And the Winner Is . . . !
RDDA is pleased to have been named a winner in the Luxe magazine Residential Excellence in Design Awards.
Partnering with the Dallas-based interior designer, Deborah Walker + Associates, RDDA was named the regional winner for the Classic Architecture category.
Richard Davis recently traveled to New York City to attend the awards ceremony and to celebrate the firm’s recognition for the design of this elegant French Classical house in Highland Park.
At the awards celebration Richard and Deborah shared the spotlight and toasted their success on an expertly executed project.
The exterior facade depicts a less-ornamented version of the French Classical style, which is in turn simultaneously grand and understated. The result is a contemporary take on traditional architecture, creating a home that is very much of the twenty-first century, but with the sense of balance, style and tradition that has remained popular for centuries.
With a nod to the Beaux-Arts legacy of symmetry and balance, the central facade is flanked on both sides by stepped-back massing. On the left the living room has three arched, steel doors, opening to a triple-arched front porch. A cadence of graceful, semi-circular arches flows across the lower level of the house and is echoed on the upper level by segmental, arched windows and the central balcony. French Renaissance architects added variety to their facades by mixing semi-circular, segmental arches, and square-topped openings. The limestone facade with limited ornamentation reflects the current trend for architecture that is traditional, but less “frou-frou.”
The elegance of the house continues in the vaulted entry foyer that merges with a stunning white and black marble, oval-shaped stair hall and oval-shaped staircase.
Demonstrating a keen eye and superb aesthetic taste, the formal living area is filled with antiques, artwork, and furnishings that the homeowner personally selected on buying trips with Deborah Walker in New York and Paris. The room artfully merges both contemporary and traditional style. In collaboration with Deborah, Richard designed the elegant moldings and coffered ceilings in this room, as well as throughout the house.
The library features rich wood paneling and moldings.
Glass walls offer a view from the library into the wine room.
In order to create the atmosphere of a wine cellar, RDDA designed a dropped floor with four steps leading down from the library.
The rear of the house opens into a large, flowing space that seamlessly merges the kitchen, breakfast area, and casual living area. The exposed, rough-hewn, wooden beams in the ceiling lend a more relaxed feel to the decor.
The bar area is especially stunning and glamorous with a polished nickel backdrop, co-designed by Deborah and Richard.
The upstairs continues to demonstrate the expertise of the design team. The master bedroom is a showcase of fine fabrics, wallpapers, and textiles.
The exemplary millwork and moldings found throughout the house are particularly evident in the master bedroom. Richard and Deborah worked together to create a design that combines exquisite traditional egg and dart molding with a contemporary Mondrian-like pattern for the bookcases that divide the sleeping area from the living area.
Richard says that this house has “some of the most elegant and restrained millwork and moldings of any house I have designed in my career.”
The Arabian Nights-themed bedroom, replete with a hanging bed, adds the perfect amount of delightful whimsy to the daughter’s bedroom.
The outdoor living area and pool, designed by Dallas-based landscape architect, Harold Leidner, are filled with fantasy, as well.
Richard and Harold co-designed this bar with a fountain.
John Sebastian of Sebastian Construction Group served as general contractor. Shane Douglas of Douglas Architectural Lighting was the lighting consultant.
Richard enthusiastically expresses that he cannot imagine a more enlightened client or a more talented and professional team with which to work on this award-winning project.
Congratulations to all!