A Whimsical Welcome
Frank and Mary Rinke knew the moment they saw their new home in Derby’s The Oaks that it would be the perfect place to host family and friends, and a little fantasy, too.
After living 23 years in a cramped ranch house in Derby, Frank and Mary Rinke needed more space to entertain family and friends. They found it at last fall’s Parade of Homes in The Oaks, a luxurious new housing development around Derby Golf & Country Club. “We just loved the house and this floor plan,” says Mary, “We needed something bigger, and this was perfect.”
Ironically, the 3,800-square-foot abode is also a showcase for Mary’s miniature village collections, worth thousands of dollars and on display both year-round and at holidays. Built by Nies Homes, the house is nearly 1,000 square feet larger than their old quarters. “I really like the openness,” says Mary, pointing upward to the living room’s 15-foot ceilings. With the flip of a switch, the gas fireplace bathes the living room in a warm glow. Tall windows afford a long view of the 11th hole, a straight par-three. Frank, once a closet golfer, joined the country club this summer.
The kitchen’s wooden floors and cherry wood cabinets, black granite countertops and sleek steel stove, bridge the gap between rustic and modern. Automatic lights ignite an airy walk-in pantry, and expansive windows invite the outdoors in with a view of the manicured golf course.
But the fun starts downstairs. “This room alone was worth the move,” says Mary. For the holidays, the Rinkes entertained some 40 people in the 1,900-square-foot family room. The couple hosts domino tournaments on Saturday nights. The music of big band trombonist Glenn Miller lilts from the 60-inch TV’s surround sound system. At room’s end, the bar is littered with Harley-Davidson memorabilia—a clock, a piggy bank, gifts from the kids over the years.
Frank bought his first Harley in 1996. Mary followed a year later. Now, Mary drives an ‘02, and Frank mounts a shiny 95th anniversary model. The two ride their hogs in the Wichita Toy Run each year.
The family room also showcases Mary’s extensive miniatures collection. Three large custom cabinets with inset lighting are home to Department 56 villages that include hundreds of pieces comprising the North Pole, on display year-round. At Christmas the Dickens Village comes out, and for Halloween the mantel becomes a trick-or-treat street.
Off the family room are two guest rooms. One, decorated in a doll motif, is the setting for sleepovers when the couple’s two grand-daughters visit. The other hosts the five grandsons, one of which works as an Imagineer on theme park rides at Disney World.
Outside, in the cool shadows of the deck above, Frank and Mary spend autumn evenings listening to the ping of golf swings. In their golden years, the Rinkes have found a spacious abode that is every little bit the home they’ve always imagined. ❖
