HOME OF THE WEEK

This Louisville football coach scores big design points with custom Norton Commons home

Lennie Omalza
Special to Courier Journal

University of Louisville co-defensive coordinator Cort Dennison didn’t buy tickets for the 2017 Norton Children’s Hospital Home & BMW Raffle, which offers a grand prize of a brand-new house in Norton Commons. Luckily for him, a Prospect woman entered and won — and turned around and sold the turnkey dream home to Dennison.

House hunting

“I had always lived in apartments,” Dennison said, “and I knew when I moved back (to Louisville) that I wanted to buy a house. This is the first house I ever bought.”

When he approached realtors Logan and Missy Ormerod of Kentucky Select, he had a list of criteria for his new home: 2,000 to 3,500 square feet, built within the last eight years, and in a neighborhood like Norton Commons.

“When I looked at all the neighborhoods in Louisville,” Dennison said, “(Norton Commons) was my number one. I knew that if something (became available) here, that was built fairly recently, this was the neighborhood I wanted to be in. The neighborhood feel is second to none. … I just thought it had a new feel that a lot of neighborhoods in the city didn’t offer. And I wanted a house that was newly built.”

He told the Ormerods what he was looking for and about a week later, he received a text from Logan — they’d found his house.

“The next day,” Dennison said, “we looked at it, and I was sold. The day after that, I put in an offer and I believe the day after that, it was a done deal. It was quick. It’s a new house, it’s hip, it’s got a lot of flair, (and) it’s built by one of the best builders in Louisville, Ramage Company. I just think it’s a unique house that was different from any other house I was looking at; so I went with it, and I love it.”

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Move-in ready

Designed by Leslie Dorazil from Leslie Cotter Interiors and outfitted with furniture from interior designer Clare Miller, the 3-bed, 3-bath home was essentially move-in ready. Dennison added some furniture, plantation shutters and a few other personal touches, but for the most part, he was more than happy with his new home just the way it was.

“It’s an open space, (and) it’s just gorgeous,” he said. “It’s elegant, but then it’s got some pop and some flair that’s unique that you don’t see in most houses in this area.”

An upstairs bedroom features a built-in, child-sized loft bed area.

Dennison loves not just the Norton Commons neighborhood vibe, but its physical location, too.

“I work at the University of Louisville, and I didn’t want to be too close to the university,” he said. “I didn’t want to be super far away (either). I thought this was a good medium. It takes me 21 minutes to get to work every day — which I actually like — because it gives me time to think about what I need to do for the day, (as I’m) driving there; and then it gives me time to unwind before I get home after I leave work at night. I like the distance.”

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Heart of the home

The second floor, which Dennison uses as a guest suite when family comes to visit, features two bedrooms, a shared bath, a loft and a kitchenette. The first floor boasts 12-foot ceilings, 7-foot windows, arched doorways, a covered side terrace and an open patio, as well as a spacious front porch. It’s also the location of both his master suite and his favorite room in the house: the kitchen.

“This is my favorite room in the house just because of the attention to detail that was put forth in the building process," he said. "(It) obviously came to life when everything was completed.”

Among these details are white subway tile backsplash, crown molding and gold accents. The space also features top-of-the-line Jenn Air stainless steel appliances and an ample amount of storage.

This Norton Commons home features an open floor plan with the kitchen flowing directly into the opulent dining area.

“There’s a ton of cabinet space. I’ve never (opened) those cabinets up there,” Dennison laughed, motioning to the Amish-made cabinetry that reaches up to the ceiling, “but it looks good.”

Though work keeps him away from home quite often, Dennison relishes spending time in his house whenever he can.

“I like being in this house because it’s very homey to me and I feel very comfortable here,” he said. “There are plenty of people that put a lot of time into this house, and I guess I’m the lucky one who gets to live in it.”

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Know a house that would make a great Home of the Week? Email writer Lennie Omalza at aloha@lennieomalza.com or Lifestyle Editor Kathryn Gregory at kgregory@gannett.com. 

nuts & bolts

Owner: Cort Dennison, co-defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach at the University of Louisville.

Home: This is a 3-bed, 3-bath, 2,488-square-foot, Italianate-style home built in 2017 in Norton Commons.

Distinctive elements: Open floor plan; 12-foot ceilings throughout the first floor; arched doorways, extensive detailed trim and paneling; 12-inch baseboards; 3-piece crown molding; wood flooring throughout; upscale lighting fixtures and window treatments; gourmet kitchen with marble countertops, top-of-the-line stainless steel Jenn-Air appliances, walk-in pantry, white subway tile backsplash, and custom Amish-made white cabinetry; luxurious en suite master bath; walk-in-closet with custom shelving.

Applause! Applause! Scott Tomes from Ramage Company; Interior designer Clare Miller; Logan and Missy Ormerod from Kentucky Select.