Surrounded by family, a place to call his own

From a back road near Havre de Grace in Harford County, an enclave of five residences and a few outbuildings sits off to itself in an open field.

This is the Hicks family compound, where 37-year-old Billy Hicks lives, surrounded by the homes of his parents, his sister and her family, his cousin and her daughter, and his uncle.

Hicks' house is an unimposing framed Colonial with a center bay gable built of stone at the end of the long, tree-lined family driveway. Small and compact, it was originally a garage, renovated over the years for several members of the Hicks family at various stages of their lives.

In the summer of 2010, Hicks' uncle, machinist Bill Ellis, gutted the entire two-story structure and rebuilt it to his nephew's specifications. What resulted was a contemporary bachelor pad Hicks is proud to call home. He took possession of his new digs last May.

The total renovation cost approximately $200,000, and because he wanted a completely fresh and modern look, he spent an additional $12,000 on furniture and accessories. Employing Adrianne Kotula, lead interior designer at WPS Paint & Decorating Center, the two decided on a masculine, modern decor.

"Billy was a fun client for me to work with because I had a design aesthetic that I was going for since day one, and he was totally on board," Kotula said. "I came up with a design and color scheme that he liked, and we had fun along the way, adding great accent pieces."

Within 2,600 square feet on two levels to work with, she mixed cool gray colors with more neutral shades of taupe and tan while adding pops of color such as navy and chartreuse. Interior finishes include stark granite countertops and flooring of cement gray tiles and dark hickory.

In an interesting architectural twist, the typical layout of the first and second levels are switched. Two bedrooms, each with a full bath, are located just off of the first-floor center foyer.

A central staircase of hickory with metal cables ascends to an open living area approximately 40 feet deep and 60 feet wide. A 20-foot vaulted ceiling adds to the spacious look. The kitchen, living room, powder room and a bump-out sunroom are on this second level, which is larger and brighter than the bedrooms below.

"My favorite room is the kitchen," said Hicks, proprietor of the Outback Steakhouse in Bel Air. "It is open [with] hand-made cabinets made of cherry wood, by a company called Custom Cabinetry [Unlimited] in Leola, Pa."

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Surrounded by family, a place to call his own