9 Of The Coolest Homes In Kansas City
Kansas City has some really cool houses. With help from Nicole Kinning, we spent the past few months driving the metro area, block-by-block, to curate this selection of the coolest homes in Kansas City, from a modern Fairway ranch to a historically-designed build in Olathe.
An Italianate Masterpiece in Olathe
This massive Italianate home in Olathe’s Heritage Hill neighborhood was modeled on Kansas City, Kansas’s famed Sauer Castle. Heritage Hill is known for its collection of homes in historic styles, from federalist designs to Victorian-era Queen Anne dollhouses. The homeowners drove around town studying historic houses before designing their own with a neighborhood architect, and their home features refurbished stairwells and reclaimed stained glass sourced from an architectural salvage yard.
A Stylish Fairway Ranch Renovation
The Fairway neighborhood is almost exclusively made up of Atomic Age ranches, and this one benefits from a tasteful renovation that gave its Elvis-era charm a major punch-up, including a smoked glass garage door and wood paneling around an eye-catching red front door.
A Mission Hills Home With Spanish Vibes
Mission Hills has no shortage of gorgeous homes, but this one stands out thanks to its unique design, with an inviting private patio surrounded by three buildings and a matching wall that recalls a Spanish-style courtyard. Built in 2005 on nearly a half acre, the stucco walls and zinc roof give the home a clean, earthy elegance.
A Century-Old Brookside Home, Thoughtfully Updated
When one couple bought their 1919-built Brookside home, they wanted to keep its bones and style intact while adding modern touches, including a fresh coat of grey paint, a sleek front porch, and a stone paver walkway leading to a sprawling patio.
A Jazz-Age Bauhaus South of the Plaza
At first glance this house looks modern, but it’s actually a 1936 International Bauhaus rich in custom detail, including an artful curved front overhang and an eye-catching fountain. It’s one of only three known International Bauhaus homes in the city.
An Asymmetrical Tudor With Brick and Slate
Built starting in 1916, this home balances an imposing brick facade with delicate slate trim, and was recognized as the Kansas City Designers’ Showhouse in 2007.
A KCK Home Designed by Louis Singleton Curtiss
In KCK’s historic Westheight Manor neighborhood, this home was designed by local architect Louis Singleton Curtiss, sometimes called the “Frank Lloyd Wright of Kansas City,” and blends influences from the Prairie, Secessionist, and Oriental schools.
A Prairie Village Home Built for the View
Designed and built in 2014, this home was designed with a back wall of windows, bay windows, and doors to keep the interior naturally bright, with covered porches and balconies overlooking the golf course.
An “Old World Modern” Retreat in Shoal Creek
This home in the Northland’s Shoal Creek neighborhood is built in multiple segments under separate gabled roofs, centered around an open-air courtyard with cafe lights, a French cafe-style bar, and a plunge pool accessible via a secret staircase from the master bedroom.
