Just southeast of Louisville, a Finchville family gathers in a perfectly private space, ideal for large and small gatherings. Vince Kimbel, owner of Kimbel Construction gave this family a porch addition that exceeded their expectations.
The home is nestled on a 164-acre-farm in the rolling green pastures of Shelby County. The owners wanted to have an outdoor space that could be used for family gatherings, according to Vince, but would also serve as a unique space for their son and daughter-in-law’s wedding shower and rehearsal dinner. The new addition created an “easily accessible and private retreat area … (that) has given them a new favorite place in the home,” Vince says.
His initial discussions with the family-centered around building a stand-alone pavilion-type structure that was quite large and would carry a very expensive price tag. Plans were revised, though, to reduce the scale and size of the structure and incorporate a connector that attached the new structure to the existing porch. After much debate, the owner decided that the best use and value would be to build a new structure close to the house by enlarging the existing porch. “Keeping it closer was important because they felt like they could use the space more if it were just a few steps away from the house,” Vince says. “Building it closer also still accomplished all of the requirements they wanted as a venue for gatherings.”
The project entailed adding a 23-foot-by-25-foot porch addition just adjacent to their existing porch and directly behind the rear-facing garage wall. The existing garage wall was brick, according to Vince, and it became the perfect non-combustible wall to place an outdoor grill and kitchen. The design included building a vaulted structure with structural wood scissor beams, expansive beadboard ceiling, gas wood stove, and a stainless outdoor kitchen. A unique screened enclosure system was also installed that has vertical view flex vinyl sashes to keep the wind and rain out and still provide ventilation when desired. “Whether it’s getting some shade or sitting outside listening to the rain, a covered screened porch can be an outdoor extension of your home, giving you fresh air and a unique place close to nature and away from bugs,” Vince says. “There is nothing better than having a covered screened porch to entertain, dine, and enjoy life.”
One morning, Vince got to the construction site before sunrise to meet a contractor and remembers the coziness of the space; all the lights were dimmed, and the wood stove was burning. The client proceeded to tell him they use the porch every day, especially in the mornings when they can go out, relax on a couch, and wait for the sun to rise with a fresh cup of coffee in hand. “Life doesn’t get much better than that,” Vince says.
The family agrees, saying: “We had been planning a new porch addition for years. We agreed that 2019 was the year to stop talking and remove this project from our bucket list. It wasn’t much of a decision but to invite Vince Kimbel, his associate and sister Kelly Doyle, and their great crew of subs to complete this project. We have known the Kimbels for many years. Our new porch is our third major project with them. The results are always the same. (They) exceed expectations. (It’s) perfection. We absolutely love our porch (and) use it almost every day. Friends and family see it and are stunned at the elegance and beauty of it. The formula for Kimbel’s success is pretty simple: professionalism, creativity, customer-driven, and of course, patience while guiding a picky customer who is unsure of what they want/need. Honesty, integrity, relentless attention to detail and scheduling, impeccable quality, and a group of subs who embellish the same high standards add to this success. All of this dedication and hard work adds up to a value-added outcome. We couldn’t be more pleased. We highly recommend Kimbel Construction to anyone who wants to hear our story.”
For more information on Kimbel Construction, go to kimbelconstruction.com.
