For Melinda and Derrick Deaton, the first step in building their home was taking Sunday drives to scope out property. When they found a lot in Alpine nestled against the mountains, it just felt right. Derrick is the owner/operator of Kneaders in Draper and has investments in a few other restaurants; Melinda has been a hair stylist for 15 years.
While Melinda loves doing hair, she has always had an interest in interior design as well. When the couple started construction, she got up the courage to ask her builder if she could do the interior design on her own. Matt Yeates, owner of Highland Custom Homes, was all for it.
“I had always wanted to get into design, but I was scared to put it out there,” Melinda says. “To my surprise, Matt encouraged me and said he would be right there to help me through the process.”
With four energetic boys under the age of 8 — Lance, Lincoln, Lennox and Luke — making things kid-friendly was a must. Even though the average parade-goer might not see the kid friendliness of the home, Melinda thought through each detail.
In the backyard, she made sure the water feature was never more than two inches deep and when turned off it drains in three minutes. In Melinda’s vanity area, she chose a girly floral wallpaper with little bugs hidden in it for her boys.
Melinda also made spaces for her kids to be with her in every room.
“I’ve realized my kids will always go wherever I am in the house,” she says. “So in the kitchen when I am cooking, they have the breakfast nook to sit at.”
Luckily for Melinda, Matt is a night owl just like her, so many important decisions were made over email and text at 2 in the morning.
On the opening day of the parade, Melinda’s builder had a plaque for her next to all the subcontractor plaques that read “Deaton Design.”
“It was so sweet and built my confidence,” she says.
Melinda was frequently asked about the spiral staircase and basement flooring. The staircase leads to a kids bonus area and was blocked off during the parade for fire code restrictions. The flooring is a polished concrete that looks like marble.
Melinda made an effort to stage the home the way she actually lives in it.
“Two of my boys love to sleep in the same room, so I put their beds in the same room,” she says. “It might have not looked as nice but that is how we actually live.”
Now that the parade is over, Melinda can focus on making memories in her new home.
Take-home Tip
Melinda knew that her Sub-Zero Fridge would be a magnet for fingerprints with four little boys running around. So she had her fridge wrapped in a special coating, similar to what they put on luxury cars, to keep it looking pristine.
I visited this home while it was in the parade and loved every square foot of it. The interior design of the home was spot on and fit the space and their family flawlessly. Highland Custom Homes really worked hard to make the home perfect, down to the smallest detail. After visiting the home, I interviewed Melinda and Derek (homeowners) and Matt Yeates and Kenny Anderson (owners of Highland Custom Homes). It sounds like it was a great experience for everyone involved.