Hudson : Luxe Magazine March/April 2020

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MAR/APR 2020 DISPLAY UNTIL 05/04/20

ARCHITECTURE / JERRY L. COLEMAN, JERRY L. COLEMAN, DESIGNER LLC INTERIOR DESIGN / ASHLEY CATHEY AND MARY BETH WAGNER, AVREA WAGNER INTERIORS HOME BUILDER / BLAKE EVENSON, HUDSON CONSTRUCTION GROUP

AWAY with the

GRAY DALLAS DESIGNERS IMBUE A STATELY GEORGIAN RESIDENCE WITH HIGH-CONTRAST GLAMOUR AND EDGE. WRITTEN BY MAILE PINGEL PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENNIFER BOOMER

D

on’t give me gray,” was the homeowner’s directive for the interiors of a 1980s Georgianstyle residence she and her husband purchased on a tree-lined street in Dallas.

“She told us her favorite colors were black and white,” recalls designer Mary Beth Wagner, who worked alongside co-designer Ashley Cathey to translate the owner’s wish into a plan that would bring high contrast with touches of color to the home’s formerly beige interiors while also embracing its original architecture. “It had beautiful proportions but needed to be opened up a bit to accommodate this young family of five,” Cathey explains.

To help with the renovation, the duo brought on residential designer Jerry L. Coleman. Like them, he didn’t flinch at the idea of embarking on a renovation. “The house was originally designed by Paul Turney, one of my favorite local architects,” says Coleman. “It’s not necessary to tear down a structure built to this high level.” Together, the team added new flooring and windows with larger panes, an iron stair rail in lieu of a more traditional wooden version, and a stone surround for the front door. Builder Blake Evenson— with project manager Charlie Williamson—also executed plans that opened up the kitchen and incorporated an adjacent family room, reconfigured the master bathroom and added a covered back patio for easier outdoor living.

And, prompted by homes the wife had seen and loved in Atlanta and Charleston they coated the red brick façade with white paint, imparting a French feel appropriate for the Francophile couple.

With the renovations underway, Cathey and Wagner turned to the furnishings and to creating rooms that reflect the owners and their daughters. They also continued

“IT HAD BEAUTIFUL PROPORTIONS BUT NEEDED TO BE OPENED UP TO ACCOMMODATE THIS YOUNG FAMILY.” –ASHLEY CATHEY

talking about color. “I’m just not a beige person,” notes the wife. So rather than tempering the high contrast of a black and white palette with other neutrals, the designers brought in colorful accents, including shades of lavender and blue. “These clients are very stylish and the husband is not afraid of purple, so the pops of color we chose really catered to their personalities,” says Cathey. And when it came to the furnishings, “I’m a classicist at heart,” adds the wife. “I wanted to invest in traditional furniture but things that have a certain edge.”

The entryway, one of the wife’s favorite spaces, is a case in point. Its black and white marble flooring features triangles in lieu of a traditional checkered pattern for a dramatic first impression, set off by an elegant, glossy Art Deco console. Other rooms followed suit with comparably bold choices, including the living room with its cleanlined interpretation of a tête-à-tête sofa, and the 1940s Hollywood-inspired dining room with its glamorous lacquered ceiling, graphic Kelly Wearstler wallpaper and minimalist paper lantern chandelier—“a conversation starter that also happens to emit beautiful light,” Wagner says.

And, of course, there’s the library-turned-billiards room and bar area, where the designers upholstered the billiards table with an unexpected lavender cloth and instilled a Parisian vibe by painting walls a moody teal instead of the traditional navy—a nod to the husband’s love of the color blue. While there’s nothing black and white about this space, it plays into the high-contrast impact the wife requested while holding its own near the front entry. “We wanted it to be a jewel box,” says Wagner.

The designers carried the black and white scheme upstairs, where they interpreted it in a more serene way with the master bedroom’s decidedly more feminine Katie Ridder wallpaper and black-embroidered bedding.

When the designers presented the wife with options for the sleeping quarters, she was immediately drawn to the masculine-feminine contrast of the existing bold canopy bed with the delicate look of the wallcovering and linens— and she especially embraced the idea of a seating area with large-scale chaises inviting the couple to truly enjoy their master suite. “We wanted our own space now that the girls are older,” says the wife. “We were never able to sit and enjoy our master bedroom in previous homes.”

Whether retreating to the master for relaxation or opening up their new bar and billiards space to entertain friends, the owners are taking full advantage of their renovated residence, which the design team ensured was geared perfectly toward their tastes and lifestyle. “They’re extremely happy here and use every inch of this house,” says Cathey.

And, to be sure, there’s barely a hint of gray to be found.

The refreshed faรงade of this renovated Georgian-style home hints at its stately but modern interiors. Custom lanterns flank the front door. Archiverde Landscape Architects designed the landscaping, which Texas Land Care installed.

Lavender accents a living room coffee table from The Collection

by Avrea Wagner and bespoke Cele Johnson shades on RH floor lamps. Holland & Sherry covers the custom tête-à-tête while Perennials from David Sutherland appears on custom chairs, all atop a Missoni rug from Interior Resources. Claire Oswalt art hangs above the mantel.

Right: In a corner of the billiards room, 1970s-style RH chairs pair with a vintage side table and lamp, both from Ceylon et Cie. The custom rug is from Interior Resources. Walls are painted Sherwin-Williams Labradorite.

Opposite: Ralph Lauren Home lamps atop an Art Deco-style 1940s console in the entryway appose a custom bench covered in Holland & Sherry fabric. Black and white marble flooring is from Materials Marketing. The sisal stair runner lined with black leather is from Interior Resources.

“OUR CLIENT TOLD US HER FAVORITE COLORS WERE BLACK AND WHITE.” –MARY BETH WAGNER

Romo silk draperies punctuate Kelly Wearstler for Lee Jofa wallpaper in the dining room, where pattern continues onto the Kyle Bunting rug. A modernist paper lantern from Noguchi Shop in Queens, New York, makes a statement above the Mary Beth dining table by Kerr Collection paired with custom chairs clad in Jerry Pair Leather.

The master bedroom walls are covered in Katie Ridder’s Leaf pattern, tempered with Julia B. bedding, soft seafoam Perennials fabric from David Sutherland on the custom bench, Romo linen draperies and a sisal rug from Interior Resources. The lamp is Christopher Spitzmiller.

Below, left: Gray Malin photography overlooks the master bathroom’s freestanding bathtub by Waterworks. Kneedler Fauchère wallpaper imparts a serene feel.

Below, right: An arched doorway in the entryway reveals a glimpse of the couple’s custom wine cellar. The owner found the wall art years ago at Again & Again.