Heroes shift in popularity through time. I think of the hats and costumes of my childhood: army combat; sailors; cowboys, jungle guides, caped superheroes, and the list goes on. But right now, COVID-19 has made heroes of the doctors, nurses, aides, technicians, researchers; and this list goes on, as well. All risk their lives daily to viral exposure to diagnose and treat the mercurial, fickle and sometimes fatal and very contagious virus still raging through the world, and they do this to help us heal and relieve our suffering. Today I present a medical facility, home to some of these heroes, and a place for their good works.
Okland Construction recently finished building the Granger Medical Center with architecture by HKS, Inc. The photo above shows the entrances off the parking lot.
The street side offers a more private view of the building and demonstrates how the medical center fits into the complex of new midrise buildings.
The layered exterior can be appreciated from this view to a secondary side entrance.
The atrium lobby on the main floor soars two stories. The seating serves as a waiting area for clinics. Also on this floor is the Instant Care, a full pharmacy, and an optical shop.
Two floors above is second atrium lobby arranged in a similar fashion.
The Instant Care is efficiently staged to handle any emergency with pleasant but highly durable surfaces, wide hallways for gurneys and wheelchairs, and sliding doors at the entrance to treatment rooms that ensure hallways will not be obstructed.
The upstairs x-ray suite similarly has plenty of room to maneuver equipment, technicians, and patients and the floors and surfaces are tough to withstand abrasion and thorough cleaning but not forebodingly medical.
The upstairs examination rooms are similarly finished. Each room has two entrances: one for the patients and another for clinicians.
Photographing the medical center with physical therapy equipment and chemo infusion rooms is a reminder that although the news fixes our attention on the virus, people are still suffering devastating illnesses and injuries and need attention and treatment. Yet, the threat of the virus still hovers. Thank goodness treatment is available, and to medical professionals—you are amazing and I can’t find words for my respect and gratitude.
Originally a wedding photographer, Rebekah Westover has been shooting beautiful interiors around Utah for nearly a decade. Her latest cover shot graces our current issue of Utah Style & Design magazine (USD). She has been featured in our pages multiple times, as well as in Traditional Home, Country Living and The Wall Street Journal, and today she’s be giving us a peek into her work as a hot-shot interior photographer.
USD: You started as a wedding photographer; How did you transition to interiors?
I did weddings for about 15 years. That’s how I met everyone on the Utah Style & Design team, was providing content for Utah Bride & Groom magazine. Brad (USD Editor) would occasionally pull my tablescapes and decor from styled shoots to feature in USD, and that is how I got on the radar with the interiors.
About 8 years ago, I completely redecorated my own home with help from Gatehouse No. 1, who I became very close with. I took a few shots of my house when it was finished and sent the images their way, asking if they would ever want me to shoot any projects for them. They were all about it, because they’d never had any of their projects photographed at that point. Even 8 years ago, interior photography wasn’t really a thing. They started hiring me to shoot all of their projects. The beginning of this year, I retired from weddings and decided to focus entirely on interiors. They are so much more my jam!
USD: Do you have a favorite project or a most memorable shoot?
It’s hard to pick a favorite, because I can appreciate good design in all styles. I can walk into a modern home, or a farmhouse or boho design and think ‘this is fantastic.’ But my style, and the shoots that really resonate with me, usually lean toward a little traditional and a little bit of glam. The homes that have spoken to me the most design-wise are first, Rachel Parcell’s. Her style really aligns with mine: it’s traditional, feminine, but with a bit of spice. Then there’s another private client whose home is so beautiful: She stuck with a traditional foundation, but has things like gold barstools and like, Gucci wallpaper. Those are homes I walk into, and I’m immediately obsessed!
USD: What is it like to see your work on a magazine cover?
My very first cover was a Gatehouse kitchen on a USD issue! I was beyond flattered. It just validates all your hard work to know that someone else appreciates it and thinks it is display-worthy!
USD: Do you have any pointers for designers on how to prep their rooms for a shoot?
I would say I think it’s important for designers to be on site. If you really want to style a space, it’s great to be there, so book out a half day or full day to collaborate with the photographer and get everything looking exactly as you want it.
I don’t touch anything in a home while I’m shooting it. If I go into a home, I assume it is how the designer wanted it – I wouldn’t want them to edit my photos after I’m done, I give them the same respect that I would want as a creative.
On another note: Some designers think that showing the whole room is what you want to do. I always tell them that you don’t need to shoot the whole thing, you can shoot details and vignettes, and it tells a much better story. It’s much more compelling because you can focus on what’s happening in that moment rather than being overwhelmed by the whole space.
USD: What spaces are your favorite to shoot?
Kitchens! Kitchens are like the heart of a home– I always spend the most time in a kitchen. They’re usually the most expensive, too, and I really try to highlight that. From a design perspective, there are often so many beautiful things to highlight in a kitchen. I also tend to gravitate towards colorful kitchens. It’s a trend that is up and coming, and I am loving the coziness color can bring to a space.
USD: What equipment do you use?
I shoot on all Nikon gear. I have a Nikon v850, I like it because it’s crisp, the colors are beautiful and it has a big screen. But realistically, it’s not the camera that matters. It’s your creativity and artistry—and honestly the lenses.
I like a mid-range lens. My favorite is my 24-70, because it’s not too wide. I back up as far as I can, then shoot with that mid-range so the lines are clean and you avoid that distortion you see from wide-angle real estate shots, where the rooms all look ridiculously large. I reserve those lenses for super small spaces like bathrooms or closets to open them up. The mid range lens provides a more editorial look, and allows you to focus on the design work in the space.
USD: Final question: what is your favorite part of shooting interiors?
Collaboration. There is something magical that happens when a photographer, design team and even the homeowner come together and bring their best ideas to the table for a shoot.
Artist Rob Mellor’s exuberant paintings deliver a 1-2-3 punch of color pattern and composition.
Few things have the power to make this Kristin Rocke family room’s bold wallpaper appear neutral, but artist Rob Mellor’s canvases entitled Oracle and Tumbled Under certainly accomplish that feat. Inspired by Mellor’s childhood love of comic books, a lifetime of studying contemporary artists and the everyday juxtapositions he spots, these and the artist’s other abstract paintings captivate with three key constants.
1- Pattern
Pattern is a key ingredient in Mellor’s works. Nearly all of his eye-catching paintings begin with designs drawn from high-fashion fabric scraps, which he arranges, photographs and manipulates digitally to perfection before transforming the image with color and bold, brush-stroke compositions. “Pattern for me equals unlimited potential. Every time you tweak it, you can regenerate something entirely new that gives a work a new direction,” he says.
2- Composition
Mellor enlists his “maddening visual awareness” to bring everyday juxtaposition of objects to his art. Sometimes those inspirations manifest in the digital phase, some are expressed in the physical act of painting. This layering of divergences culminates in the final works: pieces that Mellor describes as “visual occurrences” rather than as any set painting style. Each occurrence features stark contrasts, as well as sweeping strokes to remind the viewer of the fluid nature of the paint.
3- Color
If Mellor’s married forms and patterns are the mortar of his art, color is his wrecking ball. Splashes of coral intentionally disrupt the composition of Mellor’s pieces displayed in the Peterson’s living room, leaving viewers scratching their heads over the discordant decision. “I think that’s a sign of a successfully interesting painting,” he explains. S
Custom hand-painted wallpaper by Gracia creates a magnificent backdrop for the master bedroom's billowy silk draperies and luxurious furnishings. A spectacular marble fireplace surround created by European Marble and Granite anchors an elegant sitting area near the foot of the four-poster canopy bed.
Online fashion sensation Rachel Parcell and her husband Drew create a new hilltop home that’s as fabulous as it is family friendly.
Homeowner Rachel Parcell, dressed in one of her new spring fashions, sits at her kitchen’s impressive marble island fabricated by European Marble & Granite.
Rachel Parcell is a nester. That much we know. After all, the digital queen frequently shares captivating photos of her family’s new home with her million-plus followers and proudly posts its delightful spaces online. What’s more, she recently expanded her efforts beyond fashion design to home décor, also sold through Nordstrom. “I am such a homebody, so my house is super important to me,” she explains.
Not surprisingly, the homes of tastemakers and fashion designers often reflect their devotion to style, and so it is with Rachel. One need only cross the threshold of her home to discern her affection for alluring surroundings and the love she and husband Drew have for the house they designed and created together. And it all started with the views.
A mix of honed marbles, installed in intricate patterns, delivers a decidedly Parisian vibe to the grand entry. Masterful craftsmanship abounds, including the reeded finish that clads the curved wall below the custom balustrade and the large, stately panels that adorn the wall behind it. An antelope-patterned stair runner finishes the space with undeniable panache.
Books stack on a small, mirror-topped table.
The 14,000-square-foot house sits high on a bluff, affording jaw-dropping vistas of lush valleys and sky-reaching mountain peaks. “They’re absolutely majestic,” Rachel says. “We bought the property for the views and thought that we would build on it sometime down the road.” then the couple began dreaming over draft paper and the project began to roll.
Drew and Rachel conceptualized the house down to the smallest detail and enlisted architectural designer Colton Broadbent to help realize it through renderings. Drew, a builder by trade, performed as the project’s general contractor, and Rachel tapped Alice Lane Interior Design to design the home’s enchanting spaces. The firm had imagined décor for Rachel in previous homes and understood her style completely. “It’s timeless and traditional with French and European influences,” explains designer Jessica Bennett, principal of Alice Lane.
Custom built-ins frame a comfortably scaled fireplace in the large family room. Beneath the high-beamed ceiling, a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows performs like living art as it frames vistas of the patios, pool and snow-capped mountains beyond.
Luxurious-yet-livable style permeates every corner of the home, including those in the main living area, where expansive windows frame heady views and flood the adjoining family room, kitchen and breakfast room with luminous light. While in the middle of construction the Parcell’s decided to lift the family room’s ceiling by two feet to enable taller windows to fully frame the mountains’ snow-capped peaks. “It caused a four-week delay, but it’s the best thing we ever did,” Rachel says. The 12-foot-beamed ceiling height also helps delineate the spacious family room from the open kitchen, where a 10-foot ceiling and a pair of striking Ralph Lauren brass chandeliers overran Rachel’s prized feature, the kitchen island.
Intricately laid herringbone oak flooring spans the kitchen where double islands and zoned work areas make cooking and entertaining a breeze. “I wanted it to feel really open and culinary,” says Rachel, who loves her kitchen and the fully equipped pantry that sits behind it. Design by Alice Lane Interior Design, cabinetry by Peterson Woodworks, chandeliers by Ralph Lauren and stools by Hickory Chair.
“This is my favorite thing,” says Rachel, referencing an astounding, all-marble island surrounded by dressy leather barstools. “It’s definitely a moment,” explains Bennett. While the kitchen’s other island is the workhorse, this monolithic beaut is for dining and entertaining. Its height also makes it an ideal spot for Rachel to arrange flowers or make cookies with her young children, Isla Rose and Jackson.
Jackson, Isla Rose and Dash gather in the breakfast room where light and scenic views flood the sunny window-framed space. A Selita chandelier hangs from the marvelously detailed ceiling.
Notably absent in the floor plan is a formal dining room. “We typically eat at the island and overflow moves to the breakfast room” Rachel explains. There, walls of glass surround a round white table set beneath a chic chandelier swagger in coco beads. “I wanted a sun-drenched room, so we created this pop-out space with doors and windows all around,” Rachel says. Steps away, the home’s largest dining table awaits on the back patio, where the family lives and entertains by the pool during warm weather. “We’re outside all summer long,” she says.
Custom hand-painted wallpaper by Gracia creates a magnificent backdrop for the master bedroom’s billowy silk draperies and luxurious furnishings. A spectacular marble fireplace surround created by European Marble and Granite anchors an elegant sitting area near the foot of the four-poster canopy bed.
“The floating tub is beautiful, but it also functions incredibly well,” Rachel says. “I take a bubble bath almost every night in it.” This time, the kids take a turn at soaking.
Providing a more private sanctuary, the master bedroom is a fantasia of exquisite Gracie hand-painted wallpaper, ball gown-like silk draperies and layer upon layer of calming blues and creamy whites. Alice Lane chose a four-poster bed to lend a sense of intimacy to the overly large space. “It’s like a room within a room,” Bennett explains.
Cafe curtains dress the windows of the master bathroom. “Even when they are closed for privacy, they still let all the dreamy natural light in,” says Rachel. A polished nickel exterior shimmers on the Crosswater bathtub while Benjamin Moore’s Wickham Gray cools the custom cabinetry with a soothing watery hue. Taupe tones enrich the marble floor and add warmth to the decor. The Calais chandelier is by Neirmann Weeks.
Nearby, a luxurious sitting area offers Rachel a private spot to relax with the family in absolute comfort. The Amsterdams bathroom is equally lovely, with its pale painted cabinetry, richly reined marble and a floating tub finished in polished nickel. Separate his and her closets finish the master suite. “We have never shared a closet from the day we were married,” Rachel says. A key to maintaining a happy marriage? “Well, yes, I think so,” she responds with a laugh.
Hand-painted wallpaper by Gracie wraps Isla Rose’s bedroom is a lively garden scene. A small desk doubles as a charming bedside table.
At every turn, the home provides ample evidence of Rachel’s passion for all things pretty. High-fashion details, engaging displays and intimate vignettes flourish throughout. “Regardless of the size or style of one’s home, anybody can elevate life by creating beautiful moments, she says. “Special touches make any space unique and personal.” This sentiment inspires every space.
Windows open the second-level laundry/craft room to wondrous views and loads of natural light. “I added a window to every square inch that I possibly could,” Rachel says.
Rachel designed Bunny napkin rings and lace-edge napkins for her spring collection at Nordstrom.
“I like the little intimate moments in the family room,” says Bennett, whose team designed a cozy lounge space in the corner. Pillows and throws are from Rachel’s spring collection.
Dash lounges near the entry into the master suite. Hampton Garden wallpaper by Gracie.
Zimmer & Rhode’s feather patterned wallpaper dresses the powder room in black-and-white plumage.
A marble hood and backsplash frame a Lancache range from Mountain Land Design. The range wall’s design reflects Rachel’s love for classical symmetry.
Of course, there’s still more to come. Next on the list is a pool house and a new nursery for the couple’s third child due in July. “We’re waiting to learn whether we’ll have a boy or girl,” Rachel explains. With the anticipated arrival come more design decisions that thrill Rachel. “I’m super excited to find out what color scheme we’ll create for the nursery,” she says. Avid followers, stay tuned.
Since 1951, Forsey’s has furnished homes and designed beautiful spaces throughout Utah.
Known for carrying the highest quality in home furnishings at affordable prices and offering unmatched customer service, Forsey’s continues to be a one-stop destination for customers who want a truly magnificent home. Because of this dedication to service and quality, Forsey’s has fostered a reputation as one of Utah’s most innovative home furnishings and interior design destinations.
Forsey’s has long-standing relationships with the industry’s most highly regarded and well-known manufacturers including Century, Hickory Chair, Taylor King, Thayer Coggin, Hancock and Moore, Gat Creek, Precedent and many more. Forsey’s is also the exclusive Sticley Furniture dealer for the state of Utah and has a large gallery dedicated to the manufacturer.
With its new versatile design center, veteran design staff, top-of-the-line product offerings and focus on exceptional service and quality, Forsey’s is a local leader in home furnishings and interior design.
“We take our work seriously; it’s a family tradition that spans three generations. We use our knowledge of design, product and quality to make sure our clients get the spaces they need and want.” – Jack Forsey, Vice President and General Manager
Ask the Expert
What Sets Your Work Apart?
Forsey’s has been in business almost 70 years. We have an unwavering dedication to domestic furniture manufacturing and quality craftsmanship. We never sacrifice quality or service for a sale and pride ourselves on providing an unmatched customer experience.
What Inspires You?
Our customers’ visions of what a home should be. Turning an idea into a beautiful reality and seeing how that can change lives for the better.
Key to Keeping it Fresh:
Don’t be afraid of a little color. Often, the key to updating a space is as simple as adding a splash of color. Accent chairs, rich leathers and even beautiful wood finishes on stand-alone pieces can breathe life back into a room.
All indications are that in the future we will see more homes on less land. There’s lots of reasons for living closer together, in urban areas, and nearer to jobs. Some are economic and other reasons are related to conservation of resources, reducing carbon emissions, and hopefully leaving more open space. Looking at the Salt Lake Valley skyline, we are already building taller and higher with many more multi-family complexes.
Today I present three projects—all homes that share the building with other homes. I ask the same question that I asked in previous blogs: do these homes merit a second look? Are they beautiful?
The opening balcony shot and this living room with an adjacent art gallery feature a penthouse in a downtown condominium project designed by Kathryn Anderson (Atelier 93). Kathryn Anderson keeps the modern lines clean and uncluttered while introducing warmth with the rich wooden flooring.
The dropped ceiling carves the space for the kitchen. The cabinets are an uninterrupted flow of white except for the stainless and black appliances.
The red sliding door between the master bedroom and office space seems to be created for a camera and operator wild about architecture.
This Sugarhouse home is a townhome with the bedrooms upstairs. Credits go to Cody Beal Interior Design and Living Home Construction (Chris Towson). The transitional style finishes like the coffered ceiling and variations in texture add a beautiful backdrop to the furnishings that seem to float on the narrow metal legs.
Small spaces offer challenges to appear consolidated and uncluttered while maintaining interest and variations. Here, the dining area seemingly disappears with the glass table and Lucite chairs. The cabinets mix glossy white with blond wood, and open shelves display interesting glass pieces.
White-on-white, textured walls, the boldness of the vanity, and interesting hanging light fixtures take the powder room well beyond the expected.
Soft colors and fabric calm the bedroom while the light fixture and artworks add extra interest.
The lights and skyline of downtown Salt Lake give this recently built condominium an urban dazzle. Barclay Butera Interiors selected leather and suede-finished upholstery for casual relaxation.
Looking inward toward the kitchen from the windows shows the long linear open plan.
I am always interested in how designers differentiate an open plan. Here the lowered ceiling over the dining table and dark-toned area rug on the light wood of the floors call out the dining space and the wood surrounding the fireplace and the square chair backs define the living area.
The views to the Great Salt Lake and the Western accents announce a sense of place in the bedroom.
It’s difficult to not come to the conclusion that Salt Lake City is quickly becoming an exciting urban area, and these multi-family options offer a comfortable and glamorous way of life.
So please decide, did they inspire a second look?
As we move forward to lessening some of the preventative measures in place from the virus and experiment with this new way of life, stay well and stay safe.
Floral designer Pam Olson celebrates the season’s arrival with a luxuriant arrangement that’s fresh, modern and a touch untamed.
“This arrangement exemplifies the exuberance of spring” says floral designer Pam Olson, whose Native Flower Company is the go-to shop for those seeking one-of-a-kind designs, lush centerpieces and sophisticated, nature-inspired bouquets. Clients range from brides and CEOS to hostesses, event planners and those celebrating life’s special moments– birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers and yes, even spring’s arrival.
So what’s the secret behind creating this lavish arrangement? “It has an organic vibe,” she says. “It’s a garden, amplified.” Beginning with a burl bowl, the designer paired groups of sweet peas, anemones and hyacinths with others of paperwhites, amaryllis and hellebores. Then she introduced elegant lady slipper orchids. Mixing exotics with garden blooms is a signature move. “It puts the focus on texture,” she says. And the bunched blooms? “That’s the modern side of the design, the color blocking.” As if growing in a garden, the grouped flowers mix loosely with lush sword ferns, silver dollar eucalyptus and velvety pussy willow. No fluff of filler here. “Everything has a purpose and a chance to shine.” Notably missing are spring’s predictable pastels–shades of green and white prevail. Olson explains: “This palette is classic spring, fresh and sophisticated.”
The Ezra Lee team reconfigured the upstairs level, makng Tom’s office part of the master suite. Metal and glass barn doors separate the office from a cozy study area. Doors by Rustica Hardware.
Patience pays off. Just ask Tom and Tashina Karren. Seven years ago, the couple first saw a home created by Ezra Lee Design + Build (ELD+B) and decided that one day they would have one of their own. “It was modern and unlike anything we had seen in Utah,” Tom recalls. Every year since, the Karrens toured each of the firm’s annual entries in the Utah Valley Parade of Homes, and their desire to own an ELD+B dwelling deepened. “We actually put an Ezra Lee home on our vision board,” Tashina says.
The Karren family (left to right): Chase, Tashina, Tom, Hallie and Kaylie.
Then on a Friday morning in early January 2019, the Karrens pulled the trigger. They met with Ezra Lee and his team to discuss building a home and learned the process would take at least 18 months. “I have busy teenagers, so that seemed like a very long time for us,” says Tashina, so she asked what else the team had in the works. Lee mentioned a Lehi spec home planned for the upcoming Parade in June.
Strong contrast defines the kitchen where cabinets with a matte jet-black finish pair with others dressed in white-washed, quarter-sawn white oak. Cabinetry is by Marwood Design. countertops feature a trip of PentalQuartz engineered surfaces: Super White polished, Listen polished and Java Noir polished. Pendant lights feature smoked glass and concrete bases.
“We showed the Karrens the renderings, and Tom immediately moved to the edge of his chair,” Lee recalls. They had found their home. “We dreamed of having a Parade home and this was exactly what we were looking for,” says Tashina. She then asked Lee, “What do we need to do to make it ours?” Excavation was to begin the following Monday, so Lee suggested the Karrens take a look at the lot. The couple evaluated the site and returned 30 minutes later ready to buy the house—with one stipulation. “We wanted to add an underground sports court and a swimming pool,” Tom says. Normally, these wouldn’t be a problem, but the project was on a tight schedule due to the June deadline. These inclusions—particularly the sports court—presented a big timing challenge. “I really had to think about it,” says Lee, who deliberated before deciding to go for it. “The Karrens signed the papers the following Monday, and we were off to the races.”
Tongue-and-groove pine siding clads the inside of a deep gable that shelters the home’s entry. Large cutouts punctuate the geometric form, adding dimension and eye-catching detail to the Scandi-inspired architecture.
“I loved this house from the minute I saw its highly pitched roofs and black exterior,” recalls Tashina, describing the home’s surprising Scandinavian-inspired design. Typical of Ezra Lee designs, this house is provocatively unique and thoughtfully conceived. And like others, it is modern but with a twist. “They all have an underlying modern tone, but with supporting styles that have ranged from craftsman and Frank Lloyd Wright minimalist, to modern farmhouse and mid-century,” Lee explains. Scandi style was something new to embrace and provided the simplicity and bold design opportunities his team craved.
Tongue-and-groove pine siding dresses the inside of deep gables that strongly contrast with the home’s Scandi-inspired, charcoal-colored form.
Basic shapes and strong contrast define the exterior. “We stripped down the form to the point where it is geometrical,” says Doug Staker, head of architecture for ELD+B. “It becomes a box with a triangle roof.” The gables transition directly into the exterior walls with no overhangs that interrupt the roof-to-wall connection. “This reinterpretation of the gable makes the design progressive and current,” Staker explains. The team’s use of materials does the same.
Paired pendants replace the typical bedside lamp in daughter Hallie’s lower-level bedroom.
While stone, wood and steel are common to other homes in the area, the team applied them in innovative ways. Consider the profile of the standing seam metal roofing. As the steep roofline transitions to the vertical walls, the dark metal’s upright ridges become recessed channels, creating the structure’s seamless, charcoal-colored “shell.” It dramatically contrasts with light, tongue-and-groove pine siding that clads the inside of deep gables, sheltering outdoor living areas located at the ends of the home’s wings. These include the striking entry, spacious balconies and covered patios. The resulting color blocking is joined by a horizontal series of darkly framed square windows and large, eye-catching cutouts that add dimension to the home’s simple shape.
In the master bedroom, a wall of windows opens to a spacious covered deck and views of the surrounding hillsides. The team purposefully reduced the are at the foot of the bed to promote a tight connection to the outdoors. Glass-paned doors open to the luxurious master bathroom.
Simplicity flourishes throughout the home, including the stairwell where a white-washed wood handrail tops the staircase’s horizontal balusters. “We wanted the staircase to disappear, so we painted it white like the walls,” Taylor explains.
Simplicity thrives inside, as well. “Life can be complex, so people are moving toward simpler lifestyles and interiors,” says Landon Taylor, head of design. To foster this, the team created a straight forward floor plan devoid of tricky hallways or transitions. “It’s easy to understand and has a really nice flow,” Lee says. On the main level, polished concrete floors flow seamlessly from space to space and expansive windows fill the interior with views and bright, natural light.
The great room is comprised of an open family room, kitchen and dining area. Polished concrete floors span the light-filled spaces, while black accents visually connect them. Landon Taylor, head designer with ELD+B, hung a striking chandelier as a main focal point and chose a single paint color–Sherwin-Williams’ “Pure White” – to unify the interior spaces with a soft, crisp tone.
“The great room has three walls of glass—two are sliders and the other is a folding wall opening to the pool,” Staker says. “The indoors and outdoors become one space making its entertaining aspect incredible.” On the upper level, the team devised a master suite comprised of Tom’s office, a spacious bathroom and a bedroom open to a view-laden covered deck. “You almost feel like you are sleeping outside,” Taylor says.
The entry’s sitting area provides a stylish place to receive visitors without taking them deeper into the home. “It’s the modern take of a formal front room,” Taylor says.
The interior’s palette is equally compelling and uncomplicated. Taylor painted walls and ceilings white and surprisingly did the same to the staircase and railing. “You don’t often see white on staircases these days,” he says. Taylor repeated the exterior’s pine siding on the main staircase wall and used high-contrast black to accentuate key elements including kitchen cabinets, a hanging fireplace, window frames and even the casings around the doors.
The great room’s floating fireplace boosts the Scandinavian-inspired home design. “The whole design starts there,” Taylor says.
“This creates a picture frame around them,” he says. While color blocking and mixed textures drive the décor’s easy going style, Taylor added a few surprises to satisfy Tashina’s craving for a bit of glamour. The great room’s chandelier, for example, is like a tangle of brass-ended wands floating high above the space. “It’s a show stealer,” Taylor says. The entry’s wine-colored sofa and bold art similarly pop against the uncluttered backdrop. “I loved how they pushed the envelope,” Tashina says.
“We do a lot of hosting,” says homeowner Tashina Karren, so she and her husband, Tom, requested a wet bar for the end of the dining room. Contrasting cabinets link the dining area to the neighboring kitchen while an open shelf provides display space for easy-access glassware and decanters.
In the end, ELD+B completed the home in time for the Parade—and with a spectacular pool and subterranean sports court in place. And that home on the Karrens’ vision board? They now live in it. “It’s like a dream come true,” Tom says. “I have to pinch myself knowing that it is really ours.”
Ezra Lee Design & Build is an innovative firm that offers architecture, construction and interior designs ll under the same roof.
“We create spaces that are energetic and progressive but still in touch with forms that have stood the test of time,” says head of architecture Doug Staker. “Great design comes from a great design process– we work hard to find the best solutions.”
As an all-in-one firm, this team designs spaces that are easy to live and work in. “We’re inspired by how people function in their spaces,” says Ezra Lee, owner. And because clients don’t have to go through three different companies, it helps save time and money. “We pride ourselves on quality construction and materials as well as original design.”
This firm continually pushes the envelope and is not afraid to explore a new approach by thinking outside the box. “We are building a company that is just as incredible to work for as it is to work with,” says Landon Taylor, head of interior design.
“I couldn’t give you something mediocre, even if that’s all you asked for.” – Michelangelo, from The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone.
Ask the Expert:
What’s Ahead?
Elements of contrast (in all aspects of design and construction). Marrying multiple styles into one project creates exciting design as well as functional spaces. We love incorporating European, mid-century modern, Asian, Mediterranean and Scandinavian influences in our work.
Excited About:
Reinterpreting historial forms. History is important in Utah, but many of our clients want innovation. So rethinking form like gables, sheds or symmetry can produce exciting new forms that speak the language of history in a modern way.
Fresh Ideas:
Embrace the challenges: construction, budget, schedule and even style restraints. Working within a box almost always produces something more unique than not having any parameters at all.
I’m continuing to pose a question based on a statement by poet John O’Donohue. He said that good architecture demands a second look. I started this series with very modestly sized homes—just one bedroom. This week the homes are slanted more toward luxury living, and I ask the same question: For you, which of these homes demand a second look?
The opening shot taken at dusk is a home located in the Park City area designed by Sparano + Mooney Architects with interior design by J-Squared Interiors. The sleek modern lines of the deeply overhanging roof seem to swallow the sky.
There’s a calmness to the interiors. The open-planned space has the effect of being without boundaries with the white floors, walls, and ceiling, but the wood paneling lowers the scale and warmly contains and defines the living areas. This design has an inherent flexibility to adapt with time.
Despite the modern design, the home’s family room suggested to me a room in a cabin. Perhaps it is the wood-formed concrete of the walls, the comfort of the furniture, and the close ties to the site and views to the mountains.
Turning to another project, the sweeping overhang over the long entry curves in and out and up and down. Arthur Dyson Architects designed this home on the shore in Alyce Beach on the Florida panhandle.
The glass walls blur the sense of whether you are inside or outside, addressing the dilemma of the Florida climate that so often demands retreating to air-conditioning. The ceiling floats like a wooden cloud. Audrey Dyson designed the interiors.
Returning to the Salt Lake area, two telescoping forms expanding from a low center apex are silhouetted against the setting sun in a home designed by Gigaplex (Hank Louis) and built by Sausage Space (Mark Haslam). The wing on the left finished with metal is the social portion of the home, created for entertaining. The wooden private wing ion the right has a rooftop deck for catching the sunset.
The disappearing glass wall merges the entertainment spaces. The clear views to the rugged Wasatch peaks serve as a constant reminder of the surrounding beauty.
Here are three very different and dramatic homes. I would be interested your reactions. Second looks?
Whether natural or someone’s artistic expression, beauty has a wonderful, sustaining effect. I hope you are finding and being nurtured by beauty in these challenging days.
