Winter Healing

Soothing

Winter Healing with Soundssongwriter Ashley Davis by Sydney Shrimpton // photoS courteSy of AShley dAviS

With her new album, “Songs of the Celtic Winter II,” Celtic singer and songwriter Ashley Davis provides a harmonious ode to the beauty of the season.

The Lawrence native is rightly described as a creative force. While her music is inspired by a range of cultural backgrounds, Davis’ Midwestern upbringing was key to developing her inherent storytelling capabilities.

“I attribute my success heavily to being raised in Kansas – a ‘no fences’ mentality,” Davis says. “I’ve never found myself pinned in to any labels or boundaries in what I can do with my music, my art. Everything is and was possible. I attribute that heavily to my relatives who came before me.”

Davis has traveled the world, creating her own sound – one steeped in both Irish tradition and her native Kansas roots. She has produced nine albums, each with its own unique blend of styles.

“Many Irish tunes that you’ll hear in Ireland are also played in a different way in Old Time or Bluegrass sessions,” she says. “So having both backgrounds, it was fun to blend the two in my own way.”

“Songs of the Celtic Winter II was released in November, 2022. The album contains many layers, with acoustic instruments and vocals creating the lilting melodies.

Davis recorded this album with the purpose of healing people following the trauma and disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I am also a reiki master (a Japanese form of energy healing), and through that I’ve seen the massive influx of people working on issues that surfaced during that isolation,” Davis says. “And what I realized was I wanted to create an album that just helped soothe and settle people from the beginning to the end.”

And soothe it does. The 10-song record contains captivating melodies that warm listeners from the inside-out.

“I create music with only one intention,” Davis says, “and that is to help people heal whatever needs healing.” n

You can purchase the album at: www.ashleydavisband.com/holiday-shop

Extraodinary Interior Design

hoke-ley.com

Mid-century Modern

A LOVE FOR MID-CENTURY ARCHITECTURE Architect Roy Ley has had an affection for mid-century modern design for as long as he can remember. Growing up in Nebraska, his family lived in a meticulously designed midcentury ranch house filled with Danish Modern furniture and collectibles. He was infatuated with the expansive surfaces of glass opening to nature, the sheltering roof plane and the expressive wood structure in which he grew up. This environment, in part, inspired Roy to study architecture at the University of Nebraska and then pursue a career in Seattle, a city rich with mid-century design landmarks.

GOOD BONES Returning to the Midwest in 2016 after a decade-long stint in Seattle, Roy, now an owner at Hoke Ley Architecture and Design in Lawrence, Kansas, came across a recently listed 1957 mid-century modern home nestled on a wooded, urban lot. He had not yet moved to Lawrence, so he tasked his business partner to visit the house and update him on the condition. His business partner’s initial advice was to walk away: the house had “good bones” but the single-owner home had not received significant updates in its 60-year lifespan. It had flooded previously due to a frozen pipe and was in disrepair inside and outside. Worse yet, the color of the house was green, which happens to be Roy’s least favorite color. Instead of heeding the advice, Roy saw potential and purchased the house sight-unseen.

AN EXTENSIVE RENOVATION Over the course of the next two years, the 1,260 square foot concrete slab-on-grade Mid-Century Modern home underwent an extensive renovation to modernize the interior and exterior surfaces and systems while preserving the charm and essence of the original structure.

Beginning with the exterior, the restoration included total replacement the roof system with integrated gutters and custom downspouts over the main home, covered entry porch and carport. New cedar fascias were installed and all the wood trim was hand scraped, filled and painted. Additionally, the exterior of the house required the partial replacement and repair of the siding and tuckpointing the brick fireplace and exterior wall. After the structural modifications to the brickwork were completed, including rebuilding the chimney above the roofline, it was capped by a period-appropriate black metal chimney shroud. Louvered screens below all the exterior windows were completely restored and provide a passive method for ventilating the home in the summer. Of course, the entire house

received a much-needed paint color change to complete the reformation, utilizing a dark grey base with Terracotta Red accents, giving a nod to the earthy color used frequently by Frank Lloyd Wright in his later works.

LESS IS MORE Honoring the simplicity of the original layout, minimal changes were made to the floor plan. A much needed second bathroom and laundry room were added, replacing the original furnace room and entry coat closet. The kitchen, once a dark and uninviting space, was completely reconfigured, walls were removed to make way for an open island connecting the kitchen to the living room and nature beyond. Custom walnut cabinets, quartzite and steel countertops and Louis Poulsen pendant lights provide a modern yet authentic feel to the space. Integrated Bocci outlets blend seamlessly into the backsplashes creating a clean and uncluttered aesthetic.

THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS Upgrading the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems proved very challenging due to the lack of a crawlspace or an attic. The original HVAC system consisted of a forced air furnace with under slab terracotta pipe “ducts” which had debris and tree roots growing inside many of them. These were abandoned and the original mechanical system was replaced with a high efficiency, ductless VRF system using concealed cassettes located in the ceilings of the closets and bedroom hallway. Not only was this an energy efficient upgrade, but the removal of the furnace also provided the necessary space for the second bathroom and laundry room. New wiring was installed in the existing light trough, then fished through the hollow roof beams and down through the columns between windows, enabling him to update the entire electrical system with minimal impact on the interior walls. The main sewer pipe running down the central hallway was paper thin from 60 years of use and had to be completely replaced resulting in four-foothigh piles of dirt throughout the living room and kitchen. PRESERVING THE PAST Period-specific interior surfaces were preserved and refinished, where possible, or respectfully and beautifully upgraded when not. The textured cedar wall paneling was painstakingly preserved and restored. Oiled steel pipe columns replaced the original painted wood post, instilling a sense of grounding to the house. The original pickled cedar ceiling and beams were the only surfaces left completely untouched and were highlighted through the installation of new LED strip lights in the original light trough running through the center of the home.

A HOME FOR AN ART COLLECTOR The restored home now serves as a backdrop to display Roy’s own collection of MidCentury Modern art and artifacts. Due to the extensive windows and limited wall space, display opportunities are limited and had to be creatively integrated into the architecture of the home. Acting as a gallery, the hallway connecting the main living areas to the bedrooms is curated with vintage architectural renderings and prints. The primary bedroom showcases restored wood paneling and ceilings with authentic George Nelson wall sconces. Custom white oak shelving was installed in the secondary bedroom to hold the owner’s large collection of MCM Salt and Pepper shakers.

Honored by the local preservation society, the home now serves as a defining structure for Mid-Century Modern architecture in its region. It also serves as a sort of homecoming for Roy as a mini version of the residence he grew up in. It provides him with a highly designed midcentury modern respite of his own.

Extraodinary Interior Design