Personal touches

Dave Boltinghouse knows the nuts and bolts of building a house.

He taught construction technology and cabinet making at Fremont High School for 14 years.

With his wife, Kamie, he has operated Boltinghouse Construction, LLC for almost five years.

The company slogan is “Experience the Difference.”

That’s just what Steve and Julie Navarrette of Fremont did.

They hired Boltinghouse Construction to build their home in a new east addition, Deer Pointe.

“I was the (Fremont Area) Chamber president when Charlie Diers brought his plans to a meeting in 2000,” Steve said.

When lots became available, the Navarrettes were impressed by the privacy.

“We chose Dave to build the house,” Steve said.

They knew Boltinghouse would be on site.

“He wears a tool belt. Some contractors never lift a hammer,” Steve said.

“They (Navarrettes) were simple to work with. They knew what they wanted, (yet) were open to suggestions,” Dave said. “All the way from the design process to the last day we were here — it was a team effort by everyone and that’s what it takes.”

For the Navarrettes, family is an important asset and planning ahead was integral. Steve is a certified public accountant and an accredited strategic planner. Julie works part time at the Fremont Family YMCA Hazel R. Keene Wellness Center.

“We wanted everything we need on one level, to have an office and a really open floor plan,” Julie said. “We lived in a tri-level before. You couldn’t go anywhere without going on steps,” Julie said.

At a sister-in-law’s insistence, they toured a home while visiting family.

“We went to an open house in Marion, Iowa,” Julie said.

She was pleasantly surprised.

“This is what I’m looking for — the floor plan,” Julie said. “The contractor sent us a footprint. We hired Keith Knudsen of Genesis Home Design — he’s a full-time engineer and a home designer.”

These days, Knudsen, of Elkhorn, draws exclusively for Boltinghouse Construction.

The Navarrette home was designed with four bedrooms — two on the main level and two downstairs.

The home is trussed, allowing for the open plan.

White pillars in the great room are for decoration — not support.

The open plan affords room to entertain.

“Everyone ends up in the kitchen. It’s part of the main living area,” Steve said.

“It’s nice to have the family all together. We’ve had 60 for a couples wedding shower,” Julie added. “When we entertain, it’s not fussy or formal.”

That’s why she prefers furniture that has a distressed look.

“I like the “new” old look from Park Avenue (Antiques),” Julie said. “I like to be a little stark. I don’t like contemporary — there’s a fine line. I like it homey.”

The palette is a plum. It came from a favorite still life depicting a pear, apple and a plum.

Shades of gold, green and red.

There are fruit accents throughout. Canisters with a fruit motif decorate a black, gray and gold granite kitchen countertop.

“With flecks of plum,” Kamie said.

The granite has a very fluid look.

“It looks like sand swirling in an hourglass,” Kamie said.

A tiered fruit stand in red, green and gold rests on the island. Floors and cabinets are cherry.

“It flows,” Kamie said.

Vicki Schuler of Abe Krasne Home Furnishings guided the Navarrettes in selecting furniture and flooring.

“She helped me keep things in the same style,” Julie said.

“I helped from the beginning — not with the architectural aspect — but flooring and wall colors,” Schuler said.

In the great room, on hopsock-colored walls and written in white from Uppercase Living company, is this message:

“Having someone to love is family,

Having somewhere to go is home,

Having both is a blessing.”

The lower level was planned with their two children, Blair and Sean, in mind. Blair is a junior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Sean is a recent UNL graduate.

“When they come home with their families, they’ll have privacy,” Julie said.

The downstairs includes an exercise room, pool table, family room and kitchen.

The pantry stores favorite family board games and a few vintage ones.

The kitchen has a Tuscan touch. The grape-designed tile is almost a still life in itself.

“We like wine, we have grape accents,” Julie said.

Even though life is busy, the Navarrettes can sit back and enjoy the fruits of their labor.