Couple returns to the Midwest from California
By Glenda Winders // Photography by Angela Jackson
When Michael Knott and Tera Moody decided to move back to the Midwest from California they had one guiding principle in mind: family. Michael had grown up and graduated from high school in Whiteland, and his parents were still here. His older children live in Nashville, Tennessee, and he wanted to be able to see them more often. Tera, who is from Chicago, missed the Midwest. Her mother, who had moved to California to be near the couple, was willing to come back, too. Since Knott and Moody both work at their respective real estate-based jobs from home, they were free to live wherever they wanted to.
“I just love the Midwest,” Moody said. “The people are so kind, and it’s a great vibe for raising a family. I had a close relationship with my grandmother, and I’m so glad that our kids will have the opportunity to be close to their grandparents, too.”
The couple chose a lot in the Aberdeen neighborhood in Bargersville for many of the same reasons.
“We love the community aspect of this neighborhood,” Moody said. “They have events that help us get to know our neighbors, and our kids play with the kids next door. That’s a vibe I really appreciate.”
Knott and Moody were also grateful for the relationship they enjoyed with Duke Homes as their builder.
“The highlight of the whole process was who we were building it with,” Knott said. “The Duke team is great to work with. They make it easy, and we felt good about what we were going to get at the end of the day and the quality of the people and the organization.”
The couple met with the Duke team and shared their house-build vision. After the initial floor plan was created, they were able to choose the finishes and details they liked. Once again family, rather than current trends or what the neighbors were doing, was their No. 1 priority.
While the spacious house has 6,500 square feet, they didn’t want square footage just for the sake of having it. Their primary concern was to have plenty of common areas where the whole family — their parents, Michael’s children and their own growing family — Miles, 3, and Leia, 1 — could hang out. To that end, they asked for small bedrooms relative to the size of the rest of the house, including the master, so they would all be motivated to join in whatever the group was doing.
Now, a wide-open great room on the main floor accommodates the whole gang around a stone-fronted fireplace that runs to the second-floor ceiling. A dramatic, circular light fixture illuminates the space and lights over the kitchen island repeat the shape. The island seats three and the nearby dining area six. Just outside is a large, covered patio and a fire-pit area with seating and festive lighting. Michael’s dad played an instrumental role in creating the landscape.
Another gathering space is in the finished basement. A sectional sofa, similar to the one upstairs, faces a giant screen where TV programs are projected. Knott said he is proud of the fact that they only have two televisions in the house and seldom use either, but when they do want to watch something — often a sporting event — they want to be able to enjoy the experience. A bar area makes for comfortable eating and drinking on this level, as well.
Health and fitness areas were also important considerations. Moody was on the track team when she was a student at the University of Colorado and went on to finish fifth in the 2008 Olympic trials marathon. She was a member of Team USA at the prestigious World Championships for track and field multiple times and competed in marathons in Berlin and Daegu, South Korea, where she finished 17th and was the top woman for the United States in the track and field competition. Knott ran track in high school but especially loves basketball.
To help stay fit now, they use ElliptiGOs, a kind of “bicycle meets elliptical,” that they ride together. In fact, it was through the ElliptiGO Company, where they both have interest that they met. Knott was working in Chicago and looking for a riding buddy, and the CEO gave him Moody’s name.
In California, they could be outdoors year-round, but here, they wanted to make sure they had indoor spaces for exercise and play. To make that happen, they included a workout room with a treadmill and an elliptical, along with a weight bench and a mirrored wall that allows for the monitoring of technique and form. Moody’s many medals are mounted here, but she said she hopes in the future they will be replaced by her children’s awards.
Connected to the workout room is an indoor basketball half-court. Since Knott went to Indiana University, the walls have been cream, and crimson and the outline of the state with “IU” in the middle mimics the one at Assembly Hall at the Bloomington campus. The flooring is by Sport Court, which Knott said is easy to maintain and cheaper to replace than hardwood. That means kids can run, play games and even ride their bicycles when the weather is less than desirable.
His son Daniel, 15, and daughter Brooklyn, 9, each have bedrooms on this level, and there are two bathrooms — one is basketball themed plus storage. Daughter Clara, 17, has a room and bath on the main floor, and a powder room with a distinctive glass basin is here, too.
The three other bedrooms are on the second floor. The master bedroom is small but accented with a recessed ceiling.
Directly adjacent is a luxurious bathroom with gold fixtures and double heads in the walk-in shower, as well as a spacious walk-in closet. The laundry room is on this level, too, and a carpeted play area that overlooks the main room downstairs is furnished with rows of bins filled with toys and art supplies that can be removed for use in other areas of the house.
The couple also had their own ideas about the colors and details to complete their home.
“Black is in right now,” Moody said, “but there is no black in this house. I like white. People told us not to have white walls and white trim, but I love it.”
Even after living in the house for three months, there is no art on the walls except for a photograph and a painting by two of Moody’s uncles and posters from national parks that they have visited.
“I want the house to be personal and not art for art’s sake,” Moody said. “I know that you’re supposed to have vases and candles and all of those things in threes, but one thing that we wanted to do throughout this whole process was to make the house what we like and not what you’re supposed to do. We’ll add things as we go along.”
Windows, including a wall of windows looking out to a green space, remain uncovered so outside views can be enjoyed.
Their finishes, too, were selected with family life in mind. The flooring throughout is indestructible, pale gray, luxury vinyl plank, and surfaces, such as the quartz kitchen countertops, are washable white. Since they don’t like clutter, a kitchen-sized “pantry” behind the main area is where they store items, such as the coffeemaker and toaster. A window over the sink overlooks the basketball court, and Knott’s office completes the floor.
“It’s very plain compared to what other people think it should be,” Moody said, “but it’s what we like.”
Knott agreed.
“We cherish and appreciate family, friends and especially all our kids, and I think the house reflects our priorities and our family pretty well. It’s a house that’s a home.”
