Life's A Beach

Written by Bridget Williams / Photography by Andrew Kung

Comfortable, casual, and at-ease elegance are not the typical adjectives associated with a sprawling home encompassing nearly 10,000-square-feet. However, under the auspices of luxury homebuilder Jason Black and his wife Gretchen, a self-styled arbiter of effervescent chic, the graciously proportioned rooms, boasting thoughtfully planned millwork and molding, are imbued with a youthful energy refective of the active family that resides within.

“We often use our own home as a testing ground,” explained Jason. As an example, he cites the prevalence of interior transoms, made possible by 12-foot ceilings with eight-foot doorways. Jason built the home when was a partner at Stonecroft Homes. However, he recently founded Artisan Signature Homes and is a part of the Southern Living custom builder program, which recognizes 100 of the South’s finest luxury home builders. Gretchen, a NICU nurse by trade, who grew up in a “creative and crafty” family, recently decided to follow her passion for design and is currently building Lulu Belle’s Boutique in Norton Commons. It’s quickly becoming a family business, as Jason added his middle son has recently shown a keen interest in architecture and design.

Although the home was finished in 2012, the architecture, combined with the interior design, are such that the spaces feel as though they’ve been assembled over a much longer period of time. Jason explained that guiding the design of the exterior was a “Nantucket meets Southern Living” aesthetic. They wanted the center section of the home, accented by stone and a large covered front porch, to appear to be the “original” section, with the wings added on later. “It creates an interesting narrative for a new home,” he added.

Gretchen designed the decorative balustrade that defines the staircase.

Floors throughout the first floor are hickory in a matte finish. In the foyer, they are laid in a herringbone pattern. Walls in Sherman Williams’ Sea Salt are just one example of purposeful coastal references. “We like to pretend we live at the beach,” joked Gretchen, who, along with her husband, takes design cues from Charleston, a destination they visit several times a year for ongoing inspiration. A deep door opening between the living room and the foyer permits built-ins in the latter to be recessed into the walls.

Oriented to take advantage of the park-like setting, three sets of French doors in the formal living room provide access to a spacious verandah. Hewn beams define the lines of the vaulted ceiling. A pair of glass bead empire-style chandeliers purchased in Charleston are suspended above each seating area, which are separated by a trestle table upon which sits a towering decorative birdcage. The mantle surrounding the gas log fireplace was crafted from material left over from the ceiling beams and adds a touch of masculinity. Built-in cabinets on either side of the fireplace were designed to mimic freestanding furniture. The cap on the three-piece baseboard was borrowed from a profile created during the renovation of a historic home. Anchored by sand-colored sofas, Gretchen mixed in floral, damask and geometric upholstery and rugs in a similar color palette in each seating area.

Nearly too beautiful to be bothered by the messy business of cooking, the work surface provided by the one-level large kitchen island nevertheless is invariably the spot where the family gathers not only to prepare meals but work on homework and other projects. Seeded glass in one section of cabinets provides a view of Gretchen’s collection of milk glass. Large appliances are hidden behind cabinet panel fronts while smaller necessities are hidden behind easily accessible garage doors. Walls are clad in white shiplap, a recurring design element that is one of the couple’s favorites. Quartzite, a durable natural stone, tops the island, while soapstone is found on the perimeter.

Gretchen's collection of milk glass is displayed in cabinets with seeded glass doors in the kitchen. Quartzite, a durable natural stone, tops the island.

Accessed from the kitchen but largely isolated from the rest of the home, the location of the dining room was chosen to take advantage of the view. “We don’t have a breakfast room, so we use the dining room every day,” said Gretchen, who designed the bufet along the wall opposite the triple window.

The dining room is used daily for family meals.

The deep navy color of the walls and coffered ceiling in the library/office represents a dramatic departure from the ethereal colors found elsewhere in the home. It is also the only room where a television is visible; elsewhere Gretchen has them carefully concealed in furniture pieces. A federal style mirror on the wall near the sofa belonged to Gretchen’s grandmother; the couple purchased the trunk on the foor beneath it in their early 20s in Madisonville, and it has traveled from home to home with them ever since, sometimes occupying real estate in a room, other times relegated to storage. The herringbone floor was carried up the freplace wall to create a unique focal point. Te substantial metal and rope chandelier was found online.

The herringbone floor pattern is carried up the wall behind the fireplace in the library/office.

Just outside the library door, whimsical birdcage chandeliers lead down the hall to the master suite. The coffered vaulted ceiling in the master bedroom is the couple’s favorite. Serene in its simplicity, an antique shabby chic freplace mantel purchased from Architectural Salvage is centered on one wall. Stacks of vintage books fll the interior, something the wife views as her small efort to remind children of the importance of physical books in the digital age. In the master bath, built-in shelving behind the freestanding tub provides storage for everything from toiletries to Legos.

Sheathed in crisp white, the simple palette of the stair hall belies its intricacy. Trimmed from the basement to the top of the tower, Gretchen designed the stair rail, which gently spirals skyward. Where the stairs stop, windows draw the eye upward to the octagonal-shaped ceiling detail.

The stair hall is decked out in trim molding from the basement to the top of the tower.

At the center of the second floor, stairs lead up to the “boys’ cave,” a large playroom for the couple’s three sons. The walls are clad in shiplap, which have the dual beneft of being attractive and durable. Doors lead to a screened sleeping porch with comfy hanging beds at either end to savor views that stretch across Harrods Creek and all the way to Utica, Indiana. “We’ve taken many afternoon naps here,” said Gretchen, underscoring the home’s intended vacation state of mind.

A sleeping porch is accessed through a large second floor playroom.