Overland Park has been referred to as the best-kept secret in the Midwest because it has a little something for everyone. It has a very low crime rate for a city its size, it’s home to a top-notch tech industry, and the Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens has been named one of the prettiest places in America.
So it should be no surprise that few places in America have grown as quickly as Overland Park over the past half century. It had a population of 21,000 in 1960, but now approximately 191,000 people call it home.
With such rapid growth, there’s always a great deal of construction going on in the city, and recently a new development arose on the southern end of town called Mills Farm. Among the many beautiful homes there is a particularly noteworthy dwelling built by Braklow Custom Homes. This six-bedroom abode features windows by MI Windows and Doors.
“We had previous experience with MI Windows,” says Joe Ackerman, Vice President of Operations at Braklow. “They produce high-quality windows at an attractive price point.”
This immense home has 6,400 square feet of living area, necessitating 53 windows to bring the ideal amount of natural light into the space. “It has a great deal of windows,” says Scott Koch of Kansas City Building Supply, the window dealer on the project. “And you need a window that looks good, is economical, and efficient.”
Four different MI products — sold by Brad Holtz, sales representative at MI — appear in the Mills Farm house, most of which are from MI’s 3500 line. The series combines quality, exceptional durability, and optimal energy efficiency. With standard features that include a pre-punched mounting fin and removable sash for easy drywall pass through, the 3500 window is builder-friendly and ideal for any new home construction project.
The 3500 Series windows have undergone rigorous testing and are ENERGY STAR®-qualified in all four U.S. climate zones. This energy-efficient vinyl window features a warm-edge spacer system and a welded, multi-chambered frame and sash to maximize performance. These features and more make MI Windows’ 3500 single-hung and 3580 single-sliders premium new construction windows.“It was very important for us to have energy-efficient windows and patio doors in our house,” says homeowner Gina Lee. “The weather in Overland Park can be very cold and windy in the winter to very hot in the summer, so we definitely needed energy-efficient windows.”
In addition to the single-hung and single-slider windows, Braklow chose MI’s 9770 casement window. Featuring beveled exterior edges, MI’s casement windows provide superior style and traditional craftsmanship. The 9770 boasts a large viewing area similar to a fixed picture window but its 90-degree hinge capability with multi-point locking hardware allows for maximum ventilation functionality.
Lee’s home also features MI’s 1615 sliding-glass door. A step above most patio doors, the 1615 comes standard with a saddle sill and heavy-duty rollers that result in easy, effortless operation. This door is also available in configurations up to 24 feet wide, giving homeowners a high-end patio door that offers energy efficiency while enhancing the views and providing seamless integration between indoor and outdoor living spaces.
“The views are great through the sliding-glass doors,” Lee says. “It makes the view from the dining room to the outside almost an extension of our indoor space.”
All four of the MI products in the Mills Farm property were used to complement an exquisite, palatial house that’s indicative of many of Braklow’s homes. This structure features the modern farmhouse interior design, complete with a massive stone fireplace on the first floor.
“It’s one-and-a-half stories with a finished lower level,” Koch says. “It has a traditional exterior with a more transitional interior.”
As if all that wouldn’t be enough to attract future buyers, the Mills Farm home is also located by a lake in a quiet section of Overland Park.
“Being located on a lake lot, windows were a very important factor for the build,” Ackerman says. “We focused on quantity and placement to maximize the view.”
