Trading Spaces
Classic Home Gets Contemporary Lift
Article courtesy of Today's Custom Home Magazine - Download PDF version 
A simplified foyer sets the stage for a residence that showcases the homeowners' treasured art collection, which allows visitors to travel the world without leaving Charlotte. Prominently displayed nearby are pieces such as a 50-million-year-old fossil stone, centuries old Moroccan door, and an antique wedding necklace from Oman.
What do you do when the home of your dreams eludes you and you don't have time to build?
That's the dilemma one family faced when they relocated to Charlotte from Washington, D.C. "They were looking for a contemporary home and couldn't find one that met their needs," explains Interior Designer Tim Bagwell, A.S.I.D., the award winning founder of T. Bagwell Interiors.
"They had looked at everything available, and a two-year time frame for building was unacceptable. That's when most people give up their dream and settle for a home that doesn't really suit them, but if you have a vision, and you can find someone to share that vision, you can transform an average house into the home of your dreams."
That's exactly what this family did.
Their search led them to an extremely traditional South Charlotte house in a gated community. "As soon as my children saw the rear yard, with its tennis court and swimming pool, they were sold," says the homeowner, who thought it was ideal for her three active teens. Indeed, the stately 7,852-square-foot brick house had the space and location the family required, it just didn't reflect their style and taste. Since their D.C. residence had a traditional exterior, the homeowner knew this house could be transformed - if she could find the right designer, and she had just one day in Charlotte to look for that person.
The home's original stone fireplace looks right at home in its revamped surroundings, which feature lighter wood floors and a pleasing contrast of light and dark cabinetry repeated in the adjacent kitchen.
That's where her REALTOR®, Elizabeth Conder with Allen Tate, stepped in. "I got a call asking if I could meet the homeowner the next day," Bagwell says. "I rearranged my schedule because I was sympathetic to anyone who was only going to be in town for a day and needed to find someone to handle everything." When they met, "we quickly established a comfort zone. I felt that Tim shared my vision," says the homeowner.
Once Bagwell was on board, he focused on creating a team to transform her dream into a reality. Gary Palmer, GC, of Palmer Custom Builders was a natural choice. The custom builder also handles high-end renovations in communities like Piper Glen and Providence Country Club. Plus, his personal residence is a striking modern Mediterranean that demonstrates a proven ability to think outside the box. With the contractor chosen, Bagwell knew the cabinet makers and lighting experts needed to be artisans. James Poppa of Unique Custom Cabinetry and Liza Branch of Modern Lighting more than fit the bill.
The unusual juxtapositions of light and dark wood, weighty bold dramatic granite in varied patterns set against translucent and reflective glass tiles, and shiny stainless steel paired with brushed chrome add a heightened level of visual interest to this contemporary kitchen.
With the "dream team" assembled, Bagwell turned his attention to the house. Creating a neutral backdrop for an eclectic art collection was one of the homeowners' priorities. "We collect Asian and African antiques," says the homeowner, who mentions treasured items such as a 200-year-old Japanese water buffalo saddle. To better highlight these fun and funky pieces, the foyer's previous faux painting and the dining room's floral wallpaper would have to go.
In many situations, Bagwell says, relatively minor cosmetic changes can have a major impact on a home's appearance without a great deal of expense. In this home, for example, ornate crown and trim molding was simplified, traditional lighting fixtures were replaced with contemporary pieces from Modern Lighting Design, a heavy ornately painted dining room mantel was replaced with a more streamlined, stained choice, and sleek circular metal balusters took the place of the grand staircase's white painted wood.
A bold new color, striking sconces and simplified hardware complete the master bathroom’s transformation from traditional to a modern masterpiece.
This particular project did entail several major changes, one of the most dramatic being the kitchen, where existing cherry raised panel cabinets, dentil molding and plain granite counters were removed and donated to Habitat for Humanity. In their place, Unique Custom Cabinetry added a modern mix of light and dark alder cabinets that complements the kitchen's practical new layout and top-of-the-line appliances. A sparkling mosaic glass tile backsplash brings light and laughter into the transformed space.
In the powder room, a traditional vanity cabinet was replaced with a handmade angular piece of Wenge wood from Africa. Another priority was creating spaces specifically designed for each of the children.
"When you're uprooting people, you have to make their new space interesting," Bagwell explains. The homeowners opted to transform an au pair suite into a bedroom / music studio for their teenage son. Extra insulation, padding beneath the charcoal gray carpet, window baffles and insulated glass complete the space and allow him to crank up his guitar to Led Zeppelin in a room painted bright orange. In contrast, soft pink is the color of choice for one daughter's room. Unutilized attic space adjacent to a second daughter's turquoise bedroom was expanded and transformed into an artist's studio.
Simplified cabinetry creates a restful backdrop for reading in the library, while it also serves as a striking backdrop for several of the homeowners’ art pieces.
By tapping into Bagwell's expertise to incorporate features that make life in their new home interesting for the children and to make changes that reflect the parents' style, this family was able to transform an ordinary Georgian two-story house into a creative "one of a kind" contemporary home of their dreams.
"Most people have to compromise when they buy an existing home, but this experience shows that you really don't have to," Bagwell says. "The results of this transformation surpassed my expectations. The real stars of this project are the exquisite custom-made built-ins, cabinets and furniture by Unique Custom Cabinetry and the sleek contemporary hanging fixtures, sconces, pendants and track lighting from Modern Lighting. Adding the finishing touch to the renovation is Alice Hancock, of Outdoor Lifestyle Craftsmen, who designed a landscape plan to reflect the creative contemporary lifestyle introduced in the interior. Alice and her husband's company has just won the HGTV Landscape Challenge, which will be featured on that program this Fall."
Should you try this at home?
Anyone who has contemplated a major renovation has wondered whether they should attempt to remain in their home during the process. For this family, 7 a.m. home invasions by contractors, plumbers, electricians and painters became the norm. The homeowners learned to live with constant dust from sanding and drilling, not to mention continual noise. Challenges included not being able to walk on refinished floors for days and raising a family without a functional kitchen for months.
The positive side of living through the process was that the homeowners were always on hand to make decisions and modifications as construction progressed. Selections were made much more quickly and easily than would have been possible if samples and photos had to be sent to them across town or in another city.
The process can be eased by finding contractors who are sensitive to the unique challenges of living through a renovation. "Gary Palmer and his crew were very considerate and conscious of the situation," Bagwell says.
