Polished Performance

BY BRAD MEE PHOTOS BY SCOT ZIMMERMAN

In Holladay, a team of pros transforms a dark ’90s interior into a showcase of light-filled spaces, vibrant jewel tones and chic, classic style.

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A new fireplace, classic millwork and a wall of built-in cabinets replaced the original stone feature. Dark beams span the ceiling while a custom rug from Regency Royale anchors the seating area below. Four custom tufted chairs covered in a Pindler & Pindler fabric add pops of color to

the space. The sofa is by Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams.

BEFORE

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Left: Classic white paneling, an inlaid marble “rug” and a stunning rectangular chandelier suspended from an illuminated mirrored ceiling cove transform the once drab entry. The designers painted the door and windows dark charcoal to replicate the eye-catching look of iron.

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Holladay has always been known as a hotbed of beautiful homes and stylish living, and the tony

area’s swell of smartly remodeled residences only reinforces its reputation. Count the recent

project by designers Susan Nicole Thompson and Bennett Lee and contractor Ryan Taylor among

them. Once dark and outdated, the home they remodeled is now a showcase of light, luxe and

high-style livability. Today, when guests step into this family home, they are greeted not by a ho-

hum entry with open views into the home, but by an enclosed, formal foyer enriched by a stunning

inlaid marble floor, mirrored ceiling cove and white, paneled walls. The look is bright and unmis-

takably glamorous—a look that defines the new design as a whole. It also taps the woman-of-the-

home’s chic, polished style. “Good design should always honor the homeowner,” says Thompson

who, along with Lee and Taylor, collaborated to create an interior that achieved this at every turn.

Above: The team redesigned the office’s fireplace and refinished golden alder wood elements in fresh white.

A watercolor floral wall covering, a custom tufted sofa, a Currey & Company chandelier, Bungalow 5 mirror and

striking hide area rug add pops of color and pattern.

BEFORE

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BEFORE

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An “adult lounge” performs as a hip gathering space that opens to both the new kitchen and a luxurious

sitting room, now closed off from the entry and uniquely framed by a box of open walls. Neutral tones

provide a soothing transition from room to room. The client’s love of chandeliers inspired the assorted

jewelry-like lighting fixtures of the home. “If they matched, they wouldn’t look special,” Thompson says.

Top right: A series of framed agate coasters animate the sitting room’s feature wall.

Right: Susan Nicole Thompson, principle of The Design House Interior Design, with associate

Bennett Lee.

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To transform the home’s main level, the team not only enclosed the entry, but also reformatted the floor plan. They revised a tunnel-like hallway leading to the living and dining areas on its way to a great room occupying the back of the home. One of the project’s most stylistic and structural transfor-mations, this new passageway boasts a solid wall enclosing pantries and a powder room discreetly hidden behind what appear to be decorative wall panels. The pros also removed a wall separating the kitchen from the adjoining dining area and replaced it with a double-sided bar featuring glass upper cabinets. “The kitchen was so dim and dark and by removing the wall, we really opened it up,” explains Taylor, owner of Upland Development. These dramatic changes allow interior views and natural light to flood the main level, front to back. “We wanted to create rooms on top of rooms, each defined with its own feel and purpose but that flow effortlessly into each other,” Lee explains.

A myriad of key treatments and materials foster

the desired sense of continuity. Circle-sawn, wire-

brushed hickory floors replaced outdated slate tile

and run uninterrupted room-to-room as do light

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In the kitchen, windows and floor-to-ceiling custom cabinets symmetrically frame the feature wall’s custom range hood and Tabarka Studio tile. A large quartzite-topped island replaced the kitchen’s original multi-level version. Dark beams add contrast and rusticity to the white room.Left: Dark-trimmed posts pop against the stairway’s white paneled walls and risers. A new window seat provides a spot to sit and admire the lush landscape and the family room below.

BEFORE

1. The entry’s new molding and inlaid marble “rug” introduce a design motif that recurs throughout the renewed interior.

2. The tunnel-like hallway was remodeled to feature a wall accessing pantries and a powder room discreetly hidden behind paneled doors. The designers painted the paneled wall in a satin rather than glossy paint to create a fresh, anything-but-stuffy look and feel.

3. Handmade and finished in silver leaf, dimensional Tabarka Studio tiles add pattern to the bright kitchen space.

4. A Global Views chandelier and draperies in a Pindler & Pindler fabric refresh the dining area.

A Glam Slam

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gray walls trimmed in white, formal wall panels

and dark-painted window mullions. “We love

the style of old iron windows, so we painted the

home’s white window frames dark charcoal to

mimic the look,” Thompson says. This seamless

palette of sophisticated design elements creates

a chic and subtle backdrop for the interior’s

most striking feature—color. It unites and at

the same time differentiates separate living and

entertaining spaces.

The designers strategically selected ebullient

jewel tones of sapphire, amethyst, emerald and

black onyx for furnishings and custom finishes

that help define the style of each room. “With such

an open layout, the pops of color throughout the

house had to be carefully worked in,” Thompson

explains. In the office located off the entry, for

example, brilliant blue pairs with watercolor-

like wallpaper and white refinished cabinetry to

conceive a statement of pure glam. Conversely, the

chic sitting room—structurally framed like a room

within a room—is accented with shots of pale am-

ethyst and champagne tones to create a tranquil,

ultra-luxe vibe furthered by a custom ombre wool

rug, large Tibetan lamb–covered bench and tiered

nickel chandelier. “The homeowner didn’t want

anything too formal or stuffy,” Lee says. The look is

serene and definitely sexy.

Further into the house, neutral charcoal and

silver tones define the adult lounge while vibrant

emerald kicks it up a notch in the great room

beyond. There, boldly tufted green custom chairs

perform like art as seen from perhaps the most

transformed of spaces, the kitchen.

Once weighed down by golden alder and rustic

’90s style, the kitchen is now bright, open and

elegant. Dark beams span the ceiling, and white

cabinetry stretches floor to ceiling. An eye-catch-

ing back wall of dimensional tile and a shapely

hood establishes a classic statement of symmetry.

“The client wanted a beautiful range hood, so

we moved the sink and placed the hood between

two new windows that flank it,” Thompson says.

A large island replaces an outdated multi-level

version while integrated Thermador appliances

and hidden storage elevate the room’s style and

performance. Touches of polished nickel sparkle

like jewelry in the fashion-forward space.

The renovation not only improved the home’s

flow and function, but also personalized it with

a chic, classic style that resonates throughout. “I

can go in any room, dressed up or dressed down,

depending on the occasion,” one of the home-

owners says. Thanks to a team of talented pros,

the remodel provides spaces the family enjoys in

a home it truly loves. USD

Seductive shades of amethyst and champagne dress the stylish sitting room. A linen-covered cocktail table

sits between a custom tufted sofa and large Tibetan lamb–covered bench. An ombre wool rug from Regency Royale

anchors the space. Chandelier by Robert Abbey Lighting.

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