The story below is from our September/October 2022 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
A busy doctor’s home is transformed into an ideal bachelor pad, along with plenty of green strategies for the future.
Kip Dawkins Photography
The homeowner, a bachelor and doctor who works long hours, wanted to create a modern sanctuary where he could retreat and recharge, with enough space to accomodate an orchard and garden. He also wanted his space to be functional with modern amenities and sophisticated lighting while still being a warm, comforting and inviting home for his young son to grow up in. The client entrusted CIRCLE Design Studio to interpret his vision and realize it completely, with results that are truly one of a kind.
A GREEN HOME: INSIDE AND OUT
After a long search for the perfect location outside of Roanoke City, the homeowner finally found the perfect spot at the foot of the Appalachian Trail in Catawba for his dream build. When he tapped CIRCLE Design Studio to helm the project, he told them he wanted the beautiful views surrounding the 33-acre property to be incorporated throughout the design, both inside the home and out. CIRCLE Design Studio led this new build from top to bottom, as architect, interior designer, general contractor and dealer/supplier for all cabinets, furniture and window treatments.
A “Green Addendum” was used in the final appraisal which committed the home to green strategies, which will ultimately increase its value. Some examples include continuous insulation verified with infrared, Energy Star rated appliances, IAQ monitoring and rough-in – a method of installing plumbing and/or electrical systems — that will allow for future solar panels and electric car charging.
AN INTIMATE TAKE ON THE OPEN FLOOR
It was important to the client that the kitchen be an open plan that would be conducive to their lifestyle, so that the client could be cooking while his son worked on homework at the island, maximizing their quality time. There’s an intimate seating area just off the kitchen that Theresa Dorlini, Principle Interior Designer and Art Director at Circle Studio, calls “the parlor.” Separated by a showstopping downlit wine bottle display that, centrally located in the floor plan, acts as the “night light” of the house as well as wall divider, the parlor provides an elegant nook for two.
Kip Dawkins Photography
CIRCLE honored the client’s Ethiopian descent in artwork, paired with earthy, warm colors for a sleek design.
An espresso machine sits against a 50x60-inch large format tile backsplash with striking 3D texture, and the artwork, lighting fixture and rug present an eclectic mix that is elegant and sleek. CIRCLE wanted to honor the client’s Ethiopian descent in the artwork, looking to African mudcloth for inspiration. The earthy color palettes play against graphic elements that create an ultramodern look throughout the home.
While it was important to the client to have an open plan for easy entertaining, Dorlini acknowledges that they were mindful about the drawbacks to achieving this without losing the desired warmth and comfort. “Sometimes when you get into these overly large homes they lose any sense of scale,” Dorlini says. “You have one great room that’s gigantic in size and furniture seems odd in it and there’s no separation of space.”
The kitchen and the formal living room is delineated by a subtle display case framing the doorway that’s not quite a wall, but a floor-to-ceiling cut out for placing sculptural elements or plants. Like the wine bottle display in the kitchen, this clarifies the area while maintaining the easy flow and spaciousness of an open floor plan by allowing the sightlines to continue around and through the walls themselves.
THE BEDROOMS: A FATHER & SON APPROACH
Completing this project was no easy task, as CIRCLE had to overcome the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic. “This compelled us to get creative,” Dorlini says. They looked local whenever possible, working with Roanoke-based furniture manufacturer, TXTUR, to create a one-of-a-kind custom-built bed for the primary bedroom. The simple, upholstered design runs the length of the bedroom wall, with custom sconces precisely mounted directly into the headboard. CIRCLE designed the concept and TXTUR engineered the statement piece.
Kip Dawkins Photography
The bedroom’s modern design includes custom furniture from Roanoke-based TXTUR.
“These collaborations allowed us to create a home that fit every one of the client’s needs, as well as showcase our love for other local businesses.” There’s a full sitting room, demarcated with a floating shelf, just off of the bedroom. The client was adamant about having this living area in the suite to provide a space for his son to sleep when he is afraid of the dark.
On designing for clients with kids, Dorlini says it’s often a balance. “We have a lot of clients who like modern design and they want a space that looks like it belongs in a magazine, but they do have kids,” she says. In her mind, it often comes down to the materials used. “I want to specify materials that are going to hold up, thinking about their durability over time.”
Kip Dawkins
CIRCLE Design incorporated artwork into this bedroom to emphasize the son’s interest in architecture.
She had the same approach to the artwork, taking a sophisticated approach to one of the son’s burgeoning interests. “The client came to us and said that his son was starting to show an interest in architecture, so we found these hand-drawn architectural drafts of a house, and the prints above the bed are drafting tools.” The result is a kid’s space that isn’t cutesy, but instead a room with the flexibility to grow along with its owner.
THE PRIMARY BATHROOM: A GARDENER’S RETREAT
With the client’s love of gardening in mind, CIRCLE designed the shower to be the ideal reward after a hard day working outdoors. The voice-activated steam shower is outfitted with body jets, a rainshower head, hand held shower and the Kohler Moxie showerhead with integral speaker, outfitting this ultimate spa retreat in the highest level of technology. The laundry room is just off the suite, making it easy to keep dirty gardening clothes confined.
The primary bathroom and closet are integrated into a single unit, so that the walk-in closet acts as a dressing room. As you enter the room, a focal wall with storage and a light fixture leads to the key feature of the space: a 48”x48” sunken tub, the concept of which was carried over through all iterations of the project’s design. “You can be in the tub and have 180-degree views, without having anything obstructed,” Dorlini says of the corner placement. With a recessed design, there is no visible tub to block the floor-to-ceiling windows from the rest of the room, making the views visible from the shower as well.
Kip Dawkins
A soak in the tub offers 180-degree views of the homeowner’s property.
CUSTOMIZATION: THE NEW LUXURY
With a desire for sophistication that was also homey and inviting, CIRCLE knew that the lighting of the home was going to play an essential role. In lighting design, layering is vital, and CIRCLE made liberal use of cove lighting, cans, sconces and fixtures to allow for multiple iterations of scenes and moods.
“If you’re entertaining and you’re doing a cocktail party, that lighting is very different from task lighting,” says Dorlini. “We look at that pretty closely in terms of the function of the spaces.”
Indirect linear LED lights were added in ceiling trays overhead, to help create the desired effects. High tech components throughout were important to the client, so CIRCLE carefully considered operationality as well as effect. They outfitted the bathrooms with LED lights in cabinet toe kicks, making that middle of the night bathroom run a quick and easy-to-light trip with minimal disruption to sleep.
They also used their own custom cabinet line, a collaboration with Signature Custom Cabinets, CIRCLE by Signature, for all of the cabinetry in the entire home, which made these installations go all the more smoothly. Smart technology controls all lights and roller shades throughout the home, and all lighting is designed to work on dimmers, allowing the homeowner full control over the seamless transition of ambiance throughout the day.
This level of customization is the quality of care that CIRCLE knows their clients are looking for. “Clients are coming to us for high design,” Dorlini says. The trends have changed over the last few years, and clients are no longer looking for quantity over quality. “Luxury design no longer means enormous square footage. The luxury now is customization.”
You can customize anything, Dorlini points out: from phone apps to subscription shopping services that all cater to the unique vision and preferences of the client. Tailoring a house to fit your exact lifestyle, desires and needs is better than just being big. “This is the new luxury.”
The story above is from our September/October 2022 issue. For more stories, subscribe today or view our FREE digital edition. Thank you for supporting local journalism!