Rarefied Lair

A Cosmopolitan Condo in Waterfront Park Place

Written by Bridget Williams / Photography by Eric Williams

Rattle off a far-flung destination or two in conversation with Mike and Pam Bernard and chances are they’ve been there. The jet-setting duo maintains a nearly constant travel schedule for work and leisure. While comfortably at home in the world, when the time comes to reconnect with family and friends, including their six children, they call an apropos cosmopolitan condominium in the Waterfront Park Place highrise in downtown Louisville home. The Bernards actually purchased two units - one on top of the other – as shells and transformed the raw square footage into one of the building’s few two-story residences.

“We had considered Park Place for years and liked the idea of living downtown,” said Pam, who had no qualms about trading in her suburban lawn for the Great Lawn of Waterfront Park.

Working in tandem with the homeowners was a top-notch team comprised of architect Thomas G. Millea, Jr., of Laughlin Millea Hillman, and interior designer Margo Rippy of Details Commercial Group. Realm Construction Company served as the general contractor. “We were tasked with focusing on how family and friends would interact in the space as a starting point,” said Rippy. The three-year collaboration, rife with expected permitting hurdles, resulted in an 8,200-square-foot home that boasts another 1,600 square feet of outdoor living space with panoramic river and city views.

Rippy, a commercial interior designer by trade, had worked with the Bernards on various commercial projects over the years (including interior design of luxury houseboats for Thoroughbred Houseboats, which Mike owns) and shares a similar design aesthetic with Pam. When this project came to fruition, Rippy was a natural choice, and her insider knowledge of commercial and residential interior design allowed her to incorporate many unique and leading-edge materials not typically found in residential projects.

Because the project is so unique, a great deal of custom craftsmanship was a given. C&E Hardwood of Albany, Kentucky, custom milled all of the doors, base and crown moldings and cabinetry. No less than 18 slabs of granite, sourced from Global Granite and Marble and fabricated by Counter Culture Plus of Lexington, were used in various rooms.

Varied expressions of a contemporary pale blue and chocolate color palette can be found in the majority of the rooms, along with subtle and not-so-subtle representations of a fleur-de-lis motif. The latter is boldly introduced at the front door, where a custom glass double door by Arnold Reis of Mosaic Art Glass features a prismatic fleur-de-lis. A small vestibule provides privacy while introducing the drama that is to come. A Florentine mosaic from Daltile is centered in front of a large window overlooking the Ohio River. Overhead is a glass pendant lamp and recessed lights outfitted with Swarovski crystal trim.

Textured origami-like folds are found in the silvery commercial-grade paper used in the hallway. Near the entry is a grand piano that Mike gave Pam to commemorate their 10th wedding anniversary. The expansive views are an immediate attention grabber. Michelle Haas of Selby House in Sellersburg, Indiana, was tasked with creating all of the drapery panels, which are installed on an automated system that regulates the amount of sunlight coming in at various times during the day. Intimate seating areas, each with Bernhardt custom upholstery, are anchored with chocolate-colored zebra-print rugs. There is an interesting mix of textures and patterns, and all of the upholstery fabrics have a nice hand. Lighted curio cabinets in the living and dining rooms display part of the homeowners’ crystal collection.

Because Mike and Pam spend a lot of time on boats, elements reminiscent of what one would find in a luxury watercraft are incorporated throughout the décor, most notably in the dramatic curved walnut and cherry staircase that unites the two floors and separates the living room from the kitchen. The shape of the teardrop opening is mimicked overhead in mosaic tile.

A Miele in-wall coffee system, Thermador cooktop, Electrolux in-wall oven, instant hot water dispenser, refrigerator drawers and Dacor microwave are just a few of the dizzying number of appliances found in the massive kitchen, all purchased from Trend Companies. Project coordinators worked with Gary Walters of Walters Cabinets in Owensboro on the design and installation of the extensive cabinetry in the kitchen and bathrooms. Mother-of-pearl mosaic tile from Maya Romanoff and a striking copper glass panel from J.C. Moag are distinctive elements found in the powder room near the kitchen.

Wood veneer used in the hallway leading to the master wing was imported from South America and is similar to materials Mike would commission for use in his lavish houseboats. Frosted sliding glass doors separate the master wing from the rest of the living spaces. Shoji-style doors separate the suite’s rooms, including a home office, sitting area, bedroom, dressing room and opulent bath.

A television is mounted above the ribbon-gas fireplace in the sitting room. Nearby, a curved wall conceals Mike’s home office, which has enviable views of Slugger Field. The master bedroom was designed with serenity in mind, with subtly iridescent upholstered silk walls and a custom upholstered headboard from Bernhardt.

Travertine flooring introduced in the round dressing room with his and hers closets continues in the master bath. Resembling a luxurious spa at a five-star resort, the focal point of the room is a Murano glass chandelier suspended over the Kohler effervescent soaking tub. His and hers mother-of-pearl mosaic sinks were handcrafted by artisans at Linkasink’s facilities in Arizona.

The lower level contains a second full kitchen, guest bedroom suites, a laundry, a theatre room, and a humidor room. The latter features a custom door with the Montecristo logo and the letter “B” interpreted in leaded glass.

The theater room was a true diversion from the unit but perfectly suited for the theme. The low ceilings required the team to create the illusion of columns and coffered ceilings without bringing the ceiling down. So they upholstered silk panels for the walls and attached sconces from Metropolitan Lighting to create the ambiance of a theater. Lighting outlines the shallow coffered ceiling to mimic added depth. Chocolate velvet drapery from Architex at the screen also conceals the entire wall of cabinetry required for storage for books, etc. The commercial-grade carpet is from Durkan carpets. Mike is particularly enamored with the whole house sound system. Installed by Trend Companies, the wireless Sonos multi-room system allows him to stream radio from around the world and store up to six million songs.

“Throughout the unit, I selected items that were custom and not easily available in our market, and I was able to cross over to our commercial lines to get the contemporary items I wanted to be in the space,” said Rippy.

Indeed, her utilization of top-tier commercial materials, combined with an of-the-moment color scheme, has the effect of an interior one would expect to find in a haute hotel; the perfect urban oasis for a couple full of wanderlust.