Grand Debut Estate

A LOCAL FAMILY CREATES A BOLD, FUN AND ELEGANT HOME

BY: CECILE GOTTLICH

PHOTOS BY: JASON PAGE

Part of the fun in purchasing a new home is making it your own and creating memories in your new space. For one Corpus Christi family, finding the ideal home to make these memories in was essential. “We purchased our home in the summer of 2022 and started remodeling immediately,” shared the homeowner. “It’s my first time to get to do almost everything I wanted. I got to make it unique to me and have all my ideas come to fruition. I loved the process.”

The homeowner’s design vision came to life with inspiration from some of New York City’s iconic art deco hotels. “Our house already had a curved staircase. It had so many grand features that lent itself to that style. We knew it had to be grand,” remarked the homeowner. “I wanted it to have a modern and vintage feel … very 1940s, old Hollywood.”

To achieve that classic art deco style, the homeowner focused on adding touches of black and white and brass accents. The curved staircase in the entry needed no updating, as it already had the iron railing with rosette detail popular in the 1940s. The homeowners also wanted the space to be fit for entertaining, so they turned a hall closet on the other side of the dining room into a bar. “I love having that space open to the dining room,” the homeowner said.

They also removed a wall separating the kitchen and the den to create a connection between the two spaces. The grand kitchen features a French-style black range with brass knobs, a custom vent hood and black, white and brass backsplash tile. The large industrial pendant lights from Ballard Design are perfectly scaled for the massive island below. “I love the big kitchen island, and that from my kitchen I can see the front yard and the pool,” she said.

At the end of the kitchen adjacent to the den are floor-to-ceiling cabinets housing the homeowner’s prized crystal. “I love my cabinets for all my crystal.

We lived in Waterford, Ireland, years ago and that began my obsession with their crystal.”

The homeowner’s dining room also features another valued possession: an original painting by local artist Glenn Francis. “We’ve had that piece for 25 years. Glenn painted it when he was in Costa Rica, and now we have a home in Costa Rica. It’s very much full circle,” the homeowner shared.

The home also features several fireplaces, almost all of which have been redone. The living room houses one of these fireplaces, tiled in marble and flanked by a Chesterfield sofa and Louis XV armchairs while an original artwork hangs above. In addition to fully remodeling the kitchen and fireplaces, the homeowners also remodeled all the bathrooms in the home. The powder room walls are covered in a striking soaring cranes wallpaper from York, while the pool bath is a bit more fun and modern with its illustrative wave wallpaper.

Upstairs is one of the homeowner’s favorite rooms: the playroom. With three little ones, they felt that the space was a must. It features a stage equipped with musical instruments and disco lights. “I want to make that room more and more fun as we add more things to it.” This room is sure to be the hub for many future family reminiscences.

“I love that I got to go big and grand in this house,” the homeowner said. “We’re just really starting to make memories, but it’s nice to have a big space to have groups of friends and family over.”

HOURS: Monday - Friday: 8:00 - 5:00pm Saturday - Sunday: CLOSED