2 When Janice Carter Levitch first stepped into the sundappled foyer in the midst of Derby week seven years ago, she immediately sensed that this would be the place where she would raise her two daughters, Alana and Sarah Carter. The girls were just six and seven years of age at the time, and as an active family Janice knew she wanted to be close to the park, but it was more than just the location and the home’s beauty that attracted her. “I sensed that the home had a life of its own and I intuitively followed that feeling,” she shared. From the bucolic appearance of this home’s façade, one would never guess that it is actually situated just a few minutes from 2. Spacious and welcoming, the foyer opens to both the salon and the office. The buffet was shipped in from its previous home in the French countryside and boasts stunning hand-carved pewter hardware and the original floralpatterned drawer liners. The terra cotta urn perched at the top of the staircase came from North Africa and was originally used as an olive oil container.
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3. A pop art-inspired image of homeowner Janice Carter Levitch acts as a focal point above the fireplace in the salon and was a gift from renowned photographer Ed Brown, marking a new chapter in her life. Lanterns from an estate in New Orleans flank the mantle, while rusticated urns planted with live topiary bring added symmetry and pops of bright green color to the space. The French doors open to the wine terrace, which boasts a stunning antique garden centerpiece and provides an excellent place for entertaining.
downtown Louisville, but the setting is just one of the many lovely characteristics of this neighborhood, which was designed to wrap around and complement Cherokee Park. Built in 1922, the home also has a certain international feel, as though you have suddenly been transported to some other place and time immediately upon crossing the threshold. Janice was initially driven by the desire to provide a stable, loving home for her two daughters and she also foresaw that here, in this home, she would finally be able to simply sit and write. Since then, Janice has spent countless hours in her office, documenting a lifetime of feelings and emotions, channeling her many experiences into the forthcoming Graceful Energy series. 4. Steeped in casual elegance, the dining room incorporates a long window seat along one side of the table. The pillows are covered in a tapestry from the 1920s that depicts a classic Parisian scene, while the table serves as an anchor for the space and was hand carved in Paris. One of the frames to the right of the doorway holds a beloved painting of a horse by one of the homeowner’s daughters and is virtually indistinguishable from the other works, which are by a variety of noteworthy artists.
5. As the home’s creative space, where homeowner and writer Janice Carter Levitch works on her Graceful Energy series, the office is a study in elegance and serves as the true heart of the home. The antique desk is a cherished gift from a dear friend in Cuba, while the paintings of palm trees flanking the couch are commissioned works by a Peruvian artist and the wall is adorned with a variety of pictures taken by the homeowner.