Welcome to our first blog post! We’re starting our monthly blog series with a tour of our Modern French Tudor project, a recent new construction whose architectural style is rooted in history but whose design and decoration was executed in a uniquely modern way. We designed the house using several key elements, starting with the exterior and extending throughout the interior. The goal was to create a seamless outside-in feel for the stately structure, adding a modern edge while honoring its architectural roots. Here are a few BEFORE shots that reveal how we repeated elements throughout the house for a cohesive look. Follow along!
COLOR was the first, and most important, element of this project and it informed all other design decisions. A warm white with black was the rule, so for the exterior it meant white painted brick, creamy split-faced limestone, black steel doors, windows and roof. We repeated that scheme inside as well on the primary bath floor with a warm Calacatta Gold marble with lots of dark gray and black veining.
EXTERIOR STONE surrounds the 12′ tall double front doors with the split-faced limestone cladding large areas of the house, both front and back. This unexpected stone provided the modern edge the Tudor-inspired home needed. The stone slab was used for the outdoor kitchen counters and custom pub table in black, white and camel and was the perfect blend of the colors found throughout the house.
INTERIOR STONE is used throughout the house and maintains the black and white theme. All drywall and trim are painted a crisp, clean white so we made sure any white stone used had the same neutral undertones. The quartzite slab used in the kitchen was selected for its warm background and black veining. The dark French limestone, used in the foyer and gallery hall, contrasts beautifully with the white walls and trimwork.
WOOD was the major element we used to add warmth and rusticity to the white and black interior. Wide white oak flooring in a light, cool matte brown covers the entire house and upstairs bedrooms have vaulted ceilings with beams in the same wood tone. The Great Room and Gallery Hall, shown here, have beautiful ceilings clad in nickel-gap boards with large beams. No crown molding was used in these areas to reinforce the modern, streamlined look.
BRASS with an antiqued patina was an important element to add sheen and interest to the otherwise matte interior. A zinc range hood with brass strapping and brass wall sconces were installed on the painted brick kitchen wall, and large brass pendants hang over the island. Next to the kitchen, the large brass chandelier in the Great Room added sparkle and attitude to the large space and visually connected the two spaces.
STEEL is an element taken from the exterior where windows are painted black to replicate steel. The black steel-look windows, roof and railings introduced the feature, and moving inside, we used it extensively. We had custom mirror frames and bunk bed railings, shown here, fabricated locally along with a custom washstand vanity and pub table. Many furnishings and lighting fixtures, as well as stairway railings, were also made of black steel.
BRICK was used extensively on the exterior and we again brought the outside element in. We clad two walls in the foyer with painted brick, used it for the Keeping Room fireplace and raised hearth and also installed it on an entire wall in the kitchen. We used a thin version of the exterior brick which required little space or support. The painted brick added lots of texture as well as the very clean “mod” look we wanted to achieve.
We hope you enjoyed our House Tour! For the AFTER shots of this project, please visit our portfolio, or see the 10-page article featuring the project in the April/May 2021 issue of Charlotte Home Design & Decor.