Absolute Customs designs for all styles
11-page photo portfolio by Amoura Productions
Building a home is one of the most important investments a family can make and one that can quickly become overwhelming. This is especially true when making last-minute decisions or changes in design that can suddenly add up. To help alleviate those frustrations and hidden costs, local builder Absolute Customs offers a unique solution to its process that results in a truly custom home without any unwanted surprises.
The company’s fixed fee plus true cost model allows for complete transparency during the build. Nothing is marked up and there are no change fees; it’s all built into the upfront fee. All design decisions are made at the beginning, either from Absolute’s design center or from anywhere else the homeowner chooses. It makes the actual build process go quicker and more smoothly.
Owner Brett Eby said this model reflects what Absolute Customs is all about: “the flexibility to do anything.” This flexibility is showcased in its current 7,000 sq. ft., two-story, five-bedroom model home in The Prairies in Elkhorn. With an old-world style, it features plenty of modern amenities and is designed with family functionality in mind. There is no unused space in the home, and everything from the wood ceiling beams and natural stone detailing to the iron light fixtures carries the theme throughout the house.
“Our goals with this model were first to show functionality and second to show the types of technical capabilities we have,” Brett said. Rather than a raised island in the kitchen there is a two-tier granite island that is lowered so that kids can sit around it in chairs rather than bar-height stools. The open floor plan welcomes group gatherings, but the second floor play room with spiral staircase to a loft is a perfect space for kids. There are two flex rooms on the main floor that can be used for office or other space, and a multipurpose room off the three-car garage with a separate entrance that could be turned into a workout room, shop, or pool room.
The technical features of the home include charging stations for devices in the mud room, outlets hidden inside bathroom cabinets for hair dryers and curling irons, and invisible speakers completely concealed within walls. These modern components are complimented by the European style 10, 11, and 12 ft. ceilings and unique ceiling treatments along with the dark-stained 8 ft. knotty alder doors. “Most people really connect with the Mediterranean, old-world look because it’s so unique,” Brett said.
The fireplace in the great room is a good example of the type of creativity Absolute Customs brings to its homes. They acquired concrete corbels—a popular building feature 200 years ago—that had been used on the exterior of the First National Bank building downtown and repurposed them into a design element on either side of the fireplace. They then had the sides faux painted to blend and carried that same paint treatment into the vent hood above the stove in the kitchen for continuity.
If that doesn’t make you feel like you’re in a European home, the master suite certainly will as you step up into it through French doors. A large covered deck overlooks protected natural green space, and a modern in-wall fireplace decorates the far wall. The master bath includes a double shower and double Jacuzzi tub. But Brett said they receive the most comments on the large closet with built-in island and surrounding built-in storage.
One of three spiral staircases in the home leads to the finished basement, which has the fifth bedroom and bathroom and entertainment area that connects to a home theater with sliding barn doors and its own kitchenette. An additional feature of the basement is a wine cellar and separate tasting room, another example of how Absolute Customs uses every space in the home. And because they are such big proponents of technology, at the end of the design phase prior to building they provide a 3D walk-through and 3D print of every level of the house. Yet another way in which Absolute Customs ensures each homeowner has exactly the custom home they want.
