Mastering the Modern Home

Story by Terri Glazer | Design by Hayley Davis Interior Design | Photography by Stefanie Rawlinson Photography

When the current owners first saw this River Oaks house four years ago, they knew it was the place for them. The lifelong Memphians’ former residence, a Cape Cod in High Point Terrace, was nice, but its traditional style didn’t lend itself to their idea of the perfect home. “We wanted a mid-century or California modern look,” says the homeowner. “We walked in here and we loved it. It was funky and weird and different, and we just saw a vision.”    

Built in 1978, the brick contemporary’s angular roof lines and modern interior were just what they had in mind. The house was well cared for and in great condition, so they bought it and wasted no time starting the process of reimagining it for themselves and their two young sons. 

They assembled an all-star local team: architect David Anderson; contractor Price Hays; and interior designer Hayley Davis. “The clients and I hit it off from the get go,” says Davis. “We started the process with a call where we went into detail about their vision for their home. What they wanted was right in my wheelhouse.” To make that vision a reality, Anderson drew up a plan that called for gutting most of the interior. While staying true to the house’s original character, the new version accommodates the way this busy family lives, their love for entertaining, and their desire for a unique home full of custom and personalized details.

The homeowner, who describes herself as “almost a minimalist,” loves that although her new home is sleek and clean-lined, it’s still warm. “It feels fresh and open and like I can breathe here, but it also has warm touches to make it cozy and nice.” Natural light floods every room, thanks to newly installed large windows, skylights and sliding doors. Davis even outfitted interior rooms with transoms to ensure maximum light in every space. The effect is dramatic and artistic when sunlight is juxtaposed against the warm wood, black accents and touches of brass found throughout.  

The front entry is boldly modern, yet inviting. A large iron and glass front door, surrounded by oversized sidelights and transom, allows light to fill the foyer, highlighting the soaring ceiling, white walls and black tile floors. For maximum impact, Davis kept the furnishings to a minimum—a simple cane-seat bench beneath a striking original painting. Above it all, a modern geometric chandelier completes the vignette. The fixture, along with all the lighting, were a labor of love for the designer. “We wanted to find really unique fixtures that we don’t necessarily see in Memphis homes. This particular fixture feels open and full of light—almost like a piece of art.”

Just off the entryway, the home office is a showstopper, masculine, moody and one-of-a-kind. Handsome sliding doors with reeded glass accents can close to afford privacy. Their warm wood finish is reprised on the floors, tongue and groove ceiling treatment and custom cabinetry. Davis reworked the room’s existing fireplace, adding dramatic blue/black brick tile with the slightest hint of iridescence.

The main living area is open, yet divided into distinct lounge, sitting and dining spaces. Stylish and sophisticated, the lounge is ideal for entertaining, or for the couple to sit and chat. An elegant wet bar sets the scene. Furnished with more of the beautiful millwork that now graces every room, the bar stands out even further thanks to the backsplash of Ljen blue quartzite. “It was ‘go big or go home’ for us when it came to natural stone in this house. We went big,” says Davis, noting that the homeowners loved the wall treatment so much she repeated it in the dining room’s built-in sideboard. 

The lounge’s modern, low-back sectional looks right at home, yet unlike furniture commonly seen in Mid South decor. Says Davis, “I tried to source furnishings you wouldn’t see in a typical store or home, because this isn’t your typical home.”

“It is not,” agrees the homeowner. “My husband and I said the funkier the better. We told Hayley, ‘Make it as interesting and unique as you want to make it.’”

The lounge flows into the main living room, where Davis assembled a masterful blend of vintage and new pieces, all with the vintage aesthetic her clients love. A neutral channel-tufted sofa by Alabama designer Grant Trick sets the stage. Among the accompanying furnishings are a pair of 1960s chairs, given new life with fresh boucle upholstery that’s strong on a rich purple hue. Dubbed “mulberry” by the designer, the color appears throughout the home, often paired with chartreuse.

Situated perfectly between the living area and the kitchen, the dining space features a modern pedestal table custom built by 38 Woodworks for the house and surrounded by a set of eight 1980s cantilever chairs decked out in green velvet. The built-in sideboard with the same quartzite as the wet bar was inspired by a post both Davis and her client added to the project’s Pinterest board. “We each added a lot of the same ideas without knowing the other had already posted them. That shows it was a match made in heaven!” says the homeowner.

Anderson’s vision for the kitchen required removing a wall and an adjacent bathroom. The result is a masterpiece of synergy between warm wood, black accents, white marble and natural light. Not merely a showplace of form over function, the design marries beauty and practicality. The homeowner loves that she didn’t have to sacrifice storage to achieve her kitchen’s streamlined look. “We were very intentional about cabinetry and making sure we don’t have a lot of things just sitting out,” she explains. 

For sharing casual meals the family has two options; they can gather at the large floating island created, as was all the kitchen cabinetry, by BylerCraft, or around the live-edge breakfast table, a collaboration between local makers City Wood and Iron & Design.

Mulberry makes an audacious appearance in the powder room via wallpaper in a stylized agate pattern. A freeform mirror repeats the asymmetrical theme, while brass fixtures and accents provide a pop of metallic excitement.

Situated downstairs in a wing off the back of the house, the primary suite is a study in serenity and style. The vaulted ceiling creates an atmospheric feel, while full-length windows provide views of the park-like backyard. Davis played off the colors of nature, choosing a large-scale botanical print for the cushion on the bench at the foot of the bed. Those hues became the catalyst for the rest of the room’s design. Flanking the upholstered bed, another 38 Woodworks creation, are custom nightstands topped with Viola marble.

Simplicity and luxury go hand-in-hand in the en suite bath. The designer punched up its expanse of stunning Calacatta Gold with black details; horizontal pencil tile lines on the wet room walls and small square mosaic borders on the floor. 

A warm-stained floating vanity with reeded front treatment spans the length of the room. Davis sings the praises of the custom millwork throughout the home, citing details like hidden hinges and added trim strips that allow all the doors to integrate into the walls, adding to the sleek overall aesthetic.

A large game/pool room, complete with kitchenette and bath, completes the downstairs. Although the two youngest members of the family spend much of their time there with friends, the design is in keeping with the rest of the home rather than that of a typical kids’ hangout space. Since the room opens to the pool deck, Davis opted for tile flooring and rugged yet attractive furnishings that would stand up to water and wear. 

Both the children’s bedrooms upstairs have an attached bath. The parents allowed their boys input into the design of their spaces. The older son wanted black, white, wood and brass. Davis obliged with a floating desk and shelf and a zingy headboard fabric that gives a wink to his comic book collection. “Tiger blue” fit the bill for the younger boy. The designer delivered, placing the bright hue on the bedroom’s integrated closet and window shades as well as the tile in his bath.  

The piece de resistance in both bedrooms, in fact one of Davis’s favorite elements of the project, is the integrated closet wall in each. Assisted by the organization pros at Trazo Design, she planned out built-in units to keep the boys’ necessities neat and easily accessible, yet out of the way.

The guest room features a cozy entry area, a feature Anderson also incorporated into the primary suite to create a “moment” of separation that invites relaxation. The guest bed, nightstands, bench and dresser, the only furnishings the family brought from their previous residence, look right at home here, accented by textiles in a deep mauve that speaks to tones found throughout the decor.

The home’s exterior also received a major makeover, starting with bold paint. As the homeowner tells it, she and her husband knew they wanted to paint the original pink brick. “We felt like black honored the house’s shape and knew it would end up great,” she recalls. Even so, she admits to a moment of trepidation when the bold paint was first applied. A quick text exchange with Davis reassured her that once the landscaping was installed, everything would look wonderful.

Jason Brooks of Picture Perfect Landscapes steered the complete redo of the acre lot. The extensive project included filling in a ravine that ran through the entire backyard, constructing an outdoor kitchen and firepit, installing turf in the pool area, and more. 

The architect created an all-season outdoor living area where a wooden deck once was. With Davis’s chic furnishings added the spot has the feel of an upscale resort.

Outdoors as well as in, thoughtful, artistic design achieved a task often perceived as difficult to impossible in a contemporary space, especially one of this size. The homeowner sums it up best, “One of the things I love most about this house is that even though it is a big house, it still doesn’t feel cavernous, it doesn’t feel expansive. It feels cozy and warm. It’s our happy place, for sure.”