The last color had barely dried on the “rainbow house” in the Dundee neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska, last weekend when owner Ryan Basye started receiving calls and texts.

“It’s been fun,” he said. “My girls think it’s the coolest thing ever.”

Others have agreed, he said, including the people who live in the house near 49th and Davenport Streets. It was converted into apartments decades ago.

A tenant called it “freaking amazing and beautiful.”

The building was painted in rainbow colors because that’s the palette chosen by his three daughters, who are all under the age of 10.

“To them it’s not the symbol it is to other people,” he said. “They would want to play Barbies or have Care Bears over.”

But that’s not the only reason for the bright hues, a symbol of the LGBTQ+ community.

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It’s also a response to a neighbor’s disparaging comments when some earlier work was being done at the house. Basye didn’t want to repeat what was said.

“It puts a smile on my face knowing that neighbor has to see it every day,” he said.
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Even the gutters of the house, situated near 49th and Davenport Streets, have rainbow hues.
ANNA REED, THE WORLD-HERALD

Comments were overwhelmingly positive on a post about the house on the Dundee Memorial Park Neighborhood Association Facebook page, ranging from calling it fantastic to saying it reinforces that the Dundee neighborhood is the best in Omaha.

Midtown Omaha is laudable for being progressive, and that means respecting differences and supporting marginalized communities, resident Julien Wulfgar said.

“Hate absolutely has no place, but you know that in midtown that’s more than a slogan. It’s a way of life for many of us,” she said.

Basye, a real estate broker and landlord, owns around 15 properties in the Dundee area.

It’s important to him that daughters Josephine, Louise and Cecilia know what he does for a living. Josephine, the oldest, often accompanies him on visits to his properties.

Their input led to the red exterior of an office building he owns near 64th and Pacific Streets. He also used to own a pink building at the corner of 38th and Dodge Streets.

strips of black, purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, red, pink and white. Even the gutters match the color scheme.

The project was started the first week of October.

“It took a lot of extra time and effort and energy to get it to come out that good. And money,” Basye said. “It probably doubled the cost.”

Basye said the coolest thing about the rainbow house is that it’s instantly identifiable for guests of the tenants who live there, and it’s just one more thing he’s done to improve the community.

There are no other colorful projects on the horizon.

“I think it’s unique,” he said “and it makes me laugh, and it makes me smile.”