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Contemporary design is not always bright colors, hard lines and cold surfaces. This home features warm lighting, earthy hues and soft silhouettes.
tables work with two light butterscotch leather couches to edge out a sitting area for taking pleasure in the one-of-a-kind fireplace. Traditional notes like wood grain and billowing draperies accent the adjacent dining room. Crisp whites, creamy taupes and earthy browns bring the outside in through a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows. The area features an unusual light fixture imported from France and comprised of custom-made translucent parchment panels that reflect the light prism into multiple colors. The quadrants of the fixture are echoed in the square wood grain on the dining table, serving as a sort of reflection of one another. Sapele wood continues from the family room into the kitchen, where stainless steel appliances serve as design elements and mesh with the chrome accents of the furniture and fixtures. Flat-panel cabinets provide a border to the open area, which boasts a substantial granite workspace and island with polished
and leather finishes. Low-profile bar stools provide the perfect place to sit and chat or just to marvel at the mixture of modern and vintage characteristics of the kitchen and keeping room. Simplicity and minimalist design flow on into the master bedroom where blue hues enter the color palette. A handsome wooden headboard with floating glass shelves rests against an accent wall featuring a faux paint technique which washes grays and blues together to create a muted but gallant backdrop. Duplicate hanging bedside lamps and a geometric rug add more mod touches to the room. The luxurious silk sheers allow light to enter the space and keep the feel of the room airy and ethereal. In the master bathroom, a floating vanity supports a white porcelain modern-form sink with shapes that echo the exterior of the home. Behind the vanity, a tall and slim, floor-toceiling mirror draws the eye up to a pair of breathtaking vertical light fixtures. Beneath
the sink, a stack of tumbled river stones brings an outdoor texture to the clean-lined modern space. Upstairs, a billiard room and large sunken media area provide space to entertain guests. The relaxing and easy aesthetic brings calmness to the area, which features a stunning custombuilt bar with an iron railing and solid quartz top. A wall of windows implores onlookers to enjoy the walk-out terrace overlooking the secluded backyard. Builder Shaw says the home turned out perfectly and there is nothing he would go back and change about the design. “The challenges of building a custom home for a client are many. Getting to know them, their tastes, preferences, attitudes, expectations and then listening to them – really listening – is important,” explains Shaw. “For it to be a successful build, the home must be built around their lifestyle. You can’t try to fit a customer into a plan–you have to create a plan to fit them.” October 2011 • athometn.com | 63