Reimagining dark tones throughout the home with lighter, brighter and prettier features for the feel of an elegant English villa.
The house’s handcrafted, reclaimed woodwork is a phenomenal organic detail, and we were careful to preserve it.
However, the amount of it throughout the house gave an overcast mood to the home, and the clients looked for a lighter feeling.
We were careful not to alter the character of the house, but lighter-colored walls and fewer heavy built-ins freed up visual space.
The kitchen was refreshed in white, with a captivating seven foot ventilation hood.
Cabinets were adorned with decorative crémone bolts and metal grills, the ornate range hood was custom built by Gieske, and the backsplash is covered in tile from International Materials of Design.
The perfect balance of energies
The original house had such a masculine feel, and combined with our client’s femininity and love of beautiful selections, the final product was a perfect marriage of both energies. The dark wood and the mysterious undertones grounded the lightness throughout the house.
Multi-purpose laundry room
We wanted the laundry room to be as beautiful as any other room in the house. The space doubles as a playroom and craft space for grandchildren. Ceiling-height cabinets conceal toys and art supplies.
Gold and magnolia master suite
We selected a gold-dipped tree trunk poster bed frame for the master suite, installing the piece as a surprise before the final reveal. The frame was the perfect touch to the room, playing off the magnolia branches in the bedroom’s Phillip Jeffries wallcoverings.
“Once I saw it there, I couldn’t not have it – it was perfect for the room.”
A final touch and fateful connection
A final touch to the space, we selected works by Kansas City artist Helen Wendlandt. As fate would have it, Wendlandt died the day the art was hung.
When the clients saw the art during the reveal and asked the name of the artist, the connection was made that Bruce Wendlandt, the original designer of the house, was Helen Wendlandt’s son.