Cigar room, open concept kitchen and two-story foyer make this Louisville house pop

Dave and Debbie Weinstein moved around the country a dozen times throughout Dave’s 40-year automanufacturing career. “Eight of those times,” Dave said, “we bought a house. So, this is number nine.”

He is, of course, referring to the brand-new, four-bedroom home that he and Debbie live in today — a house they built on a lot in Louisville’s Sanctuary Bluff subdivision specifically because it would allow for watching sunsets from the back patio.

© Alton Strupp/Courier Journal
An overall view of the kitchen area at the Weinstein’s new home build in Louisville’s Sanctuary Bluff subdivision. White marble countertops and a large island add to the clean and simple look of this kitchen. Sept. 29, 2020

As a Kentucky native, Debbie decided after decades of bouncing around the continental U.S., she wanted to retire at home — so she and Dave spent nine months collaborating with their builder from more than 100 miles away.

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“We lived in Nashville when we built this house,” Debbie explained, “so we were building it from afar and we would come here every couple of weeks.”

“This is a culmination of all eight previous houses,” Dave added. “This is all our wishes, all put together.”

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Fun features

Some of the items on the Weinstein’s wish list were features that could be built into or added onto existing parts of the house. The foyer, for example, was something that would be included in the plans regardless — but both Dave and Debbie had specific elements they wanted to incorporate.

“David wanted a two-story foyer,” Debbie said, so they built the entrance of their home to be 19 feet tall, with a six-foot square window at the top. A giant chandelier is visible through the glass from across the street.

Debbie also wanted something specific in the entryway.

“I love colored glass,” she exclaimed, “so I wanted somewhere to display it all. We had to make a niche wall.”

The wall, which sits just to the left thorough the front door, contains nine carefully crafted niches. Each has its own light to display various multicolored pieces from her collection.

Keen kitchen

Debbie loves cooking, so a large, well-equipped kitchen was also on her wish list. “She’s a gourmet cook,” Dave boasted. “This is the best restaurant in Louisville!”

Whether Debbie is whipping up brisket or manicotti, she now has the ideal space to do it in; the kind of kitchen she has always wanted.

“I have a lot of dishware — a lot of serving pieces,” she explained. “In my (previous) houses, they’d be upstairs in a closet; they’d be all over the place. Finally, I can fit everything in here. I also wanted double ovens.”

The side-opening ovens are stacked and conveniently placed so Debbie can easily slide pans in and out, to and from the 5-foot by 10-foot quartz island.

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Sleek smoking room

While Debbie got her dream kitchen and hobby room, Dave got his shop in the garage, as well as a custom-created cigar room.

“We built this specially to smoke cigars in,” Dave said of the room that connects the living room to the backyard through an exterior-type door. “At 4 p.m., I come in here and have bourbon and a cigar.”

Outfitted with enough seating for six and large windows for viewing the wildlife and sunsets, the space also has an exhaust fan, just like a cigar shop.

“It’s a custom-designed room that’s all foam,” he explained. “The whole house is spray foam. … but we also foamed the ceiling and the walls around this room. And the air conditioning and heat only supplies this room. There’s no return.”

The Weinsteins also installed an automatic shade in the living room to block off the two spaces if needed.

“It’s really nice,” Debbie said, “because he likes to sit out there and if I don’t want to watch what he’s watching, I just (pull the shades down).”

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More often than not, however, she and Dave are enjoying the views from their patio — whether it’s cardinals, blue jays, deer, or of course, the sunset.

Know a house that would make a great Home of the Week? Email writer Lennie Omalza at [email protected] or Lifestyle Editor Kathryn Gregory at [email protected] 

nuts & bolts

Owners: Dave and Debbie Weinstein. Dave is retired from a 40-year career in auto manufacturing, and Debbie is retired from the retail shoe business.

Home: This is a 4-bed, 4-bath, 4,200-square foot, traditional-style home that was built in 2019 in the Sanctuary Bluffs subdivision.

Distinctive elements: Lot specifically selected to watch sunsets from the patio and cigar room; main living space on first floor; second floor built for guests, complete with media room and private baths in each bedroom; foyer with 19-foot ceiling and lighted niche wall for art glass collection; gourmet kitchen built for entertaining with quartz countertops & 5×10-foot island; butler’s pantry and large kitchen pantry; hobby room; power-ventilated cigar room; patio with powered awning; master bath has a bubbler, heated floor, and steam room; laundry built adjacent to master closet; large garage with shop; SmartHome with a security system, doors, HVAC, doorbell, and lighting controlled by phone apps.

Applause! Applause! Tom Waller, registered builder and owner of Tom Waller Signature Homes; Karista Hannah, interior designer and owner of Set The Stage Interior Design & Décor; Scott Doan Design-Drafting; Gonzalez Brothers Framing; Louisville Spray Foam Insulation; The Door Store & Windows; Scott Riggles Carpentry; Adams Plumbing; Winnelson Plumbing Supply; Elder Heating & Cooling; Corrigan Electric; Brechers Lighting; Louisville Tile; Snipp Tile Design; Century Entertainment & Furnishings for the appliances, cabinetry, furniture, and SmartHome system; Eleet Stone Countertops; Phil Osbourne Concrete; AG Glass & Mirror; Carpet Specialists; Draped in Style; Louisville Blinds & Drapery; and Taylor Landscaping.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Cigar room, open concept kitchen and two-story foyer make this Louisville house pop