5 minute read
BRILLIANT CONVERSION
A wrecked building finds its ultimate purpose
Written by Neil Charles / Photographed by Adam Gibson
Over the course of the past decade or so, here at "Sophisticated Living" Indianapolis we have featured many wonderful homes, including a loft conversion or two whose unique challenges always ensure that we will be both delighted and thrilled by their outcomes. Nothing in our experience had prepared us for this issue’s featured residence, however: a truly spectacular renovation that melds the old, the new and repurposed objets trouvés into a seamless expression of one couple’s unique sensibilities on a scale that is, frankly, breathtaking.
The enclosed garden has an English countryside feel
Occupying not one, but two expansive century-plus-old buildings on a previously commercial stretch of North Alabama Street, the home is the project of former TWG Development CEO Joe Whitsett and his wife Julie, who share many years’ experience renovating and repurposing rundown schools, churches and office buildings into affordable housing for seniors and families. When Joe retired from TWG, the couple were living on a large lot in a quiet residential neighborhood off 56th Street but found themselves drawn to a life downtown closer to friends and restaurants.
An understated entry with an almost-hidden door hints at the intriguing interior
“When we were looking at properties, all I knew was that if we moved downtown, we would have to find some green space,” explains Julie. Having been in the past the home to a tailor, a high-end auto supply and repair shop, then finally a taxi service, the property the couple finally chose had lain empty since the 1980s. When Joe first walked into the building, it was with a weed eater in hand, cutting a path for himself through vegetation and trees that had grown up through the floors. With green space in short supply on the near northside, the couple decided to create their own by demolishing all but two walls of the southerly building, removing the concrete floor, and installing a beautiful and relaxing garden complete with covered patio and plate glass windows overlooking the street.
The exterior was mostly Joe’s project, while Julie dedicated herself to reimagining the interior with the help of Carmel-based designer Dianne Wright of Coats Wright Art & Design. “I had always shied away from designers, as I didn’t want my home to look like anyone else’s,” she continues.
Designer Dianne Wright
When she first saw the building, the designer realized that this was probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with clients who not only had such a clear vision but also had access to the resources needed to realize that vision. There were no windows or doors to speak of; the entire project had to be imagined from the ground up. “I was onboard immediately,” she recalls. “As a designer, it’s not important to have my stamp on a project. It’s their home, and I want it to look collected and to represent what is interesting to them. I don’t want someone to look at the home and recognize this as a Dianne Wright project. It’s not about me.” Wright advised the couple to “shop at home” initially, picking through their extensive accumulation of years’ worth of fixtures and furnishings from the various churches and schools they had renovated before resorting to purchasing anything new. “There’s no challenge in just designing everything and buying it at the store,” she says. “It’s just not interesting.”
The exuberant "Parrots" by artist Hunt Slonem is a vibrant focal point
The co-proprietor of an art gallery at the Indiana Design Center, Wright believes that art should provide the foundation for design. “I start with art,” she says. “The colors in a piece of art will inform the color palette in a room. If you don’t have an art collection, then I suggest you begin with neutral tones.” Fortunately, this exquisite home features no shortage of artwork, ranging from examples by celebrated local artists to original (and restored) graffiti in the garage.
An open floor plan with skylights allows natural light to flood the interior
It is probably no exaggeration to state that the average family abode would fit comfortably into the vast open-plan living area of this extraordinary edifice. With original concrete floors and towering brick walls left intact wherever possible, the commercial roots of the home are readily apparent. The old roof (or whatever remained of it) has been replaced with contemporary steel construction, equipped with 48 solar panels that easily power the HVAC during the summer months.
A repurposed trailer tucked away in the garden is used as a private home office
Designer Wright stands at the end of a hallway flanked by salvaged doors
A view through the house into the garden
Strategically placed skylights and enormous sliding glass doors bathe the living spaces in natural light. Hosting fundraisers and even weddings, the space can accommodate hundreds of guests, so furnishings and fixtures are appropriately gargantuan: a marble-topped hotel check-in counter serves as a bar, while the dining table is from a school in Massachusetts.
The covered patio provides the perfect spot for al fresco dining
Rough-hewn furnishings add warmth and natural texture to the industrial structure
A table in the living area used to be a bowling alley floor. An entire church pew provides seating in the hallway, and school fixtures abound, from a steel commissary sink and countertop in the catering kitchen to institutional lamps, to school lockers with their peculiar hinges. Our collective mind boggles as we tour the property, such is the wit and creativity expressed at every turn. You could very likely host a performance of The Ring Cycle under the fireplace hood.
Another outdoor living space, this one features a fireplace
It is clear that the owners have had a thoroughly good time bringing together so many disparate elements to create such an inspiring and unique whole, one of those rare examples of the final results meeting or even exceeding the clients’ specifications. In a word, it’s brilliant.
