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by Erdem Gorgun on Jan 23, 2020
Despite initially dismissing a tired Fifties house, Sarah and Ken Loveday took another look and saw it could become the spacious family home they needed.
When Sarah Loveday and her husband Ken first saw a ‘soulless’ Fifties home in Leamington Spa, they dismissed it out of hand. ‘There wasn’t much I liked about the house – apart from the fact that it offered us the space that we needed,’ says Sarah, a brand designer and interiors stylist. ‘We told the estate agent we weren’t interested and the house soon sold. But then it came back on to the market.’ The estate agent persuaded Sarah to look again. ‘With some reluctance, we realised it was just what we needed,’ she says. ‘It was dull, plain and empty – but offered us plenty of space. Annie, our middle child, was just three weeks old at the time and we were desperate for more room.’ But the family faced an unexpected challenge when they moved in that almost put a stop to renovation plans. ‘The house was infested with rats,’ says Sarah. ‘It was horrendous. For the first nine months, we weren’t sure if we’d stay because we just couldn’t get rid of them. They were in the cavity space above the kitchen, the sitting room and the studio – knowing they were there was horrible. It wasn’t until they were gone that we felt we could start making the house ours.’ The first task was to widen the hallway, which Sarah describes as narrow and out of proportion to the rest of the house. ‘We had plenty of space in the sitting room, so we pushed that wall back. We also put in a new front door and added a chimney breast to the sitting room, which made a real difference as it gave the room a much-needed focal point.’ Working to a budget, the couple decided to postpone doing a full kitchen renovation, instead fitting new Shakerstyle cupboard fronts for a fresh look. ‘We didn’t start the loft until three years – and another baby – later,’ says Sarah. ‘The space was boarded and separated into two rooms joined by a narrow corridor, and there were windows, but nothing else. We did originally plan on putting two bedrooms upstairs but instead we moved a few walls around and turned one of the rooms into a large en suite.’ With the loft conversion finished, the children – Bella, now nine, Annie, seven, and Todd, five, had the space they needed – and Sarah and Ken had their own attic sanctuary to escape to. Downstairs, the sitting room is full of character and colour, with an eclectic, bohemian mix of vintage prints and artwork, cushions, rugs, antiques and treasures that fill the space with personality. ‘I adore textiles and antiques,’ says Sarah. ‘I like nothing more than scouring auction houses for pieces and picking up textiles on our travels to fill the house with – it gives it so much soul.’ As the house dates from the Fifties, Sarah has incorporated this era into her aesthetic by sourcing vintage furniture online and reupholstering mid-century chairs in bright fabrics. ‘Colour is such a joyful thing to have in your home,’ she says. ‘But I never want my interiors to feel too garish or contrived so I ground them with natural textures like jute and wood. ‘It’s been seven years since we moved in and it has taken time to get the house to a place where it feels like our home,’ Sarah continues. ‘It’s been a slow process and moving to a more modern house was definitely a compromise, but now we love the space we’ve created here.
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by Erdem Gorgun on Jan 22, 2020
Pared-back design and a pretty palette of neutrals and pastels are the hallmarks of Rosemary and Justin Bickers’ serene home.
Striking a balance between minimalism and warmth is a tricky task for any homeowner, but add four small children into the mix and you’d be forgiven for giving up on style altogether and heading straight down the ‘practical’ route. This hasn’t been the case for Rosemary and Justin Bickers, who – over the past six years – have turned an unloved doer-upper into a beautiful haven for their family, which includes Alfie, seven, Tom, six, Daisy, four, and Dorothy, six months. ‘We had been searching for the right property for over a year,’ says Rosemary. ‘My late father had been hoping we’d stay close to my family home and he was delighted when we found a house just 10 doors down from it.’ Although the property was in need of a complete overhaul, Rosemary wasn’t fazed. She had grown up on the road and over the years had been in many of the neighbours’ houses, so had seen how they had been reworked. It also helped that Justin is an electrical contractor specialising in lighting solutions. The first room to be tackled was the kitchen. ‘It was really dated,’ says Rosemary. ‘It was going to be a big job, but we had to be practical and do it on a budget and in stages as there was so much more to be done in the house.’ New electrics and plumbing, plus replastering and repainting throughout were also on the to-do list. After careful planning and budgeting, it was decided that phase one would be to extend out at the back and into the side return to get a bigger kitchen and also a cloakroom. The old cabinetry was replaced with pale-grey, Shaker-style units that have a clean, crisp look, but also give the room character. Phase two of the downstairs renovation was knocking through to the garage to create a dining space and a family room, both of which are linked to the kitchen through large openings. The dining room also has floor-toceiling glazed doors that lead out to the garden. One area downstairs that hasn’t received Rosemary and Justin’s magic touch yet is the sitting room. ‘We decided to keep it as a traditional “best room”,’ says Rosemary. ‘We will get around to doing it up in the future, but it hasn’t been a priority so far.’ The children’s rooms and Rosemary and Justin’s own bedroom were phase three and all have been decorated in off-whites with pretty pastel accents for a serene feel. Rosemary also likes to buy original artwork to give each room personality. ‘Styling my home feeds my creativity,’ she says. ‘I also take a lot of inspiration from places we’ve visited or hotels we’ve stayed in. The Swan Hotel, nearby in Southwold, is one I love. And my mum is great with colour and has a good eye, so I’ll often ask for her advice. She’s also a lover of collecting ornaments – just like me!’ And are Rosemary and Justin happy with all they have achieved? ‘Definitely,’ says Rosemary. ‘The family room is my little hygge nest. It’s my favourite area of the house to sit while the children play and I’m feeding the baby. I also love our dining room. It’s where the family comes together to feast and to chat. Luckily, we all love our food. Simplicity and balance is what we wanted to achieve, and I think it’s what makes this home such a happy one.’
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by Erdem Gorgun on Jan 20, 2020
Allison Lindeman and her husband Oeyvind were determined to bring their cosy, minimalist take on Nordic design to their renovation plans.
Incorporating Scandinavian design into their Victorian semi in southwest London was a priority for American interior designer Allison Lindeman of Saltbox Interiors and her Norwegian husband Oeyvind. They wanted to create a huge, open-plan family living area that still felt ‘hyggelig’ – cosy and welcoming. ‘When we looked at houses, we struggled to find one that fitted the open-plan concept, as properties within our budget tended to have lots of rooms – a front room, dining room and separate kitchen. So we decided to go for a cheaper house that we could change to suit our lifestyle,’ says Allison. To build their dream living space, the couple knocked four rooms – the dining room, breakfast room, kitchen and conservatory – into one, and created a main living space with different zones. ‘There’s a TV and play area, a sitting area with a fireplace, a dining area and a kitchen,’ says Allison. The result is a light, minimalist and relaxed family space where children Piper, eight, Finn, six, and Kaia, four, can eat and play and where everyone gathers to spend time together. Allison’s love of Scandinavian design is evident throughout the house. Downstairs, walls are white, and there are plenty of industrial touches in keeping with the Scandi design aesthetic – metal stools, brick tiling, raw wood shelving and a handleless kitchen. Even the floor tiles in the downstairs hallway and bathroom have an industrial edge. ‘They’re ceramic, but meant to look like cement,’ says Allison. The clean lines of the living space are softened by cushions and rugs. ‘The risk with this type of design is that it can come across as cold if not done properly,’ says Allison. ‘But good Scandinavian design is layered and varied, using texture and materials to create depth and interest.’ Throughout the house, the couple’s much-loved art collection provides splashes of colour against the monochrome backdrop. Yellow rugs, cushions, throws and chairs throughout the house pull the design scheme together. Upstairs, Allison painted her en-suite bathroom a stunning, deep blue. ‘I am particularly proud of the en suite,’ she says. ‘We converted a bedroom to a bathroom when we redid the house and the room was so large that I experimented more with colour and played off the blue in our bedroom.’ Keeping the interior design practical was a major priority for Allison. ‘A house with small children needs to work for everyone without any stress that things will get ruined,’ she says. ‘Our Ikea dining table also serves as a craft area, painting workshop and glitter palace. The kids can make a mess and draw on the table without worry as it usually wipes clean, but if it doesn’t, I don’t stress. We used wipeable paint throughout the house and had lots of storage built in so we can tidy away all the toys and easily create a grown-up space for relaxing and entertaining in the evening. It’s the perfect family home.’
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by Erdem Gorgun on Jan 19, 2020
An eye for stylish vintage finds helped Esther Patterson turn her former design studio into a colourful and intriguing home.
Originally bought as a design studio for Esther Patterson’s bespoke lighting company Curiousa & Curiousa, this former malthouse in a Derbyshire village has, in a few years, gone from practical workplace to stylish home. Built in the 1800s, the property has been through various guises, but the unique style of the interior struck a chord with the couple. ‘My husband Paul and I were living across the road, but our studio space in this building gave us lots of options,’ says Esther. ‘Firstly, we had the idea of creating a small independent cinema, The Northern Lights Cinema. Then we realised that as our company grew, we would need another base for our lighting company, so the seed was sown to create a home for us and our son Gabriel, here above the cinema,’ says Esther. The couple were confident about making changes to the upstairs apartment. Despite being in a conservation area, the property wasn’t listed so the interior design was open to options. ‘The brick walls and beams were a beautiful feature to showcase,’ says Esther. ‘And we wanted to be able to stand at one end of the building and see all the way through, so decided on glazed walls made from Crittal windows to divide the open-plan space. The glass was sound-proofed and we put up curtains for privacy.’ Keeping the original floor was a priority but, with the cinema below, they needed to consider sound insulation once more. ‘We realised we needed to install new plumbing and electrics, so we raised the floor to allow for all of this,’ explains Esther. ‘And it was beneficial, as the varying levels divide the different areas.’ A pantry was fitted in behind the kitchen to house appliances and more storage. ‘I wanted somewhere I could just stash all the household stuff away,’ says Esther. ‘It is a godsend.’ With a good eye for reclaimed materials and vintage buys, Esther and Paul gave their home a bespoke look, which evolved naturally, enhanced with a selection of their own lighting. ‘I’m not one for finding solutions at the beginning of a project and have it all spot on,’ says Esther. ‘It was like creating a foundation for a home to develop on its own. It has grown as we’ve grown, which is why it feels so comfortable, reflecting exactly what we’re all about.’
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by Erdem Gorgun on Jan 18, 2020
When Gill Deriu and her husband Sanero bought a cottage in Ireland, they created a characterful family house with the coolest of kitchens.
When Gill and Sanero Deriu moved to Cork from Sardinia in 2008, they weren’t looking to buy a home. ‘We had been renting a house and had just started searching for another rental property with more space,’ says Gill. ‘But then a friend told us that this house was for sale. It was everything we had been looking for – a detached cottage with a big garden and an interesting layout. We loved it.’ The couple put in an offer, but were dismayed when their mortgage fell through. But Gill was determined not to lose the house. ‘I asked the owner if we could rent the property while our finances came together, and he agreed,’ says Gill. ‘I promised we’d look after it like our own. He kept it on the market, though, which was stressful as people kept coming to view the house and I thought we’d lose it.’ Eventually Gill and Sanero secured the mortgage they needed and the house was soon theirs. ‘I fell in love with the feel of the place. The front door opens onto the sitting room, and stairs run from there to the upstairs.’ Another selling point was the large garden, which offered plenty of space for the couple’s children, Elia, now 11, Jasper, nine, and Isa, five, to play. However, the property needed work. Walls were dry-lined upstairs and downstairs to get rid of damp, and outdoor drainage was put in. The couple converted a large bedroom into two smaller rooms, and turned the master en suite into a family bathroom. ‘We redecorated everywhere,’ says Gill, ‘and we did most of it ourselves.’ The kitchen needed an overhaul, but mindful of budget, the couple worked with the existing units. Gill replaced the wall cabinets with open shelving. ‘I painted the cupboards, and we put in an oak surface on the island. I also installed pendants – getting lighting right was important to me, as it’s so critical in creating atmosphere.’ The result is a large, contemporary kitchen-diner where the family gather and the couple can entertain. ‘Our kitchen has changed so much since we moved in,’ says Gill. ‘It makes the house feel bigger and gives us so much living space. I loved its light, airy feel from the beginning, but now it has more character and depth.’ Upstairs, tactile fabrics and muted colours help make the bedrooms feel soothing and peaceful. ‘We’ve kept the bedrooms tranquil by mixing up natural materials,’ says Gill. ‘In our room, there’s a lot of wood and we’ve added texture with natural linen.’ Downstairs, Gill’s eclectic taste and love of colour bring a modern, bohemian edge. ‘It’s definitely more colourful downstairs,’ she says. ‘The fabric, furniture and rugs make the sitting room cosy, but we’ve kept clutter to a minimum.’ And she adds it need not cost a fortune to add personality. ‘I love rummaging in second-hand shops. In fact, I think pre-loved finds add to the charm of a house. Charity shops are brilliant for finding picture frames – and art doesn’t have to be expensive. We’ve framed keepsakes and the children’s artwork – they all bring personality to our home.
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by Erdem Gorgun on Jan 16, 2020
Marie Engberg’s home reflects her belief that sustainable design and timeless interiors go hand in hand.
Danish-born Marie Engberg is not a woman to do things by halves. Her belief in caring for the planet, both socially and via the designworld, has resulted in a diverse career that has seen her work for several interiors brands and, leading up to 2012, on Barack Obama’s re-election campaign. When Marie and her husband Niels Grove Jensen decided to return home from America to start a family,which now includesWilfred, five, and Nora, three, they found a characterful townhouse in a vibrant district of Copenhagen. ‘Humleby is a small village where workers from the Carlsberg brewery once lived,’says Marie. ‘Built in 1886 by architect Frederik Bøttger, the house is a fantastic piece of history in itself – everything is crooked and the rooms have soul.’ The property perfectly harmonises with Marie’s latest venture, sustainable design store Yume, which she opened with Anja Holm in 2017. ‘Personal and eclectic with a Scandinavian edge’ is how Marie describes their style, but her new home needed a gentle renovation before she could make her mark on it. Spread over four levels, the interior was outdated and lacked a sense of flow. ‘We wanted every floor to function well on its own, while contributing to the overall feel of the house,’ says Marie. So the numerous hallways and stairs were reworked,the top floorwastweaked to accommodate a master suite and dressing room, and the first floor – where the children’s bedrooms are –wassimplified. ‘Our priority was to enhance the period details by introducing colour and texture,’ explains Marie. Some of their standout sustainable pieces include the vibrant royal blue and navy Masaya Lounge Chair in the sitting room. ‘It packs a punch and I love thatthe concept behind it is as much aboutreforestation asitis aboutfurniture making. Even our plates are made from recycled yogurt pots, which prove that something considered to be rubbish can be turned into practical, beautiful items.’ Once Marie leaves her busy store, her favourite pastime is relaxing at home on the porch, petting the neighbour’s dog, or enjoying drinksin the gardenwith friends. ‘The neighbourhood is thriving,’ she says, ‘and it gives us endlessinspiration when it comes to preserving the past and creating an eco-friendly future.
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by Erdem Gorgun on Jan 15, 2020
A wealth of original features keeps the character and charm of Bernie Rix’s converted barn alive.
Original stone walls, wooden beams and an inglenook fireplace all contribute to the rustic charm that led Bernie Rix and her husband Dave to fall head over heels for this characterful family home. ‘Before we’d even stepped inside, the beautiful features had won us over’, recalls Bernie. ‘The gable end windows, the waney-edge cladding and Blue Lias stone gave the barn that rural appeal we were looking for; something very different to the townhouse we were living in.’ Originally built around 1850, the barn had been converted into a dwelling in the early Seventies. The previous owners had renovated since then, but when Bernie and Dave moved in, in 2016, it was time for an update. ‘Luckily for us, the work carried out had been done to a very high standard using good-quality materials, including solid-oak flooring and a handmade kitchen with a flagstone floor,’ says Bernie. As well as cosmetic updates, work needed to be done on the electrics and woodworm in the loft. The overgrown garden was another project in itself, with Bernie and Dave working on it at weekends. The country-style kitchen was one of the main draws of the property. ‘Although it’s about 20 years old, the quality is fantastic and we love the Shaker style of the cabinetry,’ says Bernie. ‘We repainted the units and added a bespoke island as a focal point.’ Plus, the open flow of the kitchen, dining and sitting room also makes a great space for the family’s Labradors, Odie and Rolo, who have free rein of the downstairs. With no structural changes needed, Bernie was able to put her stamp on the interior not long after they moved in. ‘The previous decor was fairly neutral, which meant it was easy to look past the existing schemes and visualise what to do with each space,’ she says. ‘As our previous home was modern and the furniture we owned just wouldn’t sit right in a property of this age, we bought several pieces at Bonds Lifestyle, a local antiques and interiors emporium.’ Adding colour through soft furnishings has brought each room to life and Bernie has paid particular attention to the window dressings. ‘I run a soft furnishings business called Rix Interiors (@rixinteriors), so I have made all of the curtains, blinds and most of the cushions myself.’ With the dark wooden beams in nearly every room, Bernie has kept the walls light in colour to maintain an open feel. ‘I chose Farrow & Ball’s Skimming Stone for most of the interior walls, as it has a warm tone to it and creates a lovely contrast.’ Preserving the charm of the original barn was a priority for Bernie, so she has cleverly mixed traditional style with more modern touches. ‘Living in a historic property doesn’t mean you have to be restricted in your decorating choices,’ she says. ‘While I’ve given a nod to the original building, I’ve still made it our own and brought it up to date with splashes of colour and personal touches.’ With two grown-up children, Amy and Joe, and Bernie’s granddaughter, Ottilie, often staying, along with extended family, Bernie has made sure the whole space works for everyone. ‘Being able to spill over from the dining room into the cosy sitting room is perfect for entertaining large groups, particularly in winter when we can all gather round the log burner.
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by Erdem Gorgun on Jan 14, 2020
A unexpected sign pointed designers Poppy Treffry and Justin Duance in the welcome direction of a striking and individual home.
When Poppy Treffry and Justine Duance decided to move, it was the call of the surf that lured them. The couple had been living in Penzance in Cornwall but looking out for properties in a nearby village for three years. Anything that caught their eye was usually above their budget. But a chance sighting on a coastal path walk led to an unexpected purchase. ‘It was a simple handpainted sign that read “barn for sale”,’ says Poppy. ‘When we tracked down the farmer owner and arranged to meet, it turned out to be his tractor shed.’ In fact, the last thing the couple had been looking for was a project. ‘We wanted a house that didn’t really need work to be done on it, but this was just too good to turn down,’ says Poppy. Luckily, help was at hand. Her father trained as a surveyor and builder and used to specialise in barn conversions, so he got right behind the renovation. The project also required the trust and patience of the farmer who allowed the couple to do all the preliminary drawings and planning application before they had even exchanged contracts. ‘It was quite risky,’ explains Poppy. ‘We put in a lot of work and investment over a period of about a year, but he was very understanding and we trusted him not to sell to anyone else.’ One of the big draws was the location – a peaceful and beautiful spot close to the beach. And from the start, the pair could see what this tractor shed could become. ‘At that first viewing, we walked around saying “bedrooms here, the bathroom there…”,’ says Poppy. ‘I’ve still got some of our sketches from that time and it’s pretty much how it turned out.’ The couple worked on the design together with Poppy’s father advising. ‘We weren’t allowed to knock down any walls and, in many ways, those constraints were a blessing. If we’d had carte blanche we would have needed an architect but, instead, we could just focus on getting the best from the available space,’ she says. They found inspiration on websites including Pinterest, and from architects such as Rural Design who build with industrial elements in the Scottish Isles. ‘We looked for similar styles and materials as our barn had timber-clad walls and a corrugated roof.’ In remodelling the structure, they used reclaimed materials where possible. The beams needed to support a new and heavier roof, which came from Par Docks and the China Clay Works; some of the internal doors were salvaged from a hotel in Fowey and Justin made the impressive copper front door himself, working with a local coppersmith at The Copper Works Newlyn. The interior is decorated in a mid-century modern style with touches of vintage and a few pops of colour. ‘I don’t really like lots of exposed stone or exposed wood,’ says Poppy. ‘I like touches of it here and there, and nothing too austere. We were always working towards a particular feel.’ Building from a shell has allowed them to install plenty of eco features. The heating and hot water are supplied by an air-source heat pump, there are solar panels and a ventilation system thatrecyclesthe airthrough the whole house, warming it in the process. With the property now complete, Poppy remarks on how surprisingly straightforward and smooth a process it has been. ‘It did take quite a long time and it was a bit surreal when we first moved in as it felt like such a big space to begin with, but now we’re properly settled.
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by Erdem Gorgun on Jan 08, 2020
Design duo Kelley Lentini and Berkeley Minkhorst prove first impressions speak volumes.
When House of Nomad designers and partners Kelley Lentini and Berkeley Minkhorst took on the responsibility of designing the first floor of a new Myers Park house that was being built, their marching orders were simple: Create a unified look among currently disjointed showcase rooms while balancing the design desires of a young couple. They aimed to design a light and energetic interior in the otherwise traditional neighborhood. The formal living room is the first room visitors see and where Lentini and Minkhorst began to build a good first impression. Focusing on a feminine aesthetic, they added a triptych with a modern vibe, which incorporates all the colors of the room’s furnishings – shades of warm gray, taupe, white, brown, mauve, and cream.
“The art set the tone for the entire room,” Minkhorst says. “The brass frames tie in with the inlaid brass applique in the artwork as well as the brass-trimmed coffee table and other accessories in the room.” They added texture and interest with a white contemporary Loloi shag rug and exposed wooden arms on accent chairs. Brass is a recurring theme on the first floor and makes another appearance in a transitional gold-leafed hanging light fixture that serves as the crown of the dining room. It is offset by deep navy blue walls and velvet drapery, which continues the velvet theme first introduced in the formal living room. Nearby, a powder room receives a moody, dark floral wallpaper to contrast other linear elements on the main floor, including vertical, linear wallpaper in the butler’s pantry, vertical powder room sconces, and the vertical lines of the dining room light fixture.
“The wallpaper was an instant favorite of the wife,” Lentini says. “Its oversized flowers have tiny butterflies scattered around them. It’s so realistic.” The wallpaper introduces white into this room, which Lentini says is necessary for balancing the darker, more masculine elements in the house and keeping the spaces light and fresh. White lightens the mood in the casual living area, where a dark leather sofa, the husband’s choice, anchors the entire space. Bursts of aqua and cobalt blue antique Murano glass artwork mixed with vintage accessories are striking on the white painted built-in shelves and cabinetry surrounding the fireplace. The blue pieces connect the other downstairs rooms, which have blue walls or accessories in shades of blue, improving the flow through the entire space. One of the living room’s standout pieces is a white custom Tritter Feefer console table behind the sofa, whose design mimics the lines of the herringbone-laid tile inset in the fireplace. A piece of glass artwork from Darnell & Company on the console completes the cohesive look. Brass is introduced in this room with a pair of Restoration Hardware glass floor lamps accented with brass trim details. The casual living area is open to the all-white kitchen, so the design duo carefully considered the appropriate furnishings and lighting to complement both spaces. Dark wood tones, white, brass hanging lanterns, and mauve bar stools balance and marry both the casual and formal living rooms. “It’s all about balancing choices between light and dark so both the husband and wife have their likes taken into consideration,” Lentini says. “Our goal is to make interior design approachable and fun for people like this couple. Design should not be intimidating.”
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by Erdem Gorgun on Jan 03, 2020
When a house has great bones, it makes interior design that much easier. And having innovative designers with an amazing vision doesn’t hurt either. This Raleigh home got a dramatic makeover by The Warehouse’s multifunctional design team of Liles Dunnigan and Zandy Gammons, who played up the home’s many strengths. Longtime residents of Raleigh, the homeowners relocated within their home city, and they knew what they wanted: to brighten up the dark and dated home, creating a look that was fresh and sophisticated. This required gutting the kitchen and master bath, as well as aesthetic updates throughout every other room and along the exterior. Perhaps most importantly, it required playing up the home’s natural light and filling the interior with a wash of lighter colors.
“Because we had worked with the homeowners previously, there was a high level of trust there,” Dunnigan explains. “The home was older and needed extensive updating. But it had great bones and great architectural details.” As the heart of the home, the kitchen is inherently more functional than it was before, with a longer island that faces the proper direction and offers comfortable seating. The original dark wood countertops and heavy light fixture were replaced by glazed white cabinetry and a distinctive metallic fixture overhead. The meticulously placed window captures sunlight, while the Walker Zanger tile backsplash behind the range and under the hood picks up the serene gray-blue wall color, as well as the custom color on the island. Vibrant artwork adds panache to the walls. Though the homeowners considered an all-white kitchen, the designers advised against it. “A lot of times people say they want an all-white kitchen, but it ends up looking stark and cold,” Dunnigan explains.
The adjacent breakfast nook is neither stark nor cold. The homeowners had the mirror in their possession already, and the designers had it lacquered in a soft blue that mimics the tranquility of the walls. The drapery fabric features koi fish, contributing to the Asian-inspired feel running throughout the house. A beautiful pagoda lantern from Visual Comfort completes the look. The nearby study serves as a haven for the family to escape and read. Many of the books in the collection are treasured pieces. And the designers added accessories including pieces with dark metallic shine that contrast the white cabinetry and enhance the overall look of the library. The balance of light and dark is also evident in the spacious living room, with exposed dark wood beams in the ceiling juxtaposed against a large Barbara Barry light fixture that brightens the room in more ways than one. To compensate for the fact that this room was originally even darker than most of the others, the designers repeated the same serene blue from the breakfast nook, covered the ottoman in a bright Robert Allen animal print, and installed beautiful geometric draperies from Dogwood Fabrics consisting of blue and cream hues. Finally, the Stanton wool rug adds additional light and softness. Another Stanton rug graces the steps off the foyer – an entryway that underscores the home’s overall charm. “It’s an ode to a leopard print,” Gammons says of the rug. “The art is from ArtSource, and we added an oversized antique mirrored fixture that we felt would really brighten up the space. The homeowners also had an antique chest and mirror that we repurposed.” Off the foyer, gold-finished oversized light fixtures from Visual Comfort wink down upon the mahogany dining table. “We added chairs from Woodbridge Furniture out of High Point, as we like to use North Carolina furniture companies when we can,” Dunnigan says. A multi-colored geometric Kravet print fabric with tangerines and blues graces the chair seats. The tangerine is repeated in the graceful floral draperies. “That color is found in little pops throughout the house,” Gammons explains. “The room’s rug is indoor-outdoor. [The homeowner] has grandchildren and pets and likes to entertain. So you can spill grease or red wine on it, and it will come out.” Through careful adaptation of the existing space, the designers were able to create an indulgent retreat in the master bedroom. Originally two rooms, the bedroom is now a one-room, spacious getaway with the most natural light in the entire house. An inviting combination of soft white and restful blues defines the luxurious bedding and accessories. The seating area within the master bedroom, complete with a fireplace, encourages restful afternoons spent in absolute contentment. The bedroom’s sitting room has a rival, however. The patio and outdoor living area extend the length of the back of the house. The homeowners spend many a day lounging in this vibrant space, enjoying the outdoor television, the fireplace, and most of all, the time they have with their children and grandchildren. “You can see all the colors from inside the house,” Gammons says, “and we wanted to bring the colors out and have them flow into the exterior space.” Not to be forgotten, Tucker, the dog, finds sanctuary in the mudroom, which features a vintage rug, distinctive Thibaut fabric on the windows, and a dog bed that has been painted to match both. Despite its aesthetic appeal, “That room has many uses,” Gammons explains. “It’s a laundry room, drop zone, work zone, and the dog’s favorite place.”
Speaking of favorites, one of Gammons and Dunnigan’s favorite things is working together on home interiors like this one. “Most creative people enjoy having someone to bounce ideas off of,” Dunnigan says. “And for us, it’s a partnership and collaborative effort.
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by Erdem Gorgun on Jan 02, 2020
A Badin lake beauty proves life is better where the living is easy.
What do we want? That was the question Cam and Jen Dyer mused with designer Anne Buresh on the banks of Badin Lake as they stared out across their new property, a peninsular stretch of waterfront heaven that would be the site of their future lake home. Having worked previously with the Dyers and now with the opportunity to start fresh on a new construction, Buresh drew on her knowledge and relationship with the family to open up a dialogue about their must-haves for the home. “Transparent communication is paramount to the process, from vision boarding and conceptualization to implementation. The key to the perfect design is determining a clear idea of the client’s needs then proceeding through a systematic process that provides both direction and shared expectations,” Buresh says. “That’s exactly what the Dyers and I accomplished.” The Dyers wanted to establish continuity between the home and property, seamlessly bringing the outdoors in to create an organic yet chic design that embodied the tranquility of the natural setting. Buresh’s mission was to create a space that embraced the casual and functional, as well as the contemporary luxe. “The design was all about balance, whether the family was entertaining friends, relaxing with family, or simply having kids in wet bathing suits running in and out,” Buresh says. And balance is the key element of the comprehensive design. While outdoor luxury living was a cornerstone element, a nature-inspired palette of grays, neutrals, greens, and blues were infused throughout the interior, reflecting the beauty of the outdoors inside. Buresh also used layers of textures and colors to soften the space without compromising the airy openness of the home. Likewise, custom-designed furniture allowed Buresh to accommodate Cam Dyer’s six-foot-eight-inch frame, providing ease of accessibility, and highly functional furniture without sacrificing the clean, contemporary aesthetic. Ample outdoor living areas effortlessly extend the home’s livable square footage, all with a picturesque backdrop of the pool and lake. Extra seating offers guests the opportunity to sit back and relax with a glass of wine on a poolside lounger, at the stone fire pit, or in one of the eight Adirondack-style rocking chairs that line the back patio. The clean, straight lines of the pool and furniture perfectly complement the linear detail of the bluestone patio stone pavers that coordinate with the pale blue patio ceiling, a nod to a traditional feature of Southern design. An adjacent screened porch boasts additional dining and sitting areas, complete with versatile swivel chairs that encourage conversation or aid relaxation next to the electric fire table while taking in a game on TV.
Buresh’s use of textures and subtle colors throughout the master suite echoes the cohesive design. Natural woven blinds are layered with soft blue window treatments in the bathroom to offer privacy while also adding a dash of color to accent the gray cabinetry and white marble. The bedroom, the Dyers personal sanctuary, is full of texture – from the upholstered headboard with nail-head trim to the textured silver gray bench to the classic, European damask linen curtains. In the kitchen and dining room, the portion of the home Buresh lovingly dubs “Grand Central,” the design centers not only on the balance between chic and casual but also focuses on accessibility and durability. The upscale farmhouse-inspired kitchen echoes the same subtle palette of the home but also includes a custom-designed Tritter Feefer farm table that comfortably seats a crowd. The table’s protective coating and the chairs’ faux ostrich fabric are both beautiful and easily maintained. Likewise, the custom, extra-long formal dining table seats up to sixteen and the nail-head dining chairs were selected to encourage lingering at the table long after a meal. Both tables were constructed one to two inches taller than average to give Cam Dyer a maximum amount of comfort and mobility. It was this attention to detail that made the unveiling of the finished product a day that neither the Dyers nor Buresh will soon forget. Buresh’s “reveal day” is never complete without a few homey touches like her signature bottle of wine and bowl of nuts on the table, which she says is an invitation to sit down and enjoy some Southern hospitality. “I honestly believe our living environments affect our physical and emotional well-being,” Buresh says. “That’s why my passion is creating a design that embodies the client’s needs—a haven where they can relax, put their feet up, and enjoy life.
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by Erdem Gorgun on Jan 01, 2020
A Charlotte-area couple builds a second home in which they can’t help but relax.
You won’t find a single basket of shells or miniature palm tree at this oceanfront Isle of Palms, S.C. vacation home. Yet, the minute you walk in, you know you’re at the very beachiest of beach houses. And it was designed that way. When a Charlotte-area couple decided to build a seaside escape, they went with their tried-and-true. They hired their long-time designer, David Smith of Custom Interiors, to bring their vision to life. Smith and the couple practically communicate telepathically. “We’ve worked together on many projects,” Smith says. “They trust me.” The trust runs so deep, in fact, that the pair told their architect, Herlong & Associates, to allow Smith leeway to make changes to the blueprints. “I’ve never had that happen,” Smith says. “The architect gave us a beautiful exterior and a basic interior layout based on the needs of the client. It was up to me to design the interiors.” “If the walls needed to be moved to accommodate the furnishings or open a space up or allow for better views, I had that freedom,” he continues. “I was able to design all the interior elements from the walls, handrails, lighting, tile, cabinetry, countertops, decorative beams, and furnishings – all with amazing support from the builder and architect. My clients let me roll with it.” Smith and his clients made the decision to have few walls on the main level. Beyond the extra-large foyer is what Smith describes as “one grand room”. “It stretches the full width of the house,” he says. “It contains the dining room, family room, kitchen, and even the butler’s pantry. Big, sliding doors give an uninterrupted view of the beach.” Also on the main level are two guest suites with private baths as well as a powder room. Lots of natural wood and light, creamy taupes, pale blues, soft browns, and grays – and a complete lack of visual clutter – provide a sedate backdrop for a vacation home meant to induce utter relaxation. Plenty of white space gives the furnishings and art room to breathe. And it reminds homeowners and guests that an oceanfront house is a place to let out a big exhale. As elegant as it is, the couple originally planned on something grander. At first, this house was conceived as the guesthouse. They planned to build it first and then use their land on the adjacent lot to build the main house. But Smith explains that the homeowners fell in love with its comfort, so they no longer needed the second build. “Even though it’s a sizable house, there’s an intimacy to it. It’s relaxing. They decided this was exactly what they wanted.” It’s easy to see why. Their architect designed what Smith calls a “Lowcountry farmhouse with a vintage Southern spin.” “It fits in with its seaside environment, but it doesn’t scream ‘beach house.’” It’s built in the Southern farmhouse vernacular – but with every upgrade imaginable. Yes, the front porch is there. But it’s oversized for outdoor living. A ground-level veranda has a luxurious living area and a dining table that seats eight. The interior, heavy on neutrals and pecky cypress, is designed to soothe – not excite. “One of my client’s only directives was that she wanted to see soft colors,” Smith says. “And that’s the palette I’m most comfortable working in. There’s nothing too bold or loud in this house. There’s nothing wrong with either of those, but this house was designed to be calm and quiet.
The owners have three adult sons and can’t help but dream of the grandkids they hope to welcome to the beach one day. Those future grandchildren were very much taken into consideration in the home’s design. The home’s second story has one guest suite and a showstopping bunk suite with four built-in beds and a boys’ bathroom and a girls’ bathroom. On the upper level there are two master suites with balconies overlooking the pool, landscaped backyard, and ocean beyond. An elevator provides easy transport from one level to the next. Smith managed to pull off the nifty trick of making a house both grand and down-to-earth. As sophisticated as it is, the house is alsowhat he calls “very casual and lived-in.” “This is not a hands-off atmosphere,” he declares. Wicker chairs at the oversized kitchen island, shiplap walls painted a creamy white, and a minimalist aesthetic all combine to make the home feel like a place you want to be barefoot. A beach house doesn’t need to have a beachy theme to remind owners and guests they’re at the shore. In the case of this classic oceanfront home, the wall of windows overlooking the sand and sea do the job quite nicely. The sound of ocean waves crashing against the shore and seagulls chirping overhead is its own kind of symphony.
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by Erdem Gorgun on Dec 31, 2019
A circa-1927 home is transformed into an unexpectedly grand cottage on a hill in the heart of Myers Park.
It was time to go. The couple had been toying with the idea of moving to Myers Park from their Concord-area home to shorten their work commutes, and one particular home kept popping up during their search. “My husband kept showing it to me, and I just kept telling him, ‘No. It’s way too big; it costs too much’,” she says. It wasn’t until a family friend suggested they go look at the home “just to see,” that the couple finally scheduled a showing. “Literally, as soon as we walked in, I knew it was the one,” she says. Within hours, the couple put an offer on the home. After much back and forth, though, the homeowners eventually rejected the couple’s final negotiated offer. “At this point, we’d already sold our house, so we had to move into a hotel,” she explains. “Our heart was set on that home, and we didn’t have a plan B. But as I was packing my things, we got the call from our realtor that they wanted to know if we’d still honor our last offer.” The home, it seems, was meant to be theirs. While they loved the bones of the circa-1927 Colonial-style home, they knew that it would need updating. That renovation, though, would not take place until nine years later when their next door neighbor offered to sell the couple their home. “We were ecstatic,” she says. Tearing down the adjacent home would allow the couple to expand their existing home while also making room for the swimming pool the husband had dreamed of having in the backyard. “It was the perfect situation,” she says. “Tearing down that home would allow us the space we needed to do everything we wanted.” Not long after purchasing the adjacent home, the couple reached out to architect Frank Smith whose vision for the home was to maintain its stunning yet unassuming cottage curb appeal and seamlessly expand the home so that you could never tell where the original structure began and where the addition and renovation started. “We probably went through five or six drawings with Frank before we got to the point where we knew this renovation was exactly what we wanted,” she says.
To expand the kitchen from its original galley style and make room for the swimming pool and outdoor living area—both hers and his top priorities with the renovation, respectively—the footprint of the home needed to be reworked. The couple enlisted the help of designer Laura Archibald, who worked closely with Smith to redesign the existing home’s layout to better fit the homeowners’ needs. What was once the living room became the dining room while the former dining room was transformed into a library with a staircase that leads to the second floor. The original garage transitioned into the new master suite while the existing den remained as is. With the addition came a larger living room, new kitchen, and a threecar garage with a room above.
Though the renovation nearly doubled the square footage of the home, the ultimate goal was to design a home that was aesthetically appropriate for the neighborhood. Being a oneand-a-half-story home, it’s unassuming from the street. “People often don’t realize how large the home really is when you see it from the sidewalk,” the homeowner says. “And being that it’s situated on a hill, we really wanted to make sure we weren’t going vertical with our square footage.” Archibald helped create a comfortable interior with the use of a calm, soothing color palette of greys and neutrals. Though the homeowners ideally wanted to use most of their existing furniture and accessories, Archibald ultimately installed new pieces while seamlessly weaving in some of the older items from the home’s original design. In the dining room, Archibald kept the original dining room table but switched out the traditional chairs for more transitional ones by Charles Stewart in a Duralee fabric while the homeowners’ china cabinet was “the perfect size for that space, so we decided to keep it in the mix,” Archibald says. In the den, the designer reupholstered the existing oversize sofa in a Pindler fabric but then added a pair of new Charles Stewart armchairs. “It was really about elevating the look to a more transitional style with color and textures,” Archibald explains. “It was such a departure from what we were used to,” the homeowner says. “But it was exactly what we wanted, and Laura nailed it.” The one-time small galley kitchen was transformed into a stunning open-air room overlooking the den. Archibald and the homeowners worked closely on the design of the kitchen designing the custom cabinetry by Johnson Custom Cabinetry and choosing the finishes and appliances. Because of its proximity to a living space, Archibald wanted to make sure the kitchen table felt more like an extension of the den, so she added a metal-top table by Bernhardt she found at High Point market coupled with skirted upholstered dining chairs on the side facing the living space. Opposite, a simple custom-designed bench slides under the table leaving more room between the counters and dining area. Backless counter stools by Hickory Chair keep the view from the kitchen to the den open. “Laura was always spot on with her fabric choices and colors,” the homeowner says. “We loved everything she picked for us and how she also kept some of our pieces in the look.” Though the couple wasn’t planning to fall in love with this house when they first saw it in 2003, today—with the renovation and addition—they can’t imagine their home being anywhere else but here. “Frank and Laura and this team brought our dream to fruition,” the homeowner says. “I didn’t know it back then, but this was exactly what we needed and wanted.
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by Erdem Gorgun on Dec 27, 2019
TWO DESIGNING WOMEN TRANSFORM A SHOWHOUSE INTO A FORT MILL SHOWSTOPPER.
Who doesn’t love when a chance meeting leads to an amazing creative collaboration? In this case, it was a festive street party less than two years ago at the Southern Living Home Summit in New Orleans that brought together Cary, North Carolina–based designer Vicky Serany, founder and principal of Southern Studio Interior Design, and custom home builder Mary Ludemann of New Old. “We immediately connected and spent the evening discussing building and design as we followed a band marching through the French Quarter,” Serany recalls with a smile. Fast forward to the fall of 2018, and the pair were in Fort Mill, South Carolina, along with Ludemann’s husband and business partner, Troy, visiting the site and reviewing plans for what would become The Bramble, Charlotte area’s first Southern Living Inspired Community, and the 4,200-square-foot Burnham show home. “Troy is a developer and had been wanting to do an intimate, high-end development for some time, he had just been waiting for the right location to come along,” Ludemann says. Both firms are known for their casually sophisticated, livable designs. Their goal in this home was to push the limits of design and showcase some new ideas while still creating realistic spaces. “Our buyers want right-sized rooms, not a bunch of cavernous spaces,” Ludemann says. “They want each room to be thoughtfully planned for the type of living that will go on in that space.” One look at the result and it’s clear that this team—with an assist from dozens of participating artisans and vendors—hit the sweet spot of what gracious living and entertaining in the South looks and feels like heading into the next decade: luxe functionality. While the ubiquitous modern farmhouse remains popular, it is quickly evolving and incorporating other architectural styles like craftsman and European. Buyers still request shiplap, but here it’s mixed with bold stone accent walls and modern geometric-print wallcoverings. There’s also less gray and more jewel tones—a trend Serany predicted last year. “We used a warm textural palette with the added drama of the emerald-green color in the main living areas. We saw a lot of emerald green during our visit to the furniture market in High Point and decided it was time to bring this fresh perspective to life,” Serany says. The key starting point was a fabric by Thibaut called Mitford—a lively combination of greens, black, and cream that was used for the window treatments and worked to bring nature indoors. Wallcoverings in smaller spaces like the pantry, laundry, and powder room complement this bold pattern. A pair of swoon-worthy emerald-green velvet sofas by Lee Industries anchor the living room, while a soaring stone wall crafted of thin-cut Tennessee Fieldstone by General Shale serves as the perfect backdrop for a conversation around the fireplace. An open floor plan means all eyes can focus on the dramatic kitchen and its eight-foot-wide custom matte, black metal hood with bronze strapping. Serany’s Southern Studio team designed the range wall, and New Old enlisted Modern Aire Ventilating to fabricate it. “It took eight men to lift and install the hood, and let’s just say it was nail-biting to watch,” Serany admits. The black and antique brass finishes extend to the lighting, fixtures, and hardware. The island, combining custom cabinetry by Walker Woodworking and a waterfall countertop of hand-cut honed Bianco Avion marble, provides plenty of prep space and comfortable seating. Black cowhide counter stools bring in rich texture. Two oversized Hollis Lanterns by Hudson Valley Lighting tie the space together, while a backsplash of white arabesque-patterned tile adds shine and pattern.
Just off the kitchen is every well-appointed home’s best-kept secret: a scullery. A British staple made famous by shows like Downton Abbey, this workhorse is making a twenty-first-century comeback. Large windows and light countertops by Silestone keep it bright, while the cozy feel comes from the stone-toceiling backsplash, graphite-toned cabinetry, and black and white porcelain flooring by Tile Collection. A twenty-four-inch under-counter beverage center by Sub-Zero frees up space in the main kitchen, and a thirty-inch Whitehaven Farmhouse sink by Kohler handles any party cleanup and other behind-the-scenes tasks. Custom shelving in the walk-in pantry, designed by IMPACT Design Resources and stocked by Williams Sonoma, surprises with hanging storage space for kitchen linens, while the laundry room incorporates a built-in dog bed underneath a handy desk that doubles as a folding station. In the master bath, more beautiful details abound, seamlessly blending old and new. A shapely, freestanding soaking tub gets a vintage vibe when paired with a floormount tub filler in champagne bronze. A combination of shiplap and gleaming white tile on the walls and shower extends to the ceiling and provides interest and texture without a lot of color. The charcoal-hued porcelain tile flooring offers a rich contrast. Serany found the wooden chair, which doubles as a towel holder, during a recent shopping trip to the Brimfield, Massachusetts Antique Flea Market. An upstairs guest bath stuns with its sleek pharmacy-style black vanity by Restoration Hardware and a striking abstract wallcovering called Metal Stars by abstract artist Windy O’Connor. Her original pattern continues into the bedroom on textiles for pillows and window treatments. It’s details like these that are meant to inspire, yet still be accessible—things people can take away and incorporate into their own homes. “This home is a style that begs for you to take your shoes off, come in, and enjoy. I think people really like the juxtaposition of the space,” Ludemann says. “Kind of like the oxymoron of New Old—it’s the balance achieved in the differences.
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by Erdem Gorgun on Dec 26, 2019
DESIGNER EMILY BOURGEOIS LOOKED TO THE LOWCOUNTRY LANDSCAPE FOR INSPIRATION BEHIND A SOUTH CAROLINA BEACH HOME.
When Emily Bourgeois was approached by her good friends to design their home in DeBordieu, South Carolina—a sleepy, private community just south of Pawleys Island—she was elated. The soonto-be clients were the architectural designer’s dear friends, and this was their first foray into building a home from the ground up. “I was flattered that they had chosen me to design their new home,” she says. The lot the couple had chosen was breathtaking. So much so that the moment the couple saw the piece of land, they bought it the same day. “We just knew this was where we needed to build our beach home,” the homeowner says. The lot overlooks a golf course with a large pond in the forefront. Towering oak trees strewn with lazy Spanish moss provide shade from the powerful Carolina sun. But it was the view of the grassy fairway coupled with the glassy pond that both the homeowners and Bourgeois knew had to be the focal point of the home. “The water, sun, sky, trees, everything about nature and being down there inspired the design of this home,” the homeowner says. “The inside wasn’t the story. The house had to lend itself to being where you saw the beauty of nature. That’s what guided the design.” With that in mind, Bourgeois set to work designing a home that allowed for views from just about every inch of the home. Though the couple wanted something a touch more modern, Bourgeois looked to traditional Palladian architecture, which features symmetry and graceful, understated decorative details. “They both appreciate the beauty of classicism, while truly loving the clean lines of modern architecture,” she explains. “We wanted the house to reference both. We used four main elements to tie the house to the past: a strong base and water table made of tabby, an exaggerated main floor with oversized windows, a minimized top floor with clipped walls and short windows high on the wall, and a floor plan driven by axis. The house even has a point inside where you can see outside on axis in all four directions.” The homeowners were laissez-faire about the process, letting Bourgeois take the lead on the architecture to design a home that took advantage of every possible view the structure would allow. “Once we had this in place, the owners were free to play with minimalism and modernism in furnishings and palette,” Bourgeois says. “The homeowner is a master at this and has an incredible eye for interiors. She is not afraid to be a little edgy but she always uses shapes familiar throughout history. She is never trendy or gimmicky. With that tether, her rooms are always mysteriously soothing and inviting.” “I really wanted the home to be one where you don’t walk in and say, ‘Oh, I love your sofa!’ but rather, ‘Oh my gosh, your view is amazing,” the homeowner says. “I really let Emily’s architectural details inspire the rest of the interiors. They’re so beautiful that I didn’t want to overpower them.” Swooping lines frame various areas, such as the range in the kitchen, so as to blend seamlessly with the adjacent living room. A hidden scullery hides the everyday appliances so the kitchen feels less utilitarian and more like an extension of the living room. At the top of the stairs, there are views in every direction, including down the hallway to the master bedroom where Bourgeois added a nail-head trim door to draw your eye through to the vista beyond. Letting the views dictate the design, or, at the very least, inspire it, allowed Bourgeois to utilize Palladian architecture’s signature design elements to enhance the experience one has throughout the home. “It was really about letting nature play center stage from the very beginning,” Bourgeois says. The homeowner adds, “The moment you walk in, you’re drawn right to the outside. It’s really breathtaking.
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by Erdem Gorgun on Dec 02, 2019
Patrick Overwijk has bravely juxtaposed the period features of his 18th-century home with bold mid-century design.
Seventies-inspired Versace wallpaper, bold lighting composed of oversized lightbulbs, and a porcelain cactus that borders on kitsch may not be what immediately springs to mind when you imagine the interior of an 18th-century Dutch townhouse. It’s exactly these surprising elements though, that make this family home so exciting. While most people would almost automatically team a breathtaking rococo ceiling (thought to be one of the most detailed in the region) with ornate, heavy antiques of the same period, the owners of this home, Patrick and Inez Overwijk, have adopted a more original approach. Instead, Patrick has fully embraced his love of mid-century design, and statement furniture and lighting come into play in every room. What ties the scheme together is the subtle celebration of the house’s original features. Despite Patrick’s passion for the 1950s, 60s and 70s, since moving here six years ago, he’s been committed to unveiling its floors, ceilings and walls – many of which were hidden under softboard coverings and layer upon layer of paint. ‘The whole house was filled with old elements – from the kitchen tiles to the ceiling of the living room. It has quite the personality,’ he says. It was this rich sense of the past that originally drew Patrick to the house: ‘We always wanted an old house, filled with history. It was our dream.’ Historically, the property has been inhabited by local mayors and doctors, and it is said that one of the former inhabitants would monitor his ships, sailing for business in England, from the balcony at the top of the building. It is these romantic elements that hooked Patrick and Inez. Transforming the house for modern family life was no quick fix, Patrick admits. ‘It took almost four years to get to this point. When we bought it, floors were damaged and original elements had been lost. It was in bad shape.’ The renovation had to follow strict building regulations as the house is included in the register of Dutch protected buildings. Patrick didn’t let this hold him back though. ‘I carried out extensive research regarding which colours to use in the interior – hunting for old photographs of the house and scraping off old layers of paint to reveal the original colours.’ Happily, these shades included a spectrum of greens, which now frame the entrance hall, complement a Morris & Co wallpaper in one of the living rooms, and reflect the rustic feel of the kitchen. Elsewhere, walls are simple and white or – in the kitchen – covered in original Delft tiles. Walking from room to room reveals a potted history of 20th-century design. Key pieces include a desk and coffee table by the Dutch designer Cees Braakman, a leather chair by Norwegian designer Ingmar Relling and one by the British designer Geoffrey Harcourt. The lighting is similarly impressive, with designs by the l i kes of Verner Pa nton, Ach i l le a nd Giacomo Castiglioni and Gino Sarfatti gracing the ceilings. These pieces were created for function as well as form, and so are perfectly placed for robust family life. Despite being a house of historical significance, it’s undoubtedly cool and modern. And that in itself is no small feat.
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by Erdem Gorgun on Nov 29, 2019
WHEN ELTE’S KEN AND RENEE METRICK FINALLY DECIDED TO EMBRACE COTTAGE LIVING, THEY BUILT A CONTEMPORARY RETREAT THAT’S AS PERSONAL AND POLISHED AS THEIR ICONIC STORES.
IF IT'S RARE TO FIND a family that can work together, it’s rarer stillto find one that, atthe end of a long workweek, can’t waitto getto the cottage to spend more time together. Ken and Renee Metrick and their sons, Andrew and Jamie, are the third and fourth generation of Metricks overseeing Elte,the wildly successful Toronto-based home decorating juggernautfounded by Ken’s grandfather 100 years ago in 1919.Almost a century later, in 2015, the family expanded its refined sensibility withElte Mkt, a sister brand focused on affordable luxury. The Metricks also own kitchen and bath retailer, Ginger’s. To putit mildly,the Metricks are devout city dwellers. “We’re not cottage people,” says Ken. “Summer for us was tennis and then dinner on the patio at one of our favourite restaurants in Little Italy.” Renee adds, “We used to rationalize it saying, ‘The city’s so great in the summer — there’s no one here!’” Elte was also a large part of what keptthem far from cottage country. Renee, who was Elte’s principal buyer for years, says they’re a family of workaholics with Ken, especially, living and breathing the business. Then there’s the factthat retail — like everything else — has changed over the years. “What used to be working five days a week is now seven days a week,” she says. “We never thought we could own a cottage. We were retailers and that meant always being available. Plus, we travel allthe time for work.” The idea of a family retreat outside the city eventually became more appealing when their two sons grew to take on more responsibility at the company (Andrew is the principal furniture buyer and Jamie handles the buying of rugs and broadloom). “Occasionally, we’d visit our friends at their cottages and see what a wonderful life it was,” says Renee. “And with better technology, we realized we’d still be able to work at a cottage if we needed to.” So she and Ken looked at places in Prince Edward County and Niagara-on-the-Lake, butthey were daunted by the drive. Then they found it: a northwest-facing waterfront property on Muskoka’s Lake Joseph that was less than a two hours’ drive from Toronto. Ken and Renee hired Kelly Buffey of Akb Architects to design the cottage. They appreciated her clean-lined style and meticulous approach. Their idea was a warm contemporary take on cottage living with a spa-like ambience. “We envisioned pods,” says Renee. “One for us and one for our kids off a central hallway.” The cottage would be a one-level structure made up of interconnected wood and glass units, designed to both naturally recede into the landscape and celebrate it by beautifully framing the magnificent views. Fitting like a puzzle piece into the lot, one side ofthe cottage would face the forest,the other, rocky terrain, and yet another would offer unobstructed vistas of Lake Joseph. To begin, Ken and Renee walked the site with Kelly, who examined its angles and where the light fell at different times of the day. “Our priority was to locate the pods to capture the best and longest views from each one through the bay and beyond,” says Kelly. The finished cottage is all about wellconsidered details. The metal-clad roof has a deep overhang that creates shade while enhancing privacy. Inside, walls and ceilings are wrapped in Thermory ash, an ash that’s been baked to give it a deeply ingrained hue. The interior decoration continues the minimalist outlook to a degree that’s surprising for a family in the home decorating business. There’s no artwork on the walls and very little colour. “I wanted itto be spa-like — serene, without a lot of clutter,” says Renee. Every bedroom has the same beds and linens; every bathroom has the same vanities and sinks. “It’s very us. We’re aware ofthe beauty of simplicity. We all dress simply, in neutraltones and primarily in black.” When the family, which now includes Jamie and wife Heather’s nine-month-old daughter, Zena, gathers atthe property, most days are whiled away on the boathouse dock where lounge chairs are lined up to look atthe lake. “As soon as we get up in the morning, we go down there, put on coffee, sit on the dock and enjoy the views,” says Renee. “After building allthis, we spend our entire time in this six- by eightfoot corner,” says Ken with a laugh. But keeping it simple has always been part ofthe strategy. “For us, it’s aboutthe serenity and peace,” says Renee. “By the time we hit Barrie, the sense of calm justtakes over. Within five minutes of being here, we relax.” Renee remembers friends saying, “You don’t want a cottage; it’s so much work,” but these urbanites have absolutely no regrets. “Honestly, it’s the bestthing we’ve ever done.”
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LET’S HAVE COFFEE IN THE GARDEN
by Erdem Gorgun on Nov 28, 2019
For 23 years, Dominic Monaco avoided his garden, but who could blame him? “It was a mini forest on a tilted slope,” he says, describing the tangle of overgrown cedars that grew on the incline just behind his home in Westmount, Que. When he did brave his side yard, he had to walk down steep stairs that led to a small, dark terrace with crumbling stone walls. In 2016, Dominic, who runs an auto parts company, finally decided to tackle the mess. “I thought maybe I would fix the wall and do the rest in phases,” he says. That short-term solution was tossed aside, however, after he met with landscape architects Sophie Robitaille and Teressa Peill. Impressed by their ideas, he recruited the duo for a full-scale reimagining of his outdoor space. “His house is modern, minimal and square, so my initial instinct was to respond to that architectural style,” says Sophie, whose first proposal detailed a rectilinear garden design. “Then Dominic said, ‘I’m Italian. I need my dream garden to hearken back to my roots.’” He also wanted the garden to be done in the warm, sunny hues of Tuscany to match his memories of dining alfresco among cypress and citrus trees. The garden took five months to build, with Alfonso Campisi as project manager, landscape architecture by RobitailleCurtis and landscape contracting by L’Artisan. To set the mood, Sophie and Teressa’s plan involved replacing the old concrete stairs with a curved design that gently leads to a terrace below. “The stairs offer a pleasurable experience,” says Sophie, encouraging you to meander, stop and stare at the cityscape beyond or admire the lush trees. Hemlock and river birch, hay-scented ferns, white Brunnera and a Japanese maple now grow along the stairs, bringing texture and vibrancy. In total, the landscape architects planted 52 trees on the property (including at the front of the house), along with shrubs and perennials. “Unlike a wild English garden, the planting was structural,” says Sophie. “Its layers create a sense of depth and privacy.” When you finally arrive at the bottom of the stairs, two distinct zones take shape on the terrace. A dining table, which perfectly fits the space, sits under the dappled light of a dramatic pergola built of Western cedar. Next to it, an outdoor sofa and deep, comfy armchairs invite lounging with digestifs. A low wall built of pale yellow Ducharme stone and topped in Adair limestone coping defines the perimeter and, instead of paving stones, Sophie chose a finely textured ground covering of granite and resin, which has a soft feel underfoot. Since the garden’s redo, Dominic heads to the terrace as often as possible. “Every morning after exercising, I walk the entire garden circumference in peace and quiet, taking it all in with an espresso,” he says. “It’s a perfect way to start the day.”
News
by Erdem Gorgun on Nov 26, 2019
The condo they bought in the heart of Toronto’s Yorkville neighbourhood overlooks the jutting, crystal-like exterior of the Royal Ontario Museum. “They were excited about being less traditional and more contemporary in an urban environment,” says Colette. With this fresh start, the owners were eager to see the treasures they had accumulated over a lifetime in a completely new light. Colette, who honed her everything-old-is-new-again approach in the U.K. when she was creative director for legendary designer Nicky Haslam, began by visiting her clients’ Montreal house prior to the move. She relished walking through the rooms one by one, reviewing the furnishings and accessories to decide which pieces to bring to Toronto. “I love the challenge of creating a dialogue between then and now, between antique and contemporary things,” she says. “I find it much more interesting than starting from scratch, which can look like a showroom.” Since it’s not always readily apparent what will sing or fall flat in a new environment, Colette encouraged her clients to bring more than they actually had room for, particularly pieces of art and statement mirrors. The designer says one of the biggest dilemmas when downsizing from a grand old home to a modern 2,517-squarefoot condo is how to create architecture in whatis essentially a box. “We agreed to keep the spaces quite clean, which allowed the antiques to really sing,” she says. That meant replacing the orange-tinged jatoba wood floors for more up-todate, rift-cut oak wood flooring and painting the walls white. Beyond freshening up the palette, Colette’s redesign brought new energy to the whole condo. The living room needed a focal point, so she designed a niche on each side of the fireplace inset with verre églomisé mirrors, and replaced the painted neoclassical mantel with a contemporary plaster version. Colette found that, in the dining area, the clients’ existing chandelier, sideboard and dining set needed some shaking up. “Once we whitewashed the mahogany Chippendale chairs and upholstered them in a cut velvet fabric, the room looked like a million bucks,” she says. The family room originally had tall, dark wood builtins and a fireplace, but the owners happily sacrificed them to get an extra two feet of space for lower builtins and an integrated work area. And in the home office, a floating walnut desk lets natural light stream in while floor-to-ceiling storage reveals a Murphy bed that transforms the space into a guest room. The ample cabinets are perfect for stashing essentials. “When you come from a house, you have overflow: clothes, linens, photo albums, filing papers,” says Colette, who ensured everything had a place. But it’s the gutsy additions like the Brutalist coffee table in the living room that build a vibrant tension with the homowners’ antiques. “That was a real wild card,” says Colette. “I knew it would be dynamite. Then I thought, They’re not going to get this.” The designer was thrilled when her client’s eyes lit up when she saw the table. Chalk it up to the rejuvenating power of new ideas.
News
by Erdem Gorgun on Nov 25, 2019
here was a time in my life when all I desired was an entirely white home — white floors, white walls, white furniture, even books sheathed in sleeves of white paper. It was an aesthetic I’d seen successfully carried out in magazines by artistic homeowners often living in New York City lofts with soaring factory windows. When we bought our first house in Toronto, we decided to live in the space for a few months before taking on a major renovation. The walls were a deep burgundy and the floors were a dark-stained, cheap parquet. Prior to moving in, I persuaded my husband to give everything a coat of white paint — including the floors — so at least the house would feel bright and clean. Three coats later, the place gleamed and my design fantasy to live in an all-white home was starting to take shape. I bought a white sofa, plucked out my whitest bound books and invested in lots of affordable white vases. The look should have started to come together, but no matter how many white things I threw into the space, it wasn’t quite right. Then one day, while studying a photo of a pristine white loft, it dawned on me: the whole reason the space worked was because of the gritty, downtown Soho envelope that surrounded it. It was the tension between the austere architecture and the graceful white furnishings that made it sing. In this issue, we have four homes where talented designers have played against expectations to create stunning spaces with that perfectteeter-totter effect. In Palm Beach, we step inside a landmark 1920s Mediterranean Revival house belonging to Maxine Granovsky Gluskin and Ira Gluskin that has been updated by New York firm Haynes-Roberts with a gutsy mix of mid-century, disco-chic Italian furniture thatfeels entirely appropriate. Closer to home, retailers John Baker and Juli Daoust-Baker, inspired by Paul and Linda McCartney’s mid-life flee to a country estate in Scotland, renovated a centuryold stone house in the country and setto work doing whatthey do best — applying their distinct, paredback Scandinavian-Japanese aesthetic to their rural digs. In Caledonia, Ont., a Victorian-era farmhouse with gingerbread trim and peaked roofs belonging to Judy and Michael McPhee was given a modern treatment with coats of white paint and a mix of down-to-earth honest pieces (think Windsor chairs) and contemporary furniture. And finally, we tour a soaring, downtown condominium with a decidedly contemporary vibe that delights and surprises with antique furniture updated in playful prints and an enviable art collection. Each ofthese homes responds to the architecture ofthe space butin a way thatis slightly unexpected. Instead of filling rooms with furniture ofthe same vernacular or era,they’ve played againsttype and the resultis glorious. I hope you enjoy these homes as much as I do.