CHRISTOPHER ARCHITECTURE & INTERIORS
OCTOBER 10 – 13, 2019 | VESTIVIA HILLS, AL
Sponsored by
AUBURN MILLWORK AVX
BARNETT FURNITURE
BRANDINO BRASS CO.
CENTRAL ALABAMA INSULATION
CHAMPION ELECTRIC
D & N PLUMBING, INC.
ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN STUDIO
FALKNER GARDENS
FERGUSON
FIREROCK
HINKLE ROOFING
KINGDOM WOODWORKS
KING'S HOUSE MES, INC.
OVER THE MOUNTAIN GLASS SUMMER CLASSICS / GABBY
SURFACE ONE
TRITON STONE
WHITE GUTTER COMPANY
IN THE WORKS
The Team behind the Showhouse
WELCOME
A Word from Chris Reebals
DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT
Meet the Designers
LIFELINE CHILDREN'S SERVICES
Showhouse Charity Partnership
BEFORE & AFTER
A Showhouse Transformation
FAMILY MINDED
Words from the Waltchacks
DESIGN DETAIL
Custom archways and railings boast the excellent craftsmanship found throughout the home.
DESIGN DETAIL
A Narnia door was designed as a secret passageway between the girl's rooms.
DESIGN DETAIL
Patterned wall coverings were used to give the home a playful yet elegant feel.
COVER IMAGE BY
Leslee Mitchell
PHOTOGRAPHY
Leslee Mitchell
@lesleemitchell
CHRISTOPHER ARCHITECTURE & INTERIORS
Christopher Architecture & Interiors is a luxury, high-end design firm specializing in Custom Residential, Boutique Commercial, and Estate & Land Planning. It is our mission to inspire, create, nourish, and stimulate a broader appreciation for excellence in design and its importance to individuals and communities. We seamlessly blend responsive architecture and thoughtful interiors to create a cohesive environment that complements each client’s specific needs. Being a full-service firm enables us to deliver a unique style for clients and to see each project through from the beginning to the very end, handling every detail along the way. Our intent is to create a comprehensive environment that complements a client’s project needs. All aspects of design should complement one another, and this is uniquely why our architects and interior designers collaborate throughout the entire process. Whether it is a whole house design, office renovation, corporate headquarters design, or kitchen remodel, we will listen to your needs, ideas, and dreams. We then combine this with the talents of our designers to meticulously craft a space better than imagined.
ARCHITECTS
Chris Reebals
Madeline Hoisington
INTERIOR DESIGNER
Lydia Smith
BUILDER
Narnia Construction
CHARITY PARTNER
Lifeline Children's Services
INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK PINTEREST
@creebals @madeline_hoisington
@lydiasmith_cai
@narniaconstruction
www.lifelinechild.org @lifelinechild @christopherai
@ChristopherArchitects @christopherai
Auburn Millwork
AVX
Barnett Furniture
Brandino Brass Co.
Central Alabama Insulation
Champion Electric
D & N Plumbing, Inc.
Environmental Design Studio
Falkner Gardens
Ferguson
FireRock
Hinkle Roofing
Kingdom Woodworks
King's House
MES, Inc.
Over the Mountain Glass
Summer Classics / Gabby
Surface One
Triton Stone
White Gutter Company
@auburnmillwork @avxinc
@barnettfurniture @brandinobrass weinsul8.com champtech.us dnplumb.com
@environmentaldesignstudio_inc @falkner_gardens @fergusonshowrooms @firerock_inc hinkleroofing.com
@kingdomwoodworks @kingshouserugs
otmglass.com
@summerclassics / @gabbydecor @surface1pelham @tritonstonegroup whitegutters@gmail.com
SHOWHOUSE PUBLICATION PRINTED BY Craftsman Printing Inc. | craftsmanprintinginc.com
Our philosophy of design is based on the principle of collaboration.
When Christopher Architecture and Interiors engages a project, our desire is to not only capture but also enhance the vision of our client. We often say, “A legacy home should be the expression of our client’s dream.” For our Chestnut Drive client, their dream was to integrate an adopted and biological blend of children into one family. They believe adoption is a beautiful expression of God’s love for His children; orphaned children who have been adopted into His family.
Psalm 68:5,“Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.”
For some families, it is the view of the ocean or the mountains which inspire; for others, it is how can a space facilitate entertainment for guests. For this project, it was always one thing — family! As we got to know our client, we were motivated by their contagious love and selflessness seen not only in the parents but also in the children. The design team let this contagious spirit sink in and used it as motivation to create a special haven for the family.
As an extension of the family’s desire to help orphaned children, we are now opening this bespoke residence to raise awareness and funding for Lifeline Children Services, a charity that supports families and vulnerable children through adoption, foster care, and counseling services. Christopher Architecture and Interiors’ hope is that the design of this home will inspire visitors, but more importantly we hope that we will all be reminded to love and serve those who are in need. Our greater goal is to raise awareness of a deep and worldwide need to provide loving homes for orphans.
Thank you,
CHRIS REEBALS President of Christopher Architecture & Interiors
"We know that the best designs are created when a team of gifted professionals work together to craft a home; from the client to the architect, the interior designers to the builder, we believe that we are a sum of creative parts, and when we are all working together with a common goal we will achieve excellence."
As a registered architect, Chris is a member of the National Council of Architecture Registration Board and the American Institute of Architects where he serves on the board of directors for Alabama’s chapter. With more than 20 years of experience in both residential and commercial design, he is a nationally recognized, award-winning architect; recently a finalist for both the 2017 and 2018 ADAC’s “Southeastern Architect of the Year,” and recipient of multiple AIA designs and national HGTV awards. Civically, Reebals serves on the board of directors for multiple non-profit charities, is the president and a founding member of an orphanage ministry, and is an elder at his church.
As the President of Christopher Architecture and Interiors, Reebals has grown the firm from one to twentyprofessionals. Today, Christopher Architecture and Interiors is a nationally recognized, multidisciplinary firm. Serving clients with a collaborative methodology has established Christopher Architecture and Interiors as a premier luxury design firm having been featured in local, regional and national publications.
Chris Reebals President of Christopher Architecture & Interiors
“Our vision was to craft a home that perfectly fit both the family and surrounding context. Ultimately we wanted to create a design that was both contemporary and timeless.”
Madeline is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana and studied architecture at Auburn University. Loving both art and math, she found architectural design to be the perfect combination of both. She earned her dual degree in architecture and interior architecture, and then joined Christopher Architecture and Interiors in 2016. When not at work, she and her husband Nick enjoy going to concerts, renovating their Bluff Park home, and playing with their golden retrievers Chloe and Arlo.
Madeline Hoisington
Project Designer at Christopher Architecture & Interiors
@MADELINE_HOISINGTON
ARCHITECTURE
"We
spent time getting to know the family in order to best understand what their home should be. Our goal was to create a home that was both beautiful and practical."
A Birmingham native, Lydia earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in interior design from Samford University with cum laude honors. She then worked for Signature Homes as a plan designer for several years before joining Christopher Architecture and Interiors. She is currently collaborating on several projects with our architects, where she excels in creatively designing detailed and elegant solutions. She devotes most of her free time to projects updating her new home, but she also enjoys being active at her church, painting, and spending time with family and friends.
Lydia Smith
Interior
Designer
at Christopher Architecture & Interiors
@LYDIASMITH_CAI
Lifeline's mission is to equip the Body of Christ to manifest the gospel to vulnerable children. They do this through their ministries of adoption, pregnancy counseling, family restoration, strategic orphan care, education, and counseling. Their heart for the vulnerable is carried out differently through each of these services.
To date this year, Lifeline Children's Services is/has...
• currently serving 407 waiting families through domestic and international adoption
• received referrals for 399 birthparents in the midst of an unplanned pregnancy
• trained 38 new foster families, 25 in Alabama provided parenting classes to 227 parents in need of reconciliation with their children, with 186 graduating from the course trained 470 caregivers in Colombia, India, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Romania, and the Dominican Republic
STRATEGIC ORPHAN CARE: (UN)ADOPTED® — Throughout the world there are more than 153 million orphans. However, less than 1% of these children will be adopted. The call to care for the orphan in distress can not be fulfilled through adoption alone. (un)adopted exists to reach orphaned and vulnerable children with the hope of the gospel and equip them with the life skills needed to bring about sustainable community transformation.
FAMILY RESTORATION — Lifeline seeks to bridge the gap between local partner with local churches in recruiting, training, and educating foster families and foster families. Lifeline’s goal is that the local church would professionals serving them through traditional Foster Care, Harbor Families™,
churches and the child protective services of the state. To accomplish this, they foster families, as well as equipping churches to provide on-going support for both birth would be the hands and feet of Jesus to children in foster care, birth families, and other Families™, and Families Count™.
ADOPTION — Lifeline’s International and Domestic Adoption Programs exist to provide a hope and a future through the gospel for vulnerable children. Lifeline is firmly committed to discipling, encouraging, and supporting Christian adoptive families. They walk hand-in-hand with families by equipping and educating them before, during, and after welcoming their child(ren) into their family.
PREGNANCY COUNSELING — Lifeline’s deepest desire is for women and men in unexpected pregnancies to embrace the gospel of Jesus. Our hope is that they understand they and their child are made in the image of God and are therefore valuable. Lifeline empowers them to choose the best life-giving option for them and their unborn child. They accomplish this through 24/7 support, options counseling, connecting them to tangible resources, adoption planning, and post-placement support.
EDUCATION & COUNSELING — Lifeline is committed to preparing and encouraging adoptive and foster families with the vital knowledge and resources to nurture and disciple the children coming into their homes. This ministry includes counseling, intensive therapies, teaching, training, and support services that are available throughout the adoption and fostering journey.
When Rushton and Derek Waltchack approached Christopher Architecture and Interiors to update their existing ranch-style home, they faced a dilemma many homeowners are facing today. Should they renovate their existing home or tear it down to the foundation and build back up? The three bedroom, two bathroom home needed to be updated to fit the Waltchack's growing family. Ultimately the decision was made to rebuild the home and build on top of the existing foundation, and it was transformed into a six bedroom, six bathroom home. As you can tell from the exterior images, the design of the new home is similar to the existing footprint, but significant improvements have been made.
To make sure you get the greatest return on your investment, simply adding square footage to the back of a house that no one can see is not advisable. Changing the exterior of your home and increasing your street presence will add value. A foundation built to support a one-story home can typically support a two-story home. Consider going up, not just back.
Choosing whether to renovate or rebuild is not an easy decision. Many factors should be accounted for — some of which depend on your personal preference and your emotional involvement in the house. Some are outside of your control, such as the economic value or efficiency of existing resources. Without a doubt, you want to seek professional advice in your approach. People often wonder, “Can I afford to hire an architect?” When it comes to answering this monumental question and entrusting someone with the design of what is most likely your single greatest investment, can you afford not to hire one?
The beauty of this eclectic family is expressed in many ways; one of which is their heart for adoption.
WORDS
BY Rushton Waltchack
We were blessed with three biological children when we felt a pull toward adoption. Being that our faith in Christ is the foundation of our family, we saw Lifeline Children's Services, a local christian adoption agency, as a perfect fit. We were specifically drawn to China, and Lifeline's China program is one of the best in the Country. Fast forward two adoptions and five children later, we were outgrowing our three bedroom home. We loved the work of Christopher Architecture and Interiors, so we knew exactly who we wanted working on our home. We have always been involved in raising money for local families who are adopting children, so when the idea of the showhouse came up we were 100% on board. During the building of our home, the Lord led us to one more daughter in China. Lifeline helped us bring her home as well by completing our homestudy. We are forever thankful for Lifeline for helping us to grow our family, and we are also forever grateful for Christopher Architecture and Interiors for helping us to build a home to raise our six children in. It is such a blessing to have space for our children and their friends to gather. Our prayer is that our home will be a place that draws people in and where they leave refreshed.
Each space of this home has a distinct language, but like the family, the uniqueness of every aspect blends together to create a beautiful composition.
When designing a home, we start the process with research in order to establish a theme. This theme influences every design move. Whether it is engaging the topography, emphasizing views, or simply entertaining guests, a Christopher Architecture and Interiors design respondsnot only to its surroundings but also to the client’s needs, priorities, and lifestyles. For the Waltchacks’ Residence, the theme was family. With children ranging in age from 6 to 15 and parents who pour their heart and soul into their children, Derek and Rushton’s dream was to create a home which was both beautiful and practical. They wanted a place to capture memories and enhance the day to day excitement a family of eight always brings.
“A home is sacred; it is private and public, family and friends. The mere structure of a home cannot create family or fun, but by design, it can enhance and facilitate community, privacy, entertainment, emotion, and vibrancy. Whether it is the sun filtering through a window, or how spaces flow between inside and out, there is power in good design to shape the lives and actions of the
people who experience it. We love designing for passionate, authentic people, and the Waltchack’s are the real deal. They love their children and it shows, so it was a joy to create something special for such a selfless and giving family,” says Chris Reebals, President of Christopher Architecture and Interiors.
Once engaged to design a home for this amazing family of eight, the architecture and interior design team was eager to submerge themselves into the “controlled chaos” and learn as much as they could about how the Waltchack’s live. Chris Reebals (President, architect), Madeline Hoisington (lead architect) and Lydia Smith (lead interior designer) got to know the family –everything from the morning rush to after school activities to dinnertime became sparks of design inspiration. The challenge became creating a beautiful, elegant home that would serve their needs and evolve with the family. At the heart of everything, Derek and Rushton wanted to create an oasis for their children, where memories would be created and relished.
THE TEAM LABORED OVER DESIGN AND MATERIAL CHOICES THAT WOULD SPEAK A LANGUAGE OF BOTH ADOLESCENCE AND ADULTHOOD.
THE GOAL OF THIS HOME WAS TO HAVE A FUN AND HAPPY FEEL, KEEPING THE INTERIORS CASUAL, COMFORTABLE, AND FAMILY ORIENTED WITH AN ALMOST UNDERSTATED ELEGANCE.
While reflecting on earlier meetings, Lydia says, “From the inception of the design process, Derek and Rushton expressed a deep desire for their home to be livable. They wanted their house to have a fun and happy feel, keeping the interiors casual, comfortable, and familyoriented with an almost understated elegance.”
The design team began by studying the site, a beautiful lot on the corner of Chestnut Road and Monterey Place in Vestavia Hills, Alabama. A design foundation of Christopher Architecture and Interiors is to create structures which feel connected to the site by engaging the landscape. “We wanted the home to feel just right, and we accomplished this, in part, by using natural materials that will become more beautiful with time. For example, we used wood roofing and copper accents that will patina beautifully. We also tested many different stone techniques to achieve a finish which resembles old-world foundation techniques,” says Madeline. On a back terrace, there is a pallet of natural materials which is complemented by a large steel and glass wall. This modern element not only creates a nice juxtaposition but also washes the center of the home with natural light, creating a direct connection to the outdoors.
The interior design of the home is built upon the same familial themes. Lydia envisioned both bold and subtle contrasts to create what might be called a whimsical sophistication. In other words, an interior finish and décor which responds to the children’s playful spirit while responding to the adults’ vision for elegance. “We incorporated multiple techniques to create a responsive environment, one which responds to both an adult and a child. Small nooks, loft spaces, tiny hidden passages, bright colors, and durable materials garnered an enthusiastic response from the children. A large sunken tub/shower combination, marble countertops, arched ceilings, neutral color palettes, and refined finishes were incorporated in response to Derek and Rushton’s sophistication. While complimenting color palettes, finishes enhanced through patterning techniques, expressive cabinet details, fabrics, fixtures, art, rugs, and accessories were introduced selectively to speak to both the adults and children. “They wanted to keep the interiors casual, comfortable, and family-oriented,” says Lydia, “and we accomplished this by implementing fun design features for the kids, using bright colors, and mixing family heirlooms with newly purchased furniture pieces.” Everything from the large kitchen island, custom dining table, to the designated craft area serves to foster a comfortable environment for the entire family.
“One of the hallmarks of Christopher Architecture and Interiors is how our team collaborates on each project,” says Chris while reflecting on the process. “We design as a team — architecture and interiors both engaged from the beginning with clients, contractors, and craftsmen. We have a shared vision to create a product that will not only enhance the life of the clients but also everyone who will view and experience the design. We seek to create timeless structures which enhance individuals, families, and communities.”
SHOWHOUSE SPONSORS
We are honored to work with these companies and appreciate their passion and dedication to their craft. We want to thank the participants for all of their hard work and generosity.
The following pages are dedicated to those who helped make this showhouse a success. >>
Highland Ave S Birmingham, AL 35205 | christopherai.com | (205)413.8531