staircase, which appears to float to the home’s lower level. The staircase is flanked by a large wall of windows that overlook the green fairways of Canyon Farms Golf Club, giving residents a front-row seat to Cottonwood Canyon’s enviable views.

Outdoor living space is the perfect spot to relax amid the breathtaking scenery. A firepit awaits outside the home’s lower level, while the deck is ready for entertaining with a fireplace and built-in grill. A prime corner homesite is another compelling feature of the new model, which, in addition to being across the street from the golf course, also backs to the community lake. Many of these features, in fact, helped draw Rieke to the community several years ago.

“I’ve been building in Cottonwood Canyon since 2008 and that’s why I went there to begin with—the location, the beautiful golf course and everything else that came along with it,” he said.

Angie Ripley, who markets Cottonwood Canyon with Nita Criswell, said the community has been “inundated” with visitor traffic since the model home opened in mid-September. The home has also attracted the attention of the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City, which awarded B.L. Rieke Custom Homes with both a Pick of the Parade gold award and first place Distinctive Plan & Design awards during this year’s Fall Parade of Homes.

Prospective buyers are encouraged to visit Cottonwood Canyon, tour the new home and experience the picturesque community in its full, colorful fall splendor. Cottonwood Canyon’s idyllic surroundings make the most of the rolling, treed terrain and natural features like creeks, small bluffs, and lush, native landscaping, including grasses and flowers. And, in the midst of it all, Canyon Farms Golf Club beckons with a course that’s as challenging as it is beautiful.

Although Cottonwood Canyon is undoubtedly secluded, homeowners don’t need to compromise convenient highway access. The community is within minutes of several highways, as well as attractions and recreation. With the recent completion of Mill Creek Road, homeowners are just a short walk away from the new Lenexa Civic Center, located within the broader Lenexa City Center and that’s scheduled to open later this year. The development will serve as a mixed-use hub that includes the newly opened Lenexa Public Market, indoor aquatic center, fitness facilities, and a public art gallery.

And because Cottonwood Canyon is maintenance-provided, homeowners have more time to enjoy their homes and nearby amenities, recreation and entertainment. The low homeowner association dues include snow removal, trash pick-up, and lawn maintenance,

“Where else are you going to get golf, water, and be as close to the Lenexa City Center and all that’s going on there?” Rieke said. “Cottonwood Canyon is right in the middle of it.”

This story was originally published October 27, 2017 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Tour award-winning, ‘masterpiece’ model amid unmatched fall views."