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HOME TOUR: Ron and Sherri and Ron Parmely

Casper, Wyo., Star Tribune, Dec.1, 2006

SYMPHONY TOUR INCLUDES FOUR HOMES
Ron and Sherri Parmely open their Wolf Creek house

By Sally Ann Shurmur, staff writer

Wolf Creek, WYO. — Though the weather outside may be frightful, patrons at this weekend's Symphony Home Tour can escape to an Italian villa or a North Woods log home without ever leaving the county.

Among the four homes open for touring Friday evening and Saturday is the 8,100 square foot Wolf Creek home of Sherri and Ron Parmely. [That's Sherri on the left.]

From the fountain/pond area just inside the front door to the three arches separating the dining room and great room from the kitchen, there are interesting ideas nearly everywhere.

The Parmelys began "saving money" and planning their custom home 10 years before building actually began, Ron Parmely said. "We bought the land three years before the building and the building took about a year," Sherri Parmely said. The have been in their home about five years. The home is on a two-acre lot. Jim Badger with Cougar Construction was the general contractor.

The Parmelys traveled to home shows throughout the United States and Canada gathering ideas for their home before putting many of them into their dream home. After seeing a home theatre room with black walls, they decided that would be a bit too dramatic and instead chose midnight blue paint for the walls.

And they have placed light fixtures in such a way that the tops of walls and ceilings are lit in a soft, welcoming manner. And although their contractor had major doubts, their formal dining room just off the great room is separated by an archway and wrought iron railing, instead of walls. The result is a relaxed, open feeling throughout the main floor.

They continued the wrought iron railing up the staircase to the second floor, another idea that Ron Parmely said had not been used frequently by Casper home builders.

With boys Bryce, 13, and Jayde, 11, both students at St. Anthony Tri-Parish School, the Parmelys and their three dogs actually "live" in their living room, which has spectacular views to the west.

Sherri Parmely paints as a hobby and devised a "grapes and wine" theme for the massive kitchen, which feels warm, rather than stark, because of cherry cabinetry and black accents. The kitchen counter seating features connected swivel stools, another idea Sherri found at a home show. They take up less room and prevent the annoying scraping that comes with standard kitchen stools.

Ron Parmely's office on the main floor is a cozy corner room, painted a deep burnt sienna, or "Charlie's Red," by interior painter Charlie Homolka.

Other homes on the tour include Jesse and Teri Lafferty's exquisite log home and shop on Chinook Trail; Lenora Forgey's home on Beaver Street and Gary and MariSue Marsh's home on Garden Creek Road.