Carefully Renovated Monolithic Dome Home and Horse Ranch For Sale in Idyllic Rural Illinois
Round Tuit Ranch Monolithic Dome home sits on 3.3 acres in Polo, Illinois.
The exterior of this Monolithic Dome home has been well maintained. The shingled dormers and slate gray color create a modern, rustic look.
The first Monolithic Dome home ever built in Illinois, Round Tuit Dome, has come up for sale. Constructed in 2005 and remodeled ten years later by current owners Ben and Ari Katner, Round Tuit Ranch rests on 3.3 acres of park-like farmland.
“We unofficially call it the Round Tuit Ranch because we’ve had unending projects going on since we’ve lived here, along with horse chores and riding,” said Ben and Ari Katner. “We love the interior feel with the rustic touches and open floor plan. We like the high ceilings in the great room. It’s very quiet inside because of the lack of windows and the thick walls.”
Round Tuit Ranch’s 2200 square foot Monolithic Dome home includes an open floor plan with a spacious kitchen and living room, four bedrooms, and two full baths. The acreage surrounding the dome provides a home for horses, too. There are fenced pastures, a 28-foot x 20-foot hay barn, a large garage, and a 32-foot x 14-foot horse barn with three stalls.
Custom shelves and the kitchen flank the dining area of the great room.
Leather couches in the living area sit underneath a custom pine-paneled wall enclosing the dome home’s loft.
“We love giving tours to our friends,” Ben said. “People always comment about how spacious it is inside compared to how small it looks from the outside. When designing the interior, we had freedom to invent our own rules for how things should look. One example is the large gently curving pine wall above our great room that encloses the upstairs bonus area. I gave it a 50-foot radius and put a custom circular window in it—truly one of a kind!”
The primary ensuite includes this custom slate-lined shower.
One bathroom features a walk-in slate tile shower, while the other bathroom has a deep soaking tub. The dome home includes an office and a recreational room, with an additional bonus room and custom storage areas perfectly fitted to the curvilinear walls. The laundry room features a convenient and comfortable pet bath.
“We redesigned the floor plan and rebuilt the whole interior of the house in 2016,” Ben said. “The drywall and cabinetry is all scribed to the curvature, which makes it aesthetically pleasing. We designed in lots of storage, soundproof interior walls and ceilings, and built-in beds. All the important activities are on the main level, and we use the upstairs as a getaway for a quiet nap, a sauna, or playtime with kids.”
“We stumbled across this house while my wife was doing her usual realty surfing,” Ben said. “We had horses and small kids, and the location was perfect. We researched domes and decided we were up for the adventure. It’s been 13 years since we bought it in a very rough state. Now the dome has been completely transformed inside and out, along with developing the property to make it more park-like with a small pond, maturing trees, and a horse arena.”
All the comforts of a small town come alive in Polo, Illinois, population 2,355, a town established in 1857 and named for adventurer Marco Polo. It is a quintessential American town with a rich agricultural history and ties to early industries like flour milling and dress-making. Located next to White Pines State Park, the small town has its own school district, pharmacy, post office, senior center, library, and community theater.
The kitchen looks out over the great room. Highlights include the slate-bricked bar, live-edge countertop, white cabinetry, and pine ceiling.
From the ponderosa pine ceilings to the solid wood doors and the live edge bar with hand-hewn pine posts, every inch of this dome house has the look and feel of a secure and beloved family home. Built tough, Monolithic Domes have been known to withstand tornados and violent storms.
The dining room has a back door leading out to the yard.
“We searched high and low to find a way to make sure the windows would never leak and consulted with many creative contractors, and no one could come up with anything that I couldn’t find a problem with. After a few failed attempts, we finally came up with a bombproof way to build the windows so they’ll never leak or mold, and they look great,” Ben said. “After we decided to completely gut the interior in 2016 and start over with a new plan, we spent about a month disassembling everything until the dome was an empty shell. Several members of my family are musical, and one time, when they were visiting the project, we had a spontaneous concert of voices while they stood in the center and sang a song together. The acoustics were amazing.”
Stepping into the front yard feels like stepping into a park, complete with a goldfish pond and singing frogs. Look up, and there’s a treehouse waiting to welcome the next owners of Round Tuit.
Looking toward the road from the carport is a glimpse of a weeping willow keeping watch over a goldfish pond.
This multipurpose common space is located next to the kitchen.
The custom kitchen upgrades include a double convection oven, natural granite and pine countertops, and white shaker-style cabinetry.
A built-in cupboard for your favorite pet rabbit or guniea pig.
This large bonus room could be used as an office. The Katners use the room for housing various animals and for storage.
The primary bedroom has two closets with pine doors flanking either side of a large ensuite bath.
The first guest bedroom is located opposite the kitchen.
A second guest bedroom has a window looking out to Round Tuit Ranch’s beautiful property.
The third guest bedroom boasts a cozy sleeping nook flanked by custom cupboards and lots of shelving.
Storage cabinets line the hallway behind the great room.
The downstairs guest bath has a double vanity with custom cabinetry that conforms to the curves of the dome.
The downstairs guest bathroom has a combination bath/shower lined with slate.
A perfect entrance for muddy boots and pets, the mud room features a laundry space opposite a pet grooming tub.
The mud room of this home has plenty of storage space and a custom-made slate-lined pet shower and grooming station.
The loft area above the kitchen and downstairs bedrooms is spacious and features custom-built cabinetry and bookshelves which follow the curving lines of the dome.
The loft is home to the fourth guest bedroom.
The mechanical closet is thoughtfully laid out and organized.
Upstairs, hidden in the loft space, is the HVAC hub. Changing filters is a breeze in this easily accessed and clean space.
The Round Tuit Ranch’s Driveway and covered entrance.
The Katners have tamed every area of their ranch. There is even a comfortable place to take a break after carrying in the groceries.
The hay barn and huge garage of the Round Tuit Ranch.
A horse shies away from the limelight in the Round Tuit Ranch’s horse barn, which has three stalls.
The 32-foot by 14-foot horse barn has three stalls and easy access to the coral and riding arena.
The Round Tuit Ranch’s property lines are clearly marked on this satellite map.
An aerial view of Round Tuit Ranch’s 3.3 acres of idyllic mid-western rural property.