Actually, a love of animals is what brought the Monroes together. Shaka, who grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, parlayed his interest in the animal world into becoming a veterinarian. After graduating, he moved to Lancaster, where he worked for several practices. Eventually, he founded two practices in York County, including Monroe Veterinary Emergency.

In January 2005, the practice purchased the Animal Emergency Clinic of York, which was founded in 1991 by a group of veterinarians who recognized a need for an emergency clinic that operated 24 hours a day. When the clinic moved to larger quarters on South Queen Street in 2007, its name was changed to Animal Emergency & Referral Center of York. Currently, nine veterinarians, two ophthalmologists and 30 support staff comprise the practice.

Jennifer, who was a colleague of Shaka’s early in his career, is AERC’s hospital administrator. “He takes care of all the medical issues and I take care of everything that is non-medical,” she explains. Luckily, technology allows her to work from home.

Jennifer and her mother often passed by a house along the Fruitville Pike that intrigued them. “We always wondered what was behind the trees,” she says of the house that was shrouded by a grove. Then one day, as she was idly paging through a real-estate magazine, she spied the house. It was for sale. She made an appointment to look at it. Then, she took Shaka to see it. Both agreed the nearly 120-year-old house had potential. (The age of the house didn’t concern them, as they owned an even older house in the city.) Jennifer also liked the fact that the barn contained an in-law suite that would be perfect for her mother.

The Monroes bought the property – a farmhouse and a barn on a nearly one-acre lot – in 2003. The original house contained approximately 1,300 square feet, but additions made by the previous owners increased it by nearly 1,000 square feet.

After living in the house for a year and a half, the Monroes came up with their initial “re-do” list. “Our first thought was to do a new bathroom and remodel the kitchen,” Jennifer notes. However, a fondness for HGTV provided her with plenty of other ideas, including adding a foyer, screened porch and deck, as well as building an addition that would contain a master suite and a second-floor bedroom and bath. Shaka had an idea, as well. He thought they should consider building an addition that would hold a formal dining room large enough to accommodate their growing list of guests who share in their holiday dinners.

The Monroes contacted the previous owners for advice. They had worked with Dutch Quality Contractors on two projects they had carried out on the house and provided positive feedback on their experiences with the company. Admiring the craftsmanship she saw, Jennifer called the company’s owner, Dave Petrisek.

Dave met with the couple and listened to their ideas. He came back with a proposal that involved renovating the original house; remodeling the addition that was dedicated to a family room and the master suite to function as a living room; building a foyer; replacing the master bath with a butler’s pantry; and building additions that would contain a formal dining room, a master suite and second-floor bedroom, bath and exercise room.

The couple was excited by the proposals and gave the go-ahead to proceed with the project. The renovation would involve removing insulation and electrical wiring from the walls of the house – “Nothing was left but the framing,” Dave recalls – replacing the electrical and mechanical systems, reinforcing the floor joists, replacing the windows and siding, and adding a new roof. The kitchen

Two years ago, remodeling fever struck again. This time, the project was inspired by a swimming pool. “I’ve always wanted a pool, but Shaka didn’t think it made much sense because of the limited season,” Jennifer explains. HGTV once again provided the solution – build an addition that would house an outdoor-living area! The resulting solarium is home to a pool, spa, kitchenette, fireplace and sitting area. An adjacent patio contains an outdoor kitchen and firepit.

As with the first project, the solarium idea only provided the incentive to do more. Again consulting with Dutch Quality, the Monroes shared their ideas with Dave. In addition to the solarium, the second project called for another addition that would hold a laundry, a new master suite and upstairs, three bedrooms and two baths.

The couple also envisioned creating a lower-level playroom and guest suite. The problem was that the house lacked a basement – only crawl spaces were beneath the house. The remedy included jacking up the house and digging out a basement. The resulting space is now home to a playroom, sitting area, kitchenette, game arcade and a guest suite outfitted with a steam shower that was installed for Shaka’s father, who recently underwent bilateral knee replacement.

The project took nearly a year to complete and this time around, the Monroes stayed put. “We slept in the dining room,” Jennifer reports.

Dave says the Monroes are among the most creative and accommodating clients he has ever worked with. “I enjoy the process,” Jennifer says of choosing the design elements that define their home. The cubbie in the basement, for example, resulted when she found baskets at IKEA that she liked. Dutch Quality’s craftsmen followed her lead by designing a case into which they would fit. When a Dutch Quality employee suggested that a niche be created in the master suite that could fit a flat-screen TV, the Monroes said to go for it. “We worked together on the projects,” Dave comments.

Dave describes the projects the Monroes have charged his company with as an opportunity that rarely comes along. “This probably qualifies as the most comprehensive and unique project we’ve ever done. We’ve done many projects that involved parts of what’s involved with this project – we’ve just never done them all under one roof!” The crew is proud of the results and several have given the grand tour to their wives and parents.

The Monroes are nearly finished with the transformation of their home. Phase Three got underway just after the first of the year. The screened porch and deck are giving way to a home theater that Dave assures will be state-of-the-art. The addition, which will bring the house to nearly 9,400 square feet, will also contain a second-floor bedroom and bath. Once the project is complete, Jennifer vows they will be finished…for a while, anyway. She would like to eventually remodel the master bath (which is original to the first project) and she’s sure that as her children grow, the lower level will evolve to reflect their changing interests. But for now, she says she’s avoiding HGTV and just enjoying her home. “I don’t see us going anywhere,” she says. “We’ve built exactly what we want. This is our dream house.”

Credits:
General Contractor: Dutch Quality Contractors, Inc.
Design: Dwight Miller Residential Design, Inc.
Exterior Building Materials/Windows: Kohl Building Products
Building Materials: JC Snavely & Sons, Inc.
Insulation: Lantz Insulation, Inc.
Electrical Contractor: Carmody Electric
Lighting Fixtures: Yale Lighting Concepts
Plumbing Contractor: Leibley Plumbing, Inc.
Plumbing Fixtures: Thomas Somerville Co.
HVAC: JK Mechanical, Inc.
Tile (floor and walls): Rudy Tile & Marble

To read more see the March issue of Lancaster County magazine.