417 DESIGN AWARDS 2017

BY STEPHANIE TOWNE BENOIT AND ROSE MARTHIS

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Whole House Winner

Designed by Joyce Buxton, Buxton Kubik Dodd Creative

Residence: Anonymous

Designer Joyce Buxton gave this room a look of its own by juxtaposing elements like the existing, rustic wood beams with contemporary features like the pendant lights.

When a local couple was seeking a new home, they considered building a house from the ground up. But one day, the mother of one of the homeowners came across this residence and, as a real estate agent, she recognized its potential. “They felt like they could make it close enough to what they were hoping to do,” says designer Joyce Buxton, who worked with contractor Rex Winslow of Construct on this top-to-bottom remodel. The floorplan and layout were suitable, but the aesthetics required editing and streamlining to match the homeowners’ clean, contemporary tastes. “I would say it was using an eraser more than a pen,” says Buxton of the design process, which included stripping away the home’s existing ornate flourishes and murals in lieu of a modern color palette, fewer materials and stylish simplicity. Such efforts made room for bold new features, like the cluster of pendant light fixtures installed in the living room. That room affords a stunning view of the wooded surroundings, which Buxton accented by having custom new draperies installed. The living room flows into the kitchen, which received an extensive face-lift, including new cabinets, appliances, flooring and more. “It was a clean slate,” Buxton says. That clean slate allowed for the installation of more dramatic lighting, including a dark drum fixture above the breakfast table and a sparkling chrome and glass pendant nearby. “We felt like the kitchen deserved a show-stopping piece,” Buxton says. Another show-stopping piece—a beloved painting—can be found in the dining room. That piece of artwork inspired the dining room’s design, which includes custom-upholstered chairs, a floor-to-ceiling mirror, a cornice above the window to elevate the room’s proportions and other sleek features. The room’s elegance and clean lines make its original over-the-top aesthetics a distant memory. “It just goes to show how you can take something that is not you and make it right for you,” Buxton says.

The living room flows into the kitchen area, which Buxton gave a clean, contemporary aesthetic. The space was completely gutted and updated with brand-new cabinets, appliances, flooring, lighting and other features.