WHAT'S OLD IS NEW AGAIN

The thoughtful renovation of an Old Louisville home

Written by Bridget Williams / Photography by Andrew Kung

Leslie Cotter Dorazil knew she wanted to be an interior designer in middle school. "I was sketching, creating and constantly rearranging my room," she explained. The only other career path she considered, albeit briefly, was one in psychology, and as any good designer knows, the characteristics required of a psychologist—problem-solving ability, trustworthiness, a passion for learning, patience, solid ethics, empathy, and cross-cultural sensitivity to name a few—also come in handy when collaborating with design clients. "Design is such a personal and intimate process," said Dorazil. "Someone is trusting me with their home, their vision, and their money. The challenge is managing that properly and the emotions that come along the way, especially in large-scale renovation and construction projects."

Added during the renovation, the kitchen’s built-in hutch with cremones appears as if it were original to the home.

A Louisville native, Dorazil has been pursuing her passion for 14 years, continually deriving inspiration from her travels and the natural world. A hallmark of her aesthetic is accentuating a room with live plants. "It says 'someone lives here,' but it also adds softness and warmth beyond just knowing that someone is caring for the plants," she said. Carefully selected books with beautiful spines and subjects relevant to a client are another one of her calling cards.

In the den, an armchair with Schumacher upholstery is placed next to a unique console covered in goatskin parchment.

For a recent project in Old Louisville, Dorazil exercised all of her design muscles. Sharing similar esthetic sensibilities with the client, who is now both a friend and neighbor, the project encompassed a complete renovation that had been in the works for years.

Old homes present a unique blend of attributes and challenges. Good bones and historical details can be splendiferous but occasionally cost-prohibitive to replicate. Artisans with specialized skills are frequently required. With a century or more of settling, it seems as though nothing is ever quite level. For this project, Dorazil said that when new details such as crown molding were introduced, it was planed at different heights to create the illusion that the ceiling is level. She relied on the expertise of craftsman Jeremy Weis of Jeremy Weis Custom Furniture and Cabinetry for all of the millwork and cabinetry.

A portrait of the homeowner’s mother that hangs in the foyer inspired the living room’s color story of camel, plum, lavender, boysenberry, black, gold, and layered shades of blue.

Dorazil said she was careful to honor the home's history while incorporating modernity via less permanent fixtures such as lighting, art, and furniture, the latter sourced from Claire Miller Home. She augmented the client's existing art collection, which included inherited pieces with contemporary abstract works and photography. "We varied mediums from paper, canvas, and acrylic to keep a gallery feel throughout the house," Dorazil explained.

A painting of the client's mother in the foyer inspired the color story for the living room. It was strategically placed so that her gaze is felt throughout the first floor. The substantial newel post at the base of the staircase is a salvaged piece the homeowner found online; Jeremy Weis seamlessly incorporated it to look original to the home.

Grounding the formal living room is an Oriental rug executed in hues of soft gold and pale blue. Contemporary Lucite butterfly stools are in perfect alignment with a framed antique mirror surmounting the fireplace.

Grounding the formal living room is an Oriental rug executed in hues of soft gold and pale blue. A recurring theme is an interplay between old and new. Contemporary Lucite butterfly stools are in perfect alignment with a framed antique mirror surmounting the fireplace.

In a guest room, a French Louis XV style chair in hammered gold is pulled up to a desk with a faux raffia texture.

Spanning floor-to-ceiling in the dining room, which is painted a delicious shade of deep blue-grey, is a built-in bookcase with elongated brass pulls and integrated sconces that serves as a cabinet of curiosities. Clean lines and careful editing combine for dramatic impact throughout the space.

A floor-to-ceiling bookcase in the dining room is a repository for unique and special pieces, both natural and man-made.

In a home full of superlatives, the kitchen is undoubtedly an exclamation point. The twelve-foot-tall ceiling height is further emphasized by a brass ladder rail and wood ladder. A built-in hutch designed with brass crémone bolts appears as though it's been around for a century or more. Shine is abundant, from the high-gloss cabinets in a frame-and-panel design that incorporates the windows, to marble countertops, and polished nickel on the bridge faucet and the legs of the stools cozied up to the island.

The master bedroom walls are painted a saturated but soothing, medium-gray hue that evokes feelings of calm. Lucite makes an appearance in varying degrees in nearly every room; here, it's found on the legs of both the dresser and nightstand.

Custom drapery panels in the master bedroom are trimmed in a navy and gold tape.

Dorazil's confident use of color throughout the home provides a fitting backdrop for a judicious selection of metallic accents in both gold and silver. On the nightstand in the master bedroom, an oval brass tray calls attention to an orchid, whose delicate blooms are reflected in a silver-framed octagonal mirror. Silver and gold also pas de deux in the master bathroom.

A Lucite and Mongolian fur stool rests on a Calacatta marble floor in the master bathroom.

Although the project is "finished," Dorazil remarked that the home's design continues to evolve, as displays on shelves and tabletops are edited, and textiles are changed out with the seasons. The greatest reward, she says, "is the satisfaction of capturing a client's aesthetic and functional requirements in a design that brings them joy. It brings me great happiness to see a project from conception on paper to placing the final accessories."