Hayes Builds Custom Home in Alexander

Most people when they move go house shopping and decide on a new house, but for Dean and Shelley Hayes it was a little different. Instead of picking out a house, they pictured their ideal home and built it.

When Dean and Shelley of Alexander, sold the farm and bought their business in town they needed a place to live. With 20 years of experience in building houses between Arizona and North Dakota, Hayes decided to build the house himself. They drew up their own floor plans, bought their own lumber, special ordered all the cabinets, and picked out materials for every room in the house. As Hayes stated, “We don’t plan on leaving so we built the place the way we wanted.”

Since their location is on a hill, they had to build into the hill taking out the option of a ranch style home. With a two story, it gave them room for three bedrooms, three bathrooms and an open living area.

On the bottom floor is the garage, which Hayes says is one of his favorite aspects of the home. One convenience Hayes added to the garage and home is a radiant floor heating system, which typically uses less energy than forced air systems. In radiant floor heating, water is heated up and circulated in tubes under the flooring. This type of heating is a more natural feeling heat because it eliminates the breeze that comes with a forced air system. Radiant floor heating can also improve health as it doesn’t blow pollen, dust, and allergens around by using air ducts. Without the need for air ducts, there aren’t any obstacles when arranging furniture and cabinetry.

Dean and Shelley went with a rustic, western feel with the use of special ordered knotty alder trim, doors, and cabinets throughout the house. The custom cabinets in the kitchen, which are put together with hardware to prevent the drawers and doors from slamming, are complimented by all new black appliances and recessed lighting. To finish off the kitchen, Hayes custom made a large island with plenty of storage and a breakfast bar with room for three.

Right alongside the kitchen is the dining area which is customized with a small wine bar with bottle storage and hanging glass holders. The stained knotty alder cabinets in the kitchen give the main living area a very warm comfortable feeling, as the kitchen is open to the dining and living areas. The living room continues the atmosphere with a large fireplace.

Following the theme of comfort, the master bedroom is complete with a walk-in closet and master bathroom featuring a luxurious Jacuzzi tub. Conveniently located right next to the master is what would appear on the floor plans as a fourth bedroom. Instead of a fourth bedroom, Hayes and his wife decided to turn it into a hot tub room. The hot tub room, which Hayes says is another one of his favorite aspects of the home, is situated in the corner of the house, with 2 nice windows. With the placement of the room comes access to the wrap around deck, which is made with a composite material. Since the house is built into a hill, the deck starts at ground level in the back and wraps around the front at the second story. The deck gives Dean and Shelley a nice view overlooking the town they call home, Alexander.