Form, Function and Family
By Nichole Lemmon
When Dr. Rich Makuch decided to move to Branson in 2003 to take a staff radiologist job at Skaggs Community Health Center, he was charged with the challenge of finding a home for his wife, Angie Ann, and their large family. The Georgia transplants were looking for a large home. Rich had looked at many houses before he found their current colonial. “It took three seconds to know I wanted it,” Rich says. “Classic style homes are beautiful because the style has stood the test of time. The house reminded me of one of the houses overlooking the Hudson or Potomac rivers.”
“He said it was my dream home,” Angie Ann adds. “I said ‘Send me a picture.’” The 6,000-square-foot home turned out to be perfect for the family of eight. The expansive colonial has five bedrooms and four and a half baths. “Initially it was a little bit of a change for us from the big city,” Angie Ann says.
“It is very dark and quiet out here, but now that we’ve gotten used to it, we wouldn’t have it any other way.”
The Makuch Family
“When we got the call that our house was being profiled, I was in the doctor’s office getting stitches for Andrew,” Angie Ann says with a laugh. “It always seems like we have something going on.” And with six children, it’s no wonder.
As Angie Ann begins the tour of the family’s home, Angelica, the oldest of the six children, comes skating (yes, skating!) through the hardwood floor entryway. “Let’s not roller skate in the house,” Angie Ann kindly directs her 13-year-old daughter. “I usually don’t, but I had to come get you,” Angelica says in defense. The powerwashers had just shown up to continue the family’s spring-cleaning routine. Like Angie Ann said, there is always something going on.
But Angie Ann has found a way to keep the large family organized and living functionally in its Branson home. The original coat closet has been changed into a locker system in which the kids keep shoes and other items that would usually be dumped inside the door. Chore charts can be found throughout the dining room and kitchen. One even urges the kids to be the next “Allowance Idol.”
The Makuches’ six children—Angelica, 13; Gabriela, 11; Christian, 9; Katerina, 7; Francesca, 4; and Andrew, 3—could easily overrun the house, but the design of the home pairs function and luxury together. Even the garage has a lofted space above it for the kids to play with their toys for hours without taking over the house.
Unexpected Details
The Makuches’ home is full of Rich’s bold design choices and the addition of unexpected details, chosen with an eye he honed almost from birth. Rich’s parents immigrated to New York from Poland after World War II. His mother was a high-fashion courtier. “He grew up on fine foods and played with fabric swatches as a child in his mother’s Fifth Avenue shop,” Angie Ann says.
“It’s odd. I grew up in a rough Queens neighborhood,” Rich says. “But I was different. I started cooking when I was 10 and collecting wine when I was 13.“
Now Rich’s passions can be seen throughout the family’s home. Angie Ann is quick to point out that the kitchen is all his. “He loves design and beautiful things,” she says. “It’s a great combination. He can cook, and I love to eat.”
The kitchen, with its bright green ceiling, has a table big enough for the whole family that was made in France. Its chairs were originally castle chairs that were hundreds of years old.
The kitchen is painted an eye-catching red with white Alpine cabinets and moldings. The ceiling is lime green. “When the painters came, and I showed them the swatch, they were like ‘Are you sure?’” Angie says. Rich also had the idea to showcase the couple’s collection of French antiques that had mostly been acquired at auction. Rich is an experienced bidder. “I look around at a lot of places, especially Christie’s New York,” he says. “Of course, I have to do absentee biding, but now I know what I am looking for.” Rich focuses on big, high-end pieces that can stand the test of being used by a large family. “You wait and find your pieces,” Rich says.
The kitchen table, made in France, was commissioned by the couple to be built large enough for their family. The chairs have their own story. They were castle chairs that were hundreds of years old and had been essentially destroyed. The Makuches explain that they wanted a table top that was pretty but a seat that was high-quality vinyl that looks like leather but can be wiped off.
Other pieces Rich has acquired through auction are scattered throughout the home. In the living room, the bold harvest gold color is complemented by the Asian accessories. A “Goddess of Mercy” statue sits on a sofa table. “I think in a home with a lot of kids, we need mercy,” Angie Ann says. The unique military chairs, Chinese military cabinet, and Indonesian shadow puppets blend easily with the comfy, kid-friendly furniture.
Stairs and Art
The formal living and dining rooms are quite a different space from the two main living areas. The slate blue walls of the formal living room complement the Louis XV style. The Italian silk-covered furniture is a family antiquity. This room is where the children take their violin lessons.
Across the foyer is the formal dining room. The bold sunset medallion wallpaper and Spanish mosaic of Jesus Christ set an elaborate background for the couple’s antique sideboard and Betermier dining room set. The current wine cabinet was originally a china cabinet. Rich had it reworked to showcase their extensive wine collection. “This is only part of it,” Angie Ann adds.
While Rich has done all of the design in the home, there is one area that Angie Ann is proud to call her favorite. The staircase, which she refers to as “the bridal staircase” (because it looks like the staircase she was standing on in her bridal portrait), complements the home’s traditional style. But it is the functionality of it that appeals most to Angie Ann. “I love that I can stand on the staircase and see where everyone is,” she says.
Another feature of the foyer and staircase is its ability to showcase the couple’s local art collection. Oil painter Doug Hall, whose paintings are represented by Altermann Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, was first discovered by the couple at Hawthorn Galleries in Springfield. Rich and Angie Ann were drawn to Hall’s paintings depicting scenes from the French and Indian wars. They believed the scenes to be an interesting juxtaposition to the home’s traditional colonial architecture. “The artist is phenomenal with his use of color and depth and how he captures the moment,” Angie Ann says.
Among Rich and Angie Ann’s collection of Hall paintings includes the first one they purchased, “At a Glance,” which tells the story of a sniper found after battle. The couple has added at least one Hall piece a year to their collection. “It’s important to support a local artist,” Rich says.
Rooms for Two
The staircase leads to an upstairs landing that the family has turned into usable space. The main focal wall showcases a collection of black and white photographs of their children and the Branson landscape, taken by photographer Stephanie Phillips.
The upstairs contains all of the family bedrooms. Each child shares a room with a sibling. Katerina and Francesca’s room has a whimsical mural painted on the walls by local artist Casey Murlock. It continues into the sunny yellow in-suite bathroom. Angie Ann proudly opens one of the drawers to pull out one of the monogrammed towels she had made. The whole family has towels with their names on them. “It helps me see who left their towel on the floor,” she says.
Angelica and Gabriela’s room has bright lime green, lavender, hot pink and light blue walls. “It’s really cool,” Angelica points out. With its built-in desk and in-suite bathroom and large closet, it is ideal for the sisters. Both girls have extensive doll collections, a passion they received from their mother. Angie Ann proudly shares her original Swiss chalet dollhouse, built by her father, with her daughters.
The master bedroom is a true testament to the simplicity of colonial design. With its expansive view of the lake and relaxing sage green walls, it truly is an escape for the couple. “It’s a nice, peaceful space at the end of the day,” Angie Ann says.
As Angie Ann continues the tour of the master suite she gets a huge smile on her face and asks, “Do you want to see my Angelina purse?” As mentioned previously, Rich is a master at auctions. A recent bid at this year’s American Heart Association ball and fundraiser won his wife a handbag donated by Angelina Jolie. The white Corto Moltedo bag, with the name “Anjelina” branded onto it, was guarded all night and even earned Rich and Angie Ann a special escort to their car after they won the auction. Angie Ann admits, “I have taken it out to dinner a couple of times.”
In the formal living room , the kids take violin lessons among antique Italian silk-covered furniture.
Establishing Priority.
To date, the couple’s decision to buy this Branson home has worked well for their large family because of the dedication of Rich and Angie Ann. The attention to detail and the desire to create an organized, family-friendly space has left daughter Gabriela with a sense of what is important. “I love this house because it’s big enough that we can all be in one room together,” she says. “I like that.”
Pursuing the Purse
It’s not every time Angie Ann Makuch attends a charity event that she and her husband, Rich, are escorted out by a security guard. But when they won a custom-designed purse donated by Angelina Jolie at a recent silent auction, that’s what happened. At the American Heart Association’s Heart Ball was an ivory goat-skin purse by Italian designer Conto Maltese (see the opening photo on Angie Ann’s shoulder). The purse is individualized for Angelina Jolie, with her name spelled “Anjelina.”
The purse is said to have sold for more than $1,000, although Angie Ann would not confirm its price. Will Angie Ann hang on to the bag? “It all went for a really great cause, and I don’t plan on selling it,” she says. —Holly Bass
