When a savvy homeowner works with a talented interior design team on various homes over a period of years, magic happens. Some of it arises out of unspoken types of communication that occur as those bonds are formed. Such is the case with the latest project that Shannon Ponciano of House of Ponce and her team created for her longtime client. After working with this homeowner on his third home, she knows how to honor his passion for entertaining amidst an ambiance that is at once relaxing and emotionally stimulating.
When he purchased the home, it was a sea of beige – beige walls, carpet, and finishes. What attracted him was the single level layout and good bones. “He wanted us to merge his traditional, modern style with a twist of edgy glam,” says Ponciano.
After a fire in his previous home prompted him to purchase this home, House of Ponce was able to use some of the furnishings they’d found for his office into a completely new and showstopping space that has multiple uses. “The new direction,” says Ponciano, “enabled us to create the conversation space he wanted that can double as a workspace.” Sultry, lush, and sexy, were just a few of the descriptive words that prompted the emotions he was seeking. House of Ponce translated those into a pair of Emerald Velvet Sunpan sofas, dramatic Scalamandre wallpaper, a pair of bold modern artworks all crowned by a dramatic two-tiered bronze chandelier.
In the adjacent living area, Ponciano called on Shaun and Karen Burke of Bravura Finishes to turn the formerly beige boxed ceilings into hand plastered masterpieces that add drama to the room. “We wanted something punchy that would draw your eye upward,” recalls Ponciano, who sent images of the furnishings to the Burkes from which they prepared several samples based on the look Ponciano was seeking.
“The living room finish,” says British-born Shaun, “is a combination of gold and Venetian plaster, using a troweling technique with gold, gray and black.” Before proceeding, House of Ponce brought Bravura Finishes together with the homeowner to weigh in on the samples they’d chosen. “I remember him loving everything,” says Shaun, “but he grabbed the gold sample and said he absolutely had to have it for his master bedroom.”
With “Drama” being the “Story” created in each space, Ponciano grounded the living area’s existing blue sofa with a python patterned rug that provides high contrast with the dark flooring. “It has a neat sheen to it, while pulling in the gold and blue,” she says, “which is not a combo you see a lot.”
One of the biggest threads that runs throughout the new look is the highly dramatic lighting found in each room. A black and gold chandelier with glitter and glamorama finish crowns the living room. A large, linear lantern rooted in a colonial era design, ties to the adjacent modern artwork that suggests a modern interpretation of a similar era. The crowning touch in the elaborate bathroom is the handcrafted Large Haskell Chandelier that glistens above the Carrara marble tile flooring, evoking a touch of Hollywood.
“There is nothing basic about this home,” says Ponciano. “Our instructions were to knock it out of the park with high drama and style. Working with our client is extraordinary because he loves to go out of the usual comfort zone, playing with texture and color that are unique and memorable in every way. And yet, it feels cozy when you’re in the home, as if it’s a reflection of him personally, with texture on all the walls and ceilings by Bravura Finishes.”
The Burkes agree. “Everything went so smoothly, working with Shannon and her team,” they say, “because Shannon is so amazingly talented. She embraces all the creative people and artists she works with, making it just so respectful and fun to be a part of the team.”
PROJECT SOURCES
CONTRACTOR
Smith-Donnerberg, LLC
jtsmithco.com
ARCHITECT
John W Finklea
INTERIOR DESIGN
House of Ponce
houseofponcedesign.com
APPLIANCES
Standard TV & Appliance
standardtvandappliance.com
CEILING/WALL FINISHES
Bravura Finishes
bravurafinishes.com
WINDOWS
Parr Lumber
parr.com
