a growing family builds their contemporary forever home.

With an abundance of visiting relatives and a love for entertaining, a young couple designs their contemporary charmer. Our team helped bring their lively and fresh style to life in their two-story home.

ARCHITECTURE, INTERIOR DESIGN & STYLING

Contemporary Charmer | Saint Henry, Ohio

Building for forever and for today. This contemporary home in rural Ohio sits prominently on a corner lot for all to admire. With large windows, light exterior finishes, and fresh landscaping, their grand entryway welcomes you in. This contemporary charmer is the perfect setting to entertain friends and family inside and out.

OBJECTIVES

This young, stylish couple wanted an inviting, two-story house, fit for their growing family. Both coming from large families and having a love of entertaining, they wanted the space to be able to host events comfortably inside and out. Our architects were brought in to complete a full architectural scope including site planning, floor plans, and exterior & interior elevations, while our interior design team worked away at exterior and interior finishes, casework design, and lighting.

intentional interiors

Upon entering the home, guests are greeted by a stunning staircase, laid out to switch back over itself, guiding you to the second story. This structure was built with light wood treads and newels, mixed with a matte black, linear baluster design that would match the contemporary feel of the home. Offset by pure white walls, the clean staircase design is further heightened by multiple windows that fill the stair tower with light, sparkling off of the tiered, glass statement chandelier that hangs above. 

Highlighting the 20-foot ceilings, ebony-stained, wood planks were installed vertically creating a focal point in the main living area. Contrasted by the fresh white walls, this fireplace offers sharp lines and clean finishes with its three-sided linear glass insert. The feature gives a home to their television, allowing it to subtly fade into the woodwork. Becoming the heart of the living room, the fireplace is surrounded by an abundance of seating to allow for relaxing after a long week or providing the room for having company over.

The kitchen is an extension of the light and airy living area, connected by two large openings. During construction, our team pivoted in the new cabinetry finishes selection with the client’s wish to switch from full custom to semi-custom cabinets. We coordinated with vendors to ensure the details in the shop drawings were carried over. With light wood floors, our designers chose a light gray stained finish on a classic shaker-style cabinet, topped off with white and gray marbled quartz. The space is anchored by a large island, perfect for meal prep and casual family meals. Over the island hangs whimsical pendants, adding unexpected fun to the space. Adding additional storage space behind closed doors, the large butler’s pantry is home to custom cabinetry. In order to flood natural light to the kitchen, the eight-foot-high sliding patio doors connect directly to the covered outdoor patio.

The Primary bedroom houses an en suite bathroom, built to feel like you’re experiencing a relaxing spa retreat. Our designers used warm, light woods for the cabinetry mixed with stunning, white countertops. The large bathroom features a jetted bath, and a zero-entry, glass–enclosed shower with large tile that runs on the floor and up to the walls and tub surround. For added privacy, there is a separate toilet room tucked away on the side of the space, along with a linen closet for extra storage. The double vanities were separated to give the couple their own space — including an area for makeup application and hair styling, with a place to sit.

With interests in fashion, the homeowners needed a space large enough to house their trove of shoes, clothing, and jewelry. This oversized room has a prime location, between the primary bedroom and the bathroom. The custom built-ins carry in the light wood tones from the bathroom, mixed with the pure white walls that are seen throughout the home. Windows were crucial to illuminate the space with natural light, and a large wall mirror and benches are strategically placed for functionality and comfort. Everything was made to be adjustable and can be reworked throughout the space as the needs of the owners, or their collections, change.

luxury lighting

Each and every light fixture in the home has its own unique detail and thoughtful placement. From wood beads to round and tubular crystals to brass accents with frosted glass, there is no shortage of visual interest. The design team decided to forego a chandelier in the large dining room, to ensure the focus was kept on the spectacular view of the outdoors from the large windows in this space. In the stair tower, a statement chandelier glows and can be seen from the front exterior of the house at night. The exterior soffit lights blend in with the black finish, purposefully not disrupting the clean lines of the home’s architecture. Greeting you at the entryway, are metal tubular, vertical lights that adorn the stone structure.

picture perfect styling

After completion, our clients requested styling services to prepare for a photoshoot of their family within their new space. Our design team began by looking at the style of the home to determine selections that would be interesting and impactful within their interior. We began selecting things like rugs, pillows, throws, and decor that coordinated with the color scheme and aesthetic of their home, but that all offered variance in scale, pattern, and texture — adding visual interest. 

Our designers selected pieces that would fit the contemporary aesthetic of the home. They kept the color palette neutral, adding foliage to provide a pop of color with organic shape and texture. Scale was a special consideration in the dining room with the height of the ceiling. Our team chose a large, bright white urn, filled with extra long, sparsely leaved stems for a dramatic effect. In the main living area, a large blank wall held enough space for an oversized piece of abstract art in neutrals complementary to the home’s palette. Throughout the home, you’ll notice pieces of decor that hold organic structure and color, with pops of fresh, natural greens from the plant selections.

Thoughtfully designed for style, functionality, and comfort, this contemporary charmer makes a statement to all who see it. It represents a fun and fashionable couple, who have built their home with great care and intention. This young and growing family has built a space for gathering and enjoying life — the perfect setting to entertain friends and family, and the space to settle in and grow into their forever home.