Larger than Light - Summer 2015 - Allan Moore

Kaleidoscope of Homes Designer Allan Moore brings his signature style home

As an interior designer, Allan Moore is a master of transformation.

Owner and principal of Allan Moore & Associates Interiors in Dallas, Texas, Moore has worked in the design industry for more than 20 years. From custom luxury, model and vacation homes to resort communities in Texas and California, he has worked on a multitude of eclectic projects throughout his career. He is equally at home remodeling a space as he is working on a new construction built from the ground up – or more recently, a unique combination of the two.

Last October, Moore brought his signature well-edited style to the 22nd Annual Kaleidoscope of Homes luxury home show in the

Moore designed the interior of this luxury home by Drees Custom Homes.

Photo: Drees Custom Homes

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2,000-acre planned community of Viridian in Texas. Presented by the Greater Fort Worth Builders Association, the event teamed up custom homebuilders, architects and interior designers in a worldclass presentation showcasing the best in their industries. The four-weekend event attracted tens of thousands of visitors. Moore designed the interior of a stunning 4,500-square-foot house on Plum Vista Place with a focus on creating a home fit for a modern day historic neighborhood while keeping true to classic architecture and interior design elements.

The home’s vintage modern interior is illuminated by a variety of Hudson Valley Lighting® fixtures. Inside the kitchen, pops of bright yellow come alive on a neutral backdrop with contrasting matte and high-polished surfaces. A pair of Altamont pendants in a lustrous historic nickel finish shed light on the kitchen island. The kitchen also offers a view into an adjoining nook with a built-in desk space, illuminated by an Odessa pendant; another one can be found in the hallway. Inside the spacious game room, a Gaines pendant was suspended over the gaming table, adding a refined touch of industrial chic to the comfortable space. Finally, Keswick bathroom bar sconces can be seen above the vanity mirrors in one of the home’s many beautiful bathrooms. Each room is distinctive and elegant yet perfectly cohesive within the rest of the home.

Moore’s exquisite work did not go unnoticed. His design for the Kaleidoscope of Homes has been translated to a new 152-acre development currently underway in Frisco, Texas. In an interesting example of “coming full circle,” Frisco is where Moore was raised and where his mother’s side of the family resided for over 70 years. Frisco is now one of the fastest growing cities in the country.

The Canals at Grand Park will be an urban-style, mixed-use village with almost 2,000 apartments, houses and townhouses designed around landscaped parks and waterways. The $500 million development will also adopt state of the art architectural regulations incorporating 12 traditional and modern styles.

With some minor exterior adjustments, Moore’s design for the Canals will follow the same floor plan as Plum Vista Place and will be finished out with duplicate furnishings.

Top Left: A look inside the foyer reveals checkerboard flooring, a beautiful staircase and owl artwork Bottom: Hudson Valley’s Machine Age-inspired Gaines pendant adds an industrial edge to the game room L AR GER T H AN LIGHT | SUMME R

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A major source of inspiration for Moore’s Kaleidoscope design was his own home. He currently resides in a magnificent 1923 Eclectic Tudor home located in Dallas’ Swiss Avenue historic district.

This neighborhood and several surrounding neighborhoods, which were built from the early 1900s through the 1940s, had a tremendous architectural influence on the new development and design that he implemented in Frisco. As Dallas’ first and oldest historic district, Swiss Avenue features around 200 carefully preserved and restored historic homes built by renowned architects, representing a variety of architectural styles popular during the time: Mediterranean, Spanish, Prairie, Neoclassical, Italian Renaissance, Georgian, Craftsmen, Tudor, Colonial Revival and more.

When Moore and his partner purchased the home in 2009, they performed a head-to-toe renovation of it along with the grounds and guest quarters. Because of this remarkable transformation, Moore was awarded the 2014 Preservation Achievement Award from Preservation Dallas. The interior of the dream home perfectly blends upscale sophistication with casual comfort. The guest quarters include a variety of Littman Brands fixtures, including Hudson Valley’s Exeter swing arm lamps and Troy’s Toledo in the bedroom, Hudson Valley’s polished nickel Pelham sconce above the kitchen sink and a Mill Valley vanity sconce in the bathroom.

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Hudson Valley’s Altamont pendants are a chic addition to this Kaleidoscope of Homes kitchen, which offers a peek of Odessa in the next room.

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DESIGNER Q+A We caught up with Allan Moore to learn about his work and design influences. www.amainteriors.com How did you get started in design?

My mother was an enormous influence on me. I can remember being in 5th grade, calling my mom at work and asking her if she could bring home paint so I could repaint the living room.

It just seemed natural. My mom has Allan Moore, Owner and Principal of always encouraged a “hard work and Allan Moore & Associates Interiors can-do” attitude. Today, Sandy Mathis (aka Mom), is co-owner of Porter Lighting and is one of the best and most respected lighting sales professionals in the industry. My favorite uncle also started in the lighting industry in the 1960s. It was always fascinating to visit the lighting store and be exposed to the fabulous homes that were being built throughout the decades. I was definitely hooked.

Allan Moore’s 1923 Eclectic Tudor home. Photo: Allan Moore.

I started working in the resort industry when I was in college. I was quickly promoted within the operations and merchandising divisions of the company, where I was submerged in design and fashion – both in apparel and home decor. I love the process of creating something from nothing!

In 2003, I decided to start my own company along with a talented design assistant who is now my company VP. We have since grown the business beyond imagination with the same “hands-on” approach I was taught at an early age. I never take the business or my design team for granted.

How would you describe your signature style?

My signature style leans toward clean-lined transitional – well-edited and bright. I like a project to tell a story while keeping away from any “themes.”

It has to be subconscious but speak to all the senses at the same time.

What inspired your overall design for the Kaleidoscope of Homes?

I had the opportunity to purchase a 1923 Tudor home in the Swiss Avenue historic district, which is the first and oldest historic district in Dallas. The previous owners had lived there for 57 years. Needless to say, it was a total front-to-back, head-to-toe redo! I loved the entire painstaking process.

The neighborhood reflects one of the finest diverse examples of classic architectural styles in a single neighborhood in the Southwest. That said, I had the opportunity to immerse many of these classical elements into the Kaleidoscope showhome – with a modern twist. My team and I infused a play of textures and a contrast of materials, which blended rustic woods with high-polished finishes. There was also a prevalence of both French and English influences as well.

Hudson Valley’s swing arm Exeter lamps and Troy’s Toledo wall sconce in the guest bedroom. Photo: Allan Moore.

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What were the challenges of designing for this showhome?

One thing that comes to mind is the game room. We wanted to create both a multi-functional family and adult space that didn’t include your typical pool table. We also wanted the home to tell a story, blending modern elements with a historic nod to the past.

Why did you choose the Gaines pendant for the game room?

The fixture integrated so naturally with our furnishings and backgrounds. The black iron with the classic aged brass accents blended handsomely with the French iron game table and the rugged iron hardware that was used on the media room’s barn door entrance.

What inspired you to use Altamont pendants above the kitchen island?

Many things: the silhouette, finish, scale and simplicity all-in-one!

They are the “icing on the cake.”

Odessa pendants are found in two utilitarian spaces.

What made these pendants stand out to you?

I love these pendants! We used them in two adjoining spaces.

They are the perfect bridge between the built-in desk area, which you can see from the kitchen, and the connecting mud room with its classic 1920s style keystone tile floor. With beautiful vintage schoolhouse glass and a touch of polished nickel, how could you go wrong? The advantage of using these types of fixtures in utilitarian spaces is not only do they tell a story and look fantastic, but they also bathe the area in ample light.

How do you approach lighting for the bath?

First we take into account the plumbing fixture style and finish. I prefer to blend and complement one with the other. This is your jewelry in the space.

Did Hudson Valley Lighting’s products meet your expectations?

Definitely! We have been spoiled with beautiful options, both classic and contemporary styles. The craftsmanship and quality are prevalent in every space.

Hudson Valley’s Keswick sconces can be found in this bathroom Moore designed for the Kaleidoscope of Homes

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