STORY BY Katie Van Luchene
PHOTOS BY Michael Coyazo
HOMEOWNERS Kevin Westrope and Jason Holmes
CATERING Scrape the Plate
FLORALS Studio Dan Meiners

Combining an exquisite penthouse with a charitable cause and a celebrity heartthrob creates an equation for the perfect evening in Kansas City.

As more than 80 friends of Kevin Westrope and Jason Holmes can attest, an evening spent in their stunning home will always be one to remember, and a recent patrons’ party for World AIDS Day was an excellent excuse to see how the couple transitioned from their previous home to this one, situated high above the neighborhood of Union Hill near Crown Center. New visitors pressing the penthouse button on the elevator had a few seconds to wonder if this condo could possibly be as handsome as the prior digs in Sunset Hills, which first appeared in Kansas City Home Design in 2005 and was revisited in KC Magazine a few years later.  

As the door opens to a curved-wall gallery glowing with pale terrazzo floors, guests realize this space doesn’t equal the couple’s last home. It’s miraculously better. The click-click-click of four sets of paws usually drowns out the greetings as the couple’s brood comes to welcome you. When Westrope and Holmes host small events, fur balls Kody, Oliver, Tucker and Stanley are free to mingle, and guests are even welcome to bring their own pets. But because this special occasion made for a full house, the dogs had a play date at a neighbor’s home.

One big change in the new home is that it’s one big space, so mingling with every guest didn’t require climbing a flight of stairs. However, several things remain from the prior home, starting with the design team of Jeffrey Schmidt and Clark Greenlee, who maximized on the vision Westope had for the empty penthouse in the Cadillac Building.

“When we toured the raw space, we knew it had potential to meet Kevin’s diverse needs from good party flow to relatively intimate Sunday night dinners of his handcrafted comfort food for his closest friends,” says Schmidt. Much of the fabulous art collection remains, as well. As each piece comes into view, there’s a sense of “Ahh, thank goodness they kept that,” yet every work looks fresh in its new location.

One of these, the dramatic black-and-white “The Keys to the Coop” by Kara Walker, gets double duty as it’s reflected in the glass wine enclosure just off the gallery. Now in view of envious guests and without requiring the hassle of retreating to a basement cellar, the cellar’s display of more than 5,000 bottles becomes its own art (third spread, right).

“Original art and wine collecting are some of Kevin’s interests impelling us to highlight his extensive collection as a piece of sculpture,” says Schmidt. Now, when the couple chooses a label to accompany Westrope’s famous spaghetti with meat sauce, it becomes dinner and a show. With any luck, there’s the host’s famous carrot cake waiting on the counter for later.

“Ease of entertaining,” in fact, was at the top of the clients’ wishlist during the home design phase. The open kitchen has two Gaggenau ovens and boasts a wenge wood bar where guests can watch the gregarious Westrope work. An ingenious cabinet design is open to both the central kitchen and the separate catering kitchen. Cutouts in the half-wall separating the kitchen and the living become frames for candlesticks while glass shelves hold a wine lover’s accoutrements, including decanters of all shapes (fourth spread, above).

These see-throughs make sure that very little stands in the way of the home’s most spectacular art: the magnificent view. As sunsets give way to dusk then darkness, the lights of Kansas City’s iconic skyline come alive along with the illuminated Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Greenlee and Schmidt took great care to maximize this stunning vista with floor-to-ceiling windows across the entire wall.

A fireplace, open to the main living room and dining area, stops short of connecting with the wall of glass. The sleek firebox is framed in steel, crafted by Nathan Shay of Sculpturehaus. Hanging above the flames are Larry Schwarm’s photographs of the Flint Hills on fire (third spread, left).

A second seating area, where owners and guests typically relax after dinner or before heading out to an event, is home to leather club chairs and more art, including a print by Michael Eastman.

The master suite and guest room complete the floor plan (second spread, bottom right). Each space is defined by soothing neutrals, well-chosen art, a multitude of photographs of dear friends and luxurious furnishings and finishes: polished mahogany floors, Venetian plaster and the baby grand, a happy repeat from the prior home.

As before, the home was never more beautiful than when filled with guests, whether it’s dinner with a handful of friends or when Westrope and Holmes hosted this event, which was the World AIDS Day patrons’ reception this past November. On hand were supporters of the AIDS Service Foundation of Greater Kansas City, including board members Kirk Isenhour (a fellow Cadillac Building resident), Mark Dreiling, Ryan Gove, board President John Pinkerton and former President Mike Enos.

Guests, including Sarah Strnad, Blaine Proctor, Maurice Morgan, Chadwick Brooks, Peggy Lowe and Kathleen Kunkler, who served with Westrope as honorary co-chair of World AIDS Day, came to break bread with one another and toast to the recognition of the AIDS Service Foundation. All are committed humanitarians and local luminaries, to be sure, but the real guest of honor was Tuc Watkins, known for his TV roles in ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” and “One Life to Live.”

Watkins, whose parents live in Kansas City and were present, gave an impassioned speech about the need for AIDS funding to support education and research. His toast to the World AIDS Day’s mission echoed the ferver held by everyone under the roof of the Cadillac Building penthouse.

UNSPOKEN HOSTING RULES
1. When hosting or coordinating a benefit, plan a short presentation to thank patrons and guests for their support and to remind them of the event’s purpose. The optimum time is well after mingling over cocktails but before people begin to leave.
2. Include the evening’s agenda on the invitation or sponsorship letter so guests can plan their evening. An open house signals a more relaxed arrival time and “dinner at 7 p.m.” or “presentation at 6:30 p.m.” are helpful clues.
3. Adding a line on the invites suggesting attire, such as business casual or cocktail, can save dozens of phone calls. No one wants to show up over- or under-dressed.
4. Arrange for the frequent removal of glasses and plates to keep the home tidy (and reduce the chance of spilling). Either enlist the caterer’s help or assign this duty to friends who ask, “What can I do to help?”
5. Even the most well-mannered pets should be kept off-site during a large gathering.
6. Invite the caterer or wine provider to bring business cards. These services often are donated, so this subtle form of publicity helps return the favor.

THERE IS ALWAYS MORE TO BE DONE
A glamorous revelry centered on a good cause is a wonderful way for locals to draw support, but as we all know, the fight doesn’t stop there. Although the local battle against AIDS is powerful, the need for continued education and services is stronger than ever. One of the key local organizations is the AIDS Service Foundation of Greater Kansas City (ASFGKC), which proclaims its mission to assist in funding organizations that provide food, shelter, medical care and other services to the diverse communities dealing with HIV/AIDS, as well as to promote public education about HIV infections.

By investing in ASFGKC, volunteers also are supporting not-for-profit organizations that benefit from its mission, including the Good Samaritan Project, Hope Care Center, Kansas City Free Health Clinic and SAVE Inc.

TEN REASONS TO JOIN THE FIGHT AGAINST HIV/AIDS:
1. More than 5,700 men, women and children are living with HIV/AIDS in Kansas City.
2. More than 1 million people are living with HIV/AIDS in the United States, and up to 25 percent are unaware they are infected.
3. Approximately 56,000 new infections occur annually.
4. Up to half of all new infections are not covered by insurance.
5. The monthly cost of care is $2,100 with two-thirds of that being spent on medications.
6. According to research conducted in 2006, an American diagnosed with AIDS can expect to live for 24 years at an average treatment cost of $600,000.
7. Thirty-four percent of all new infections occur in people 29 years old or younger.
8. The death rate among those with less than a high school education is almost five times the death rate among those with a college education.
9. Twenty-seven percent of new infections are among women and 73 percent are among men.
10. Despite representing only 13 percent of the U.S. population, 45 percent of new infections occur in African Americans.
*provided by AIDS Service Foundation of Greater Kansas City

MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Here are several events coming up that deserve your red ribbon:

• April 6 Come to the Crossroads Arts District for the Mosaic Project to see more than 900 painted tiles created by local youth and artists. Visit aidswalkkansascity.org.
• April 13 Channel your free spirit at the Woodstock-inspired Bloomstock party
• to raise money for KC Free Health Clinic. Visit kcfree.org.
• April 19 Come to the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art for the Bredius
• Society patrons’ reception. Visit aidswalkkansascity.org.
• April 27 Get a sneak peek at the DIFFA Dining By Design tables at the Table
• Hop and Taste. Visit diffakc.org.
• April 28 Don’t miss the spectacular DIFFA Dining By Design Gala to raise funds for HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention in Kansas City. Visit diffakc.org.
• April 28 Lace up your tennies and wear your red for the 24th annual AIDS
• Walk in Theis Park. Visit aidswalkansascity.org.

Click here for more photos.