When you walk into the 2025 Lake County YMCA Dream Home, located at 5931 Kingfisher Court in Mentor, you feel like you've been transported across the country. Earthy color tones — curated by designers Maria Perossa and Kelly Velikonya Patel, who worked collaboratively throughout the entire Dream Home — start in the foyer and powder room and continue through every space.
An open-concept living room and kitchen give way to a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows, something out of a mountainside cabin. It connects you to landscapes beyond your reach and brings them into one 3,100 square-foot home. It’s a West Coast getaway right in Northeast Ohio’s backyard — and it will soon belong to one lucky winner.
“It is spacious without feeling cold,” Perossa says.
“The theme is consistently carried throughout the space with warm wood tones, abundant natural light and greenery, all reinforcing the calming, organic atmosphere we aimed to create,” Velikonya Patel adds.
On the first floor, the kitchen turns heads with soft green cabinetry, situated parallel to a sprawling electric fireplace in the living room. Brown is brought to life in various shades through furniture, lighting, wall fixtures and decor. In addition to an office, each main-level space is adjoined to an elevated deck that situates you atop vast marsh and grass areas.
“The first level of the home is my favorite,” says Kelly Penzenik, director of marketing and communications at the Lake County YMCA. “It was designed so that a homeowner can attend to all of their needs without leaving the floor. Additionally, the deck is a beautiful place to relax and enjoy a quiet evening after a hard day.”
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The primary bedroom features purple tones, complemented by blacks and golds in the en-suite bathroom, for a regal look. Its color scheme is distinct from the rest of the home, yet plants, rustic side tables and a lamp with a branch post can keep nature alive in even the most sophisticated space.
“There are many more indigenous elements than last year's house,” Perossa says, “stained wood cabinetry in the kitchen and bathrooms, tambour surrounding the fireplace, stone-look tiles throughout, the stone vessel sink and the live-edge solid wood countertop in the powder room, the gilded light fixtures in gold — a naturally occurring element. Even the exterior of the home are colors you might see in a Metroparks forest.”
The upstairs bedroom introduces the local landscape, with a design that takes inspiration from the nearby Headlands Beach State Park. Nautical, coastal decor is met with blue hues and a plethora of natural light, reminiscent of an oceanside beach house. Across the hall, beyond a second bathroom, a child’s room has a camp theme, which fits in with Northeast Ohio’s expansive woods and forests. Beyond a small sleeping quarter with playful outdoor-inspired decor, a spacious closet conceals a quaint reading nook — a secluded escape where imagination runs wild.
“What makes this house truly unique are the unexpected design details that surprise and delight throughout,” Velikonya Patel says. “Like the reading nook tucked inside a closet, each space offers its own unique and imaginative touch.”
Even the finished basement beckons more connection, complete with another electric fireplace, a wet bar, a bathroom and ample seating areas.
“It’s a dream home because it combines beauty, comfort and functionality in a seamless way,” Velikonya Patel adds. “Every detail was thoughtfully designed with the homeowner in mind to make the home both stylish and livable.”
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And it’s a dream house for the community, too, as proceeds from tours and ticket sales go right back to Lake County to support local programming, including Summer Learning Loss Prevention (SLLP) and Safety Around Water through the YMCA. Last year’s Dream Home garnered over $500,000 and reached over 42,000 individuals in need. In its 28th year of the Dream Home, the YMCA hopes to match or exceed those numbers.
“Every ticket purchased directly supports our mission to ensure no one is turned away from the YMCA due to an inability to pay,” says Dick Bennett, CEO of the Lake County YMCA. “Every dollar raised helps a child attend summer camp, a family access wellness programs or a senior find connection through community.”
Tickets can be purchased online for a chance to win both the 2025 Lake County YMCA Dream Home and a new car provided by Classic Chevrolet of Mentor. Tickets are required to tour the home. Tours are open now through August 17 every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 7 p.m. Winners will be drawn on August 24.
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