Designing An Elegant Abode For A Pair Of Empty Nesters
The home’s French influence starts with the entry courtyard, complete with McKinnon and Harris’ Abbot chairs and marble-topped Suhling side tables. The steel windows and doors are by Brombal.
Shifting from their child-raising years to grandparenting mode presented a Greenville, South Carolina, couple with the opportunity to try something new. Like many empty nesters, they envisioned life in a smaller house. To make it happen, they called on the duo who had designed their previous residences, Atlanta-based architect Keith Summerour and designer Barbara Westbrook, along with general contractor Ray Foral. While a smaller footprint might have been the home’s impetus, it was the owners’ personal style that ultimately informed its polished elegance. “These aren’t people who slouch,” Westbrook notes. “The wife dresses impeccably and has a terrific sense of style.”
A French-inspired entry courtyard at the front of the property first signals the abode’s sophistication, followed by a light-flooded gallery foyer with windows on all sides. “We wanted you to enter that space and feel like you’re floating through the house,” remarks Summerour, who was assisted by project manager DJ Betsill. Given the dwelling’s thin profile, the kitchen and living areas bookend one side of the gallery, with the primary suite at the other. From the entryway, “You see straight through to the rear courtyard,” the architect points out.
Westbrook, working with senior project designer Amanda Leibson, kicked off the home’s design in her customary fashion by selecting lighting first, including nickel and brass pendants for the gallery. “It’s important to have lighting that’s interesting and tells the story of the house,” she says. The story she narrates here is one of refinement.
Home Details
Architecture:
Keith Summerour and DJ Betsill, Summerour Architects
Interior Design:
Barbara Westbrook and Amanda Leibson, Westbrook Interiors
Home Builder:
Ray Foral, Ridgeline Construction Group, Inc.
Landscape Architecture:
Jeremy Smearman, Planters, Inc.
Styling:
Anita Sarsidi
Dmitriy & Co sofas and chairs, sourced from R Hughes, outfit the living room. Gregorius Pineo’s iron London coffee table and Caparra floor lamps punctuate the serene space, as does the round Masai accent table by Jiun Ho.
Bedecked with both Carrara and Michelangelo marble from Marmi Natural Stone, the gleaming gallery is additionally enhanced by a trio of Kensington globe lights by The Urban Electric Co. The pair of Han vases by Collection Particulière add artful elegance.
The study is furnished with Dmitriy & Co Seine lounge chairs in Dedar’s lush Vladimiro mohair velvet. Holland & Sherry’s silk blend rug introduces contrast, while Pierre Marie Brisson’s painting makes an impression above the fireplace.
Powell & Bonnell barstools and The Urban Electric Co. pendants complement the otherwise white kitchen. The millwork, fabricated by Morgan Creek Cabinetry Company, is painted Sherwin-Williams’ Alabaster. The faucet is by Waterworks.
Westbrook made the primary bedroom a tranquil retreat with antiques and newer treasures, like a Jean de Merry nightstand and ombre alpaca pillows from Rosemary Hallgarten. A wall-size bouquet of ceramic florals by Bradley Sabin gives luster and dimension.
“A powder room should reflect the style of the home, so make it beautiful,” says designer Barbara Westbrook, who did so with Fromental’s hand-painted and hand-embroidered Nimbus silk wallcovering. Marble from Marmi Natural Stone and a Compas sink and faucet enliven the vanity.
In the room’s seating area, a pair of Madeline Stuart Tigertail chairs and ottomans are dressed in Sabina Fay Braxton’s Turner silk velvet. The drapery fabric is de Le Cuona’s Clubhouse. A painting by Jimmy O’Neal hangs between the windows.
The home’s French influence starts with the entry courtyard, complete with McKinnon and Harris’ Abbot chairs and marble-topped Suhling side tables. The steel windows and doors are by Brombal.
In the family room—a gracious, bright area that opens to the dining room and kitchen—the emphasis is on comfort and contrasting materials in peaceful, neutral hues. “It’s important to have that texture when using white so it doesn’t feel cold,” Westbrook explains. A similar color scheme plays out in the kitchen, where she added an octagonal window and framed the island with graceful curves.
Conversely, rich, moody tones envelop the cozy study, where cognac-colored mohair lounge chairs complement pewter-blue lacquered walls. Thanks to Westbrook’s 25 years of working with these homeowners, trust levels are high. “She gives us creative leeway. I know she loves a light palette in general but appreciates a dark study,” Westbrook shares. This space segues into the primary suite—a sumptuous haven where a custom upholstered bed is cradled in a curved alcove, and reading chairs covered in iridescent silk velvet anchor a matching niche overlooking the pool and back garden.
According to landscape architect Jeremy Smearman, his design “had to be private with an elevated aesthetic,” which is particularly true of the front courtyard, where the pea-gravel and pollarded Texas plane trees give the outdoors a crisp and clean look. “It feels like a garden in Paris,” acknowledges Westbrook, who had fun embracing the project’s unique character. “This house has a strong presence.”
Westbrook made the primary bedroom a tranquil retreat with antiques and newer treasures, like a Jean de Merry nightstand and ombre alpaca pillows from Rosemary Hallgarten. A wall-size bouquet of ceramic florals by Bradley Sabin gives luster and dimension.