If You Have Any Preconceived Ideas That Success Belongs To The Weathered Veterans Of Commerce, Everything About Oklahoma City Entrepreneur Shyon Keoppel Will Dispel That Mindset.
While most of his 18-year-old friends were buying subwoofers for their cars, Shyon was buying homes and remodeling them for resale. Now firmly established his career (and just in his mid-20s), he is green only in the context of his commitment to conservation and eco-friendly features in the homes he builds or remodels through his home construction services business.
With the collaboration of his team and a few other local companies, Shyon served as the designer, project manager and main contractor during the construction of his stunning modern residence in northwest Oklahoma City.
Conspicuously “not like the others,” Shyon’s two-story home stands out as a contemporary beauty in a neighborhood that, despite being ideally located, teeters between age and neglect.
He owns other properties around his home and plans to revitalize the surroundings by remodeling or replacing several derelict properties.
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As he describes his hands-on role in designing and building the home, Shyon mentions the many Jetson-esque features of a smart house, all the while navigating his iPhone to adjust the thermostat and turn on TVs, security cameras and, at sunset, the pool lighting. Keoppel’s familiarity with Control4 Home Automation technology began innocently enough. “I called A-Team Audio Video to install a $300 doorbell, and now, here I am. I’ll say this, it would be hard to live without the (automation) system now.” One of his favorite additions is the customized ceiling fan (from supplier Big Ass Fans), suspended over the front living area. A U-panel metal façade frames the remote-controlled fireplace. Concrete floors and high windows with low-E glass give sunlight unobstructed access throughout both levels of the house. Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors “stack” open on the tracks, allowing guests to move freely from the kitchen, dining and living areas to the expansive pool outside.
Shyon collaborated with Forest Kitchen Showroom to design the home’s ultra-modern kitchen, which features many convenient details, including a built-in espresso machine and a gas cooktop with retractable burners. The island and countertops are smoothed quartz by Freites Custom Marble & Tile. Prestige Lighting Solutions installed LED lighting throughout the home, including under-counter illumination in the kitchen and bathrooms. The kitchen backsplash is made of satin glass from Consolidated Builders Supply, a feature that reappears in some of the bathrooms.
In keeping with the home’s contemporary vibe, Shyon sourced furniture both locally and from California and Miami. Every wall and subfloor of the home was constructed with energy efficiency in mind. The 6-inch walls contain spray foam, which reduces energy loss, and also creates an excellent sound barrier from room to room.
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Construction on the property began almost two years ago with the teardown of the home that originally occupied the lot, which Shyon purchased while he was living next door. While his company oversees commercial jobs on a much larger scale, this home represented many firsts for him, beginning with the scope of the project.
“I’ve had a role in almost every aspect of building this house from the ground up,” Shyon says. “This is the first house I’ve built from my own vision, starting from the framework, down to the minor details.”
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Where to begin … The bathroom’s centerpiece tub was actually an eBay find! Dual rainfall showerheads are equipped with LED sensor lighting to indicate the water temperature (blue for cold, red for hot). The walk-in-and-sit-a-spell shower is flanked by floor-to-ceiling mirrors, a heated towel rack and adjustable showerheads in the wall. Countertops are smooth quartz, and tile is from Emser Tile & Natural Stone.
Dark walls create a sublime retreat in the upstairs master suite, which includes a seating area, a fireplace set inside floor-to-ceiling U-line paneling, an adjacent spa bathroom and a dream-sized walk-in closet.
Wood grain tile extends from the loft and staircase landing through the master bath. The master opens to a balcony deck that overlooks the pool and backyard.
The master closet is conveniently equipped with a refrigerator, as well as a washer and dryer.
A second-story waterfall (which Shyon designed) recirculates water through a pipe hidden inside one of the support pillars beneath a balcony deck overhead. The pool was also designed by Shyon and constructed by his company. The custom U-panel fence beautifully maintains privacy for the backyard.
