When Michelle and Cort DeLuna left their farm in Ogallala, Nebraska, they were looking for a fresh start.
“Owning any business is stressful,” Michelle said. “But farming is an even bigger gamble. You put in bids for something you haven’t produced yet, set a price not knowing how the weather is going to affect the yield, or how the cost and price could change by the time you’re ready to harvest.”
Accordingly, the couple made the decision to invest in a new future, moving to Omaha in December of 2021.
“We did a lot of research online before coming—bought a new business—and started looking at different builders and neighborhoods, and we found this model home with an unfinished basement. It was a completely blank page, and we were really excited to create a beautiful living space out of it.”
While Michelle and Cort were busy juggling their new business, Clean Water Guys, and devoting their spare time to their two kids and two grandchildren, they knew they needed an expert eye to make their dream design a reality.
“I felt like I had a really clear idea of what I wanted, and I’m pretty decisive,” Michelle said. “When I hired Tony Inzauro with Home Matters, he told me they had a designer who would help us with a lot of the details. I was a little surprised that our builder had a designer on staff, but once I met Preslie Mekiney, I was so relieved. She was so helpful, and such a pleasure to work with. She understood what I was trying to achieve, even when I felt like I was struggling to find the words to express what I wanted. And she was so great at communicating with me and with Tony’s team if I ever had questions or if there was anything I didn’t like about how the room was coming together.”
For his part, Inzauro knows exactly how lucky he is to have the crew he’s built.
“We have a great team, and I have personally vetted everyone. We’re sending people into your home. We want to be sure you and your family are safe and comfortable at all times,” Inzauro explained. “Michelle had a real eye for design and wanted to create a Vegas lounge feel in the basement. Preslie took that vision and added so many unique touches to make the space really cohesive. Her attention to detail and the way she problem-solves with so much creativity has made her such a phenomenal asset to our team.”
Inzauro is proud of the fact that 93% of Home Matters projects come in at or under budget. “We have a fairly exhaustive planning process, because we know how unpredictable everything else in life can be. We want to be very transparent about the cost of materials and labor, and we stick with the price we set.”
That was exactly the kind of predictability the DeLunas desperately craved after giving up commercial farming.
“This specific project offered some really cool opportunities to show what we could do with a space,” Inzauro continued. “We got to add Murphy doors, which are always such a fun element to incoporate, and helped to create that speakeasy feeling.
“Michelle chose really great furniture that made the lounge feel comfortable but stillvery stylish. Preslie pulled everything together with a crocodile wallpaper, beams in the ceiling, and a unique approach to the flow of the room. The bathroom is central to the lounge, so she added a frosted window to the bathroom, which allows the light to flow throughout the space. Between Michelle’s vision and Preslie’s design, we were really proud to put our name on this project.”
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This article originally appeared in the September 2024 issue of Omaha Home Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
