4 minute read
MOVING TOWARD PERFECTION
A designer and a restaurateur build their most ambitious home to date.
Written by Neil Charles / Photography by Andrew Kung
It is fortunate for designer Jill Huse that she really enjoys her job. Her husband, Craig, “loves to move,” so she is often engaged in re-imagining their homes.
Having lived in their previous home for nearly seven years, the couple recently felt an urge to try something new, preferably in Meridian Hills. Finding the right kind of residence in an older neighborhood was quite literally a tall order, however, Craig, who stands well over 6 feet, was accustomed to the high ceilings afforded by modern constructions, especially in basements where gregarious men tend to do a fair amount of entertaining.
In the end, the solution to the low ceilings and many other issues was to purchase an existing home in the desired location, demolish it, and build something more contemporary and practical in its place. The couple spent months looking for just the right combination of home and address. When they found it, almost nothing could be salvaged from the original structure. All that remains from the property’s previous iteration is the dishwasher and a single Haviland salad plate of historical interest.
For a piece of new construction, the Huse’s French-style villa looks perfectly at home on its Meridian Hills lot.
“We bought this in 2014, tore it down and rebuilt it,” Jill explains. “There was no basement in the original house. Unfortunately, we had to fill in the lovely old kidney-shaped pool because it didn’t fit in with the floor plan. This was our first time building with Scott Campbell. Now we have dinner twice a month and we have done several projects together.”
The old house was donated to the fire department, who used it for practice, setting off smoke bombs, breaking down doors and windows, and cutting holes in the roof. Te Huses’ 7-year-old twins, Sophia and Carson, loved it.
The new dwelling is perfectly suited to busy family life, occupying three floors with ample private spaces in which to either work or relax, plus plenty of room for entertaining and gathering. Jill is happy with the design and layout, in spite of being a severe self-critic.
Wooden beams, an ornate freplace and French doors to the front yard accent the home’s living room, while a teal linen ottoman provides a pop of color.
“The house has worked out much as we planned it,” she says. “There are always things you might want to change…no one is perfect. It flows the way we envisioned it. We spend time where we thought we would spend time. We really don’t have any rooms we don’t use, with the exception maybe of our formal living room. We wanted to make all the rooms smart and usable.”
As is the case in many a modern home today, the kitchen is the epicenter of family activity. Jill’s favorite part is the bench, where she drinks her morning cofee every day, underneath an imposing mirror designed and built by local artisan Mark Tourney, and inspired by Balthazar restaurant in New York. She admits to having borrowed the idea for the bench from the Food Network’s Ted Allen, who is originally from Carmel, after reading an article about his home in a design magazine. She was subsequently able to thank him personally for his inspiration when he presented Craig with a James Beard Award.
The kitchen sits atop hand-scraped maple with an ebony stain. The indoor/outdoor zinc table is “indestructible,” says Jill, a bonus in a home where 7-year-olds roam. The crown atop the table came from AKA Stella Gray on New Orleans’ Magazine Street. The bench behind the table is Jill’s favorite place to enjoy her morning coffee. Local artist Mark Tourney created the mirror above, riffing of designs found in the famous New York restaurant Balthazar.
“Kitchen designers try to talk you out of doing something like this,” Jill jokes. “They say: ‘You’re losing all that cabinet space.’ But we are restaurant people. We eat out a lot; I don’t need a ton of bread makers and pasta machines. We already have plenty of counter space.”
Central to the cooking area is a monolithic island, unusually devoid of sinks or appliances. This not only serves as a prep area but also as an admirable spot for friends and family to gather before meals. Surprisingly, perhaps, in a kitchen used by such prominent restaurant people, the well-appointed space features a sleek induction cooktop where one might expect to see a massive industrial eight-burner range. “The hard sell was the cooktop,” Jill admits. “Craig really wanted those big gas burners, but these are so much easier to keep clean.”
Spacious and full of natural light, the home features numerous outside living areas, loggias, and patios, allowing a choice of sun or shade at all times of the day, and seamless indoor-outdoor options in the evening. A formal dining room comfortably seats 10 and features a rope-covered Bassman-Blaine console table formerly belonging to actor Patrick Dempsey, purchased from One King’s Lane. Across the hallway, in a more casual lounge area, an eclectic assortment of prints, paintings, and photographs adorn the walls. This cozy, overtly masculine room serves as a gathering space for pre-dinner cocktails or postprandial digestifs.
The eclectic feel of the lounge pays homage to Jill’s love of the mismatched. “To me,” she says, “anything you truly love is a pair of khaki pants … you can make it work anywhere.”
“We have very similar tastes and styles when it comes to our home,” Craig says. “When she seeks my opinion, the design decisions are narrowed down to two to three options — all of which are fabulous. That’s the fun part and I appreciate the process that she went through to get it to that point. Jill has exceptional taste and a vision which creates a timeless space fitting with its place and intention.”
Cables anchor soaring beams in the stylish, yet kid-friendly great room. Bars across the window into the wine cellar betray the treasures that hide within. French doors open to the loggia. The couch is lined with Sunbrella indoor/outdoor fabric, Jill explains, “so I don’t freak if they kids spill on it.”
Artwork abounds throughout the house, whether it be original portraits, framed Hermes scarves, or works by local artists. Jill’s approach to collecting is simple: “Artwork is eclectic. If you see it and love it, get it. You can always find a spot for it.”
