Knowing how challenging building a new custom-designed home can be, these clients reached out to me before they even broke ground. They have told me several times it was one of their best decisions.

Everything about this project was unique: the lot, the style of the home, the finishes, and above all, the feeling the clients wanted when they walked in the front door. All this made for a very different aesthetic than I am normally asked for but in a very refreshing way.
The clients desired “negative space,” therefore, the finishes selected needed to be strong and clean. In essence, they needed to stand on their own. The free-standing two-story fireplace was wrapped in large format polished Marmi Classico black tile with strong white veining throughout to keep the look clean. JRD designed and built a floating mantel for the lower level out of a reclaimed white oak barn timber. This allowed a more casual vibe in the entertaining area of the home and complemented the suspended steel and wood staircase.

In the kitchen a clean, pure white quartz center island runs 12 feet long, providing ample space for six leather-topped piston stools. The white quartz is repeated on the countertop and 4 foot backsplash, which complements the dark wood flat-paneled cabinetry and draws your eye up to a span of horizontal windows which provide plenty of natural light in the daytime and make a striking architectural feature at night.
A unique convex wall finished in vertical slats of beautiful Tigerwood greets guests as they approach the front entrance. Inside the home, the reciprocating concave wall provides the perfect niche to display a cone-shaped piece of Louisiana Cypress driftwood (I found this “sculpture” on a sourcing trip to Chicago and knew it would resonate with the Bayou-born homeowner).

The clients have acquired many beautiful pieces of art and furniture over their years of travel. The biggest challenge was to find just the right mix, in order to maintain the clean, strong aesthetic they desired while surrounding them with the warmth and joy a beautiful home can provide.
While the project had its challenges, I truly enjoyed working with these homeowners. What started out as a business relationship is now a very special friendship.