Montgomery, Alabama-based designer Ashley Gilbreath developed a lifelong love affair with design at a younger age. Gilbreath says that whereas she didn’t develop up with the fanciest of issues, her mom had an innate means to make all the things of their residence intentional, considerate, and exquisite, which impressed her mission as a designer to equip individuals to do the identical at any stage of life.
Gilbreath’s newest challenge was for a rising household trying to restructure their long-adored trip residence on Lake Martin. Whereas the idyllic property on a small, secluded peninsula of this large lake had offered the household with years of recollections, the home not match their wants. They outgrew the construction and have been in search of one thing extra applicable for his or her increasing household, which now consists of grandkids. The home nonetheless wanted to seize the essence of lake life, that means it wanted to prioritize performance and nothing could possibly be so treasured that it couldn’t stand as much as a baby in a swimsuit or muddy paw prints.
The purchasers started from the bottom up by tearing the home down and hiring McAlpine alum, Chris Tippett of TSB Structure to rebuild a house that felt applicable in its context whereas nonetheless being elegant and architecturally beautiful (Gilbreath was such a fan of his work on this challenge that she employed him to renovate her own residence). Tippett says that there have been many discussions across the former residence on the property, which was a Thirties-inspired lake cabin, and although they have been prepared for an improve, the purchasers actually needed to carry the simplicity of the ground plan and laid-back really feel of the outdated cabin to the brand new home.
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“What we attempt to do as architects is to take heed to our purchasers and provides them a home that meets who they’re,” says Tippett. “In relation to the lake, I’d say it’s most necessary for us to create out of doors areas in addition to exaggerated overhangs to maintain you out of the solar—and preserve the solar from coming into the home—whereas permitting you to benefit from the outdoors and water views always. The entire home is designed that solution to let you may have a whole lot of glass with out getting direct daylight.”
One other prime precedence for Chris was to make the home completely of wooden in order that it will really feel comfy and solely get higher with age. This manner, it may well get crushed up a bit and truly look higher in time, so the household doesn’t should really feel like they should tip-toe round the home and preserve children out of sure areas. This additionally allowed for some enjoyable additional particulars, such because the panel wall in the lounge that contains a hidden door to the proprietor’s suite.
“One of the crucial stunning issues about Chris’s work is all of the sudden surprises of thoughtfulness round each nook,” says Gilbreath. “They don’t bounce out at you essentially, however if you take the time to actually look, you’ll discover there’s a lot unbelievable design on this residence. We bought to return alongside Chris’s imaginative and prescient and align with it within the finishes and colours to make the house appear like it’s been there for some time, although it additionally appears basic and timeless. The house is clearly model new, however nobody would stroll within the door and suppose it was constructed yesterday.”
Gilbreath spent numerous hours curating simply the precise items that felt timeless, elegant, and completely worn by time to stop the house from feeling too formal or uptight. The designer says this is among the facets that made the challenge such a enjoyable expertise as a result of she might embrace the thought of the house trying prefer it has deliberately been cherished and loved over time by the household as a substitute of making a wonderfully polished aesthetic that didn’t mirror their heat or the years of recollections which have already been made on this plot of land. And each side of Gilbreath’s designs have been a play on pulling the surface in as a lot as potential, from the colour palette to the ground plan so as to add to the sense of place.
Lake Martin Home Tour
“The home capabilities so fantastically, and that’s a testomony to the architect and house owners greater than something,” Gilbreath says. “Nice views are captured in every single place on this home and there’s not a second the place you might neglect the place you might be.”
Whereas selecting a favourite room on this residence is sort of unattainable for the designer, Gilbreath has a particular affinity for the hidden proprietor’s suite. She says purchasers are sometimes so afraid of main colour contrasts in a room, however having such darkish, wealthy partitions allowed for the attractive items she collected to actually shine. The designer additionally appreciates how the size of the room allowed her to create a comfy seating space with an adjustable spherical desk that may rework the desk right into a tranquil workplace or intimate dinner desk right away. Whereas performance stays of the utmost significance, Gilbreath’s killer gathering prowess and considerate design sense creates a household trip residence that’s equally inviting, serving as a great backdrop for holidays, lengthy weekends, and Summer time Fridays.
“We attempt very arduous to guarantee that each challenge actually displays the shopper,” says Gilbreath. “I would like somebody who opens {a magazine} or seems at a home tour to marvel who did this as a substitute of immediately figuring out it was me. We needs to be effectively rounded sufficient to tug off any look, however each challenge ought to convey a way of hospitality as quickly as you stroll within the entrance door. It’s best to really feel like you’ll be able to sit down, prop your toes up, and let your children colour on the tabletop. On the finish of the day, a house must be designed for actual life, not {a magazine}, and hopefully any area of ours that you’ll stroll into will likely be inviting and livable in any respect ranges of life.”
Lauren Wicks is a Birmingham-based author protecting design tendencies, must-have merchandise, journey inspiration, and entertaining. She’s obsessive about globally impressed textiles, internet hosting dinner events, and French cocktails.
