The Pages had never even heard of Union Hill — even though the couple graduated from the nearby Kansas City Art Institute — until they rented a home in the area. “It’s hidden. That’s nice,” says Nick, who grew up in south Overland Park. Amber relocated from Wisconsin 12 years ago to go to college.
During their search for a house to buy they took a walk around the neighborhood and saw a for-sale sign in the yard of a new-looking 115-year-old home, facing not toward the street but toward the sun. They were falling in love with the area — for its proximity to a local butcher, shops and cultural events, plus neighborhood functions such as the annual garden tour — so they jumped at the opportunity to own a home there.
Since the couple moved in a year ago, developers have built seven houses and two apartment buildings. “The construction for a while was crazy,” Amber says.
The Pages’ personal construction projects have been minimal. “Two owners ago redid a lot of stuff, and they did a good job,” Amber says. She and Nick would like to update a few things that aren’t their style as well as add a pizza oven outside and perhaps build a studio onto the garage, but for now they’ve focused on decorating their home with their art and collectibles.
Nick, who earned his degree in ceramics but is now a lawyer, keeps remnants of his past life on display throughout the house: Bill Murray’s bust on the mantel, a ram’s head hung on the dining room wall.
Amber graduated from the Art Institute with a degree in fiber. “Most of my stuff is all wearable,” Amber says of her artwork. A clothing designer for Peruvian Connection, she brings home rugs and memorabilia from her company’s catalog shoots in faraway places like Turkey and Peru.
Whatever the couple didn’t make or buy in a special place was acquired through trade or bought for a bargain and in one instance, pulled from a trash bin. “That’s our theme here: If you’re going to throw something out, we’re going to take it,” Nick says.
Despite their high-profile career choices, Amber and Nick keep grounded in things that matter: family, food, home and hobbies. They don’t have cable TV, prefer eating in, and enjoy yard work and gardening. In this place they didn’t even know existed, they’re creating a home of comfort, creativity and stability. “Ideally, we want to be here a long time,” Amber says.
